||iiyf.;iffMr»--.t»»ynf«-.T-7,-,v  j-  _ 
 
LIBRARY    OF    FATHERS 
 
 HOLY    CATHOLIC    CHUECH, 
 
 ANTERIOR  TO  THE   DIVISION  OF  THE  EAST  AND    WEST. 
 
 TRANSLATED    BY    MEMBEUS    OF    THE    ENGLISH    CHUECH. 
 
 YET    SHALL    NOT    THY   TEACHERS    BE    REMOVED    INTO    A    CORNER    ANY   MORE,    BUT 
 THINE    EYES    SHALL    SEE   THY   TEACHERS.      Isaiah    XXX.    20. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 WALTER   SMITH    (LATE    MOZLEY), 
 
 34  King-  Street,  Covent  GAEDEif. 
 
 18  85. 
 
^oZ 
 
TO    THE    MEMORY 
 
 OF    THE 
 MOST     REVEREND     FATHER     IN     GOD 
 
 WILLIAM 
 
 LORD   ARCHBISHOP   OF   CANTERBURY, 
 
 PRIMATE     OF     ALL     ENGLAND, 
 FOBMEBLY  EEGIUS  PKOFESSOE  OF   DIVINITY  IN  THE  UNIVEESITY  OF  OXFORD, 
 
 THIS   LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 ANCIENT  BISHOPS,  FATHERS,  DOCTORS,  MARTYRS,  CONFESSORS, 
 OF  CHRIST'S  HOLY  CATHOLIC  CHURCH. 
 
 UNDERTAKEN  AMID  HIS  ENCOURAGEMENT 
 
 AND 
 
 CARRIED     ON     FOR    TWELVE     YEARS     UNDER     HIS     SANCTION, 
 
 UNTIL     HIS     DEPARTURE     HENCE     IN     PEACE, 
 
 IS 
 
 GRATEFULLY     AND     REVERENTLY 
 
 INSCRIBED. 
 
COMMENTARY 
 
 ON 
 
 THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDINCx  TO  S.  JOHN 
 
 BY 
 
 S.  CYRIL 
 
 ARCHBISHOP  OF  ALEXANDRIA 
 
 VOL.  II 
 
 S.  JOHN  IX— XXI 
 
 13R 
 
 Ub 
 V,  57 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 WALTER  SMITH  (late   MOZLEY), 
 
 34,  King  Street,  Covent  Garden. 
 
 1885 
 
©xforli 
 
 PRINTED  BY  HORACE   HART,   PRINTER  TO  THE   UNIVERSITY 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 MoEE  than  eleven  years  have  passed  since  the 
 first  volume  of  a  translation  of  S.  Cyril's  Com- 
 mentary on  S.  John  was  given  to  the  world  by 
 the  late  Mr.  P.  E.  Pusey.  The  volume  was  in- 
 troduced by  a  Preface,  the  greater  part  of  which 
 was  written  by  the  translator's  father,  Dr.  Pusey, 
 and  mainly  with  a  view  to  showing  that  S.  Cyril's 
 language  on  the  subject  of  the  Procession  of 
 God  the  Holy  Ghost  from  the  Father  and  the 
 Son  is  substantially  identical  with  that  of  the 
 Greek  Fathers  of  an  earlier  age.  This  Preface 
 was  in  part  intended  as  a  contribution  to  the 
 then  expected  discussion  of  the  subject  at  the  Ke- 
 union  Conferences  which,  in  the  event,  were  held 
 at  Bonn,  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Dollinger, 
 in  the  autumns  of  1874  and  the  following  year. 
 The  translation  itself  was  reviewed  by  an  English 
 critic  in  terms  which  rendered  its  humble  and 
 too  self-distrusting  author  unwilling  to  resume  it. 
 At  his  death,  on  Jan.  15th,  1880,  nothing  more 
 had  been  done.  But  Dr.  Pusey,  who  all  along 
 had  been  anxious  for  the  completion  of  the  work, 
 entrusted  it  to    a    scholar  who  was    at  the  time 
 
 a2 
 
IV  PKEFACE. 
 
 taking  up  his  residence  in  Oxford,  the  Rev. 
 Thomas  Randell,  M.A.,  of  S.  John's  College. 
 
 Mr.  Eandell's  distinction  as  a  Classical  Student 
 had  been  already  attested  by  the  honours  gained 
 by  him  in  the  London  University ;  and  Dr.  Pusey 
 early  formed  and  expressed  a  very  high  opinion 
 of  his  "  wide  and  solid "  accomplishments  as  an 
 Orientalist — an  opinion  which  has  been  amply 
 justified  by  the  successes  which  Mr.  Eandell  has 
 achieved  in  his  adopted  University. 
 
 The  text  from  which  the  present  translation,  as 
 well  as  that  in  the  previous  volume,  has  been  made, 
 is  that  which  the  unwearied  labours  of  Mr.  P.  E. 
 Pusey  himself  had  based  on  the  earlier  work  of 
 Aubert.  Of  this  noble  enterprise  his  father 
 writes : — 
 
 "  It  was  at  my  wish  that,  in  his  uniform  filial 
 "love,  my  son  took  as  the  central  work  of  his 
 "life  to  make  the  text  of  S.  Cyril's  works  as 
 "exact  as  it  could  be  made.  For  this  he  visited 
 "libraries  in  France,  Spain,  Italy,  Germany, 
 "Russia,  Mount  Athos,  Cairo,  Mount  Sinai,  and 
 "applied  to  this  the  knowledge  of  Syriac  which 
 "  he  had  perfected  in  view  of  another  object^.  " 
 
 The  Avork  of  editing  the  original  text  was  to 
 have  been  completed  in  ten  volumes.  It  remains, 
 alas !  a  splendid  fragment,  consisting  of  six  volumes 
 and  a-half ;  which,  unhappily,  do  not  include  the 
 
 ^  Preface  to  Translation  of  S.  Cyril  against  Nest.,  p.  cv. ;  dated 
 Christmas  Eve,  1881. 
 
PREFACE.  V 
 
 Thesaurus.  But  in  Dr.  Pusey's  judgment  the 
 greatest  of  S.  Cyril's  works  is  his  Commentary 
 on  S.  John  2,  the  original  text  of  which  is  given  in 
 the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  volumes  of  Mr.  Pusey's 
 edition.  This  original  text  consists  of  1636  pages 
 octavo,  partly  Greek  and  partly  Syriac.  Of  these 
 the  first  863  pages  were  translated  into  English 
 by  Mr.  P.  E.  Pusey  himself;  the  translation  forms 
 the  first  volume  of  the  present  work.  For  the 
 translation  of  the  remaining  773  pages  contained 
 in  the  present  volume  Mr.  Kandell  is  responsible. 
 
 Dr.  Pusey  commissioned  Mr.  Kandell  to  complete 
 his  son's  work  in  1880,  and  took  the  greatest  interest 
 in  its  progress.  On  March  10th,  1880,  he  writes  to 
 Mr.  Kandell  :— 
 
 "  There  is  no  hurry  about  the  translation  of 
 "  S.  Cyril.  I  only  wished  to  have  my  dear  son's  work 
 "  completed.  Mr.  Jebb,  I  think,  thought  his  trans- 
 "  lation  rather  quaint ;  so  it  would  not  be  a  model 
 "  for  you.  Every  one  must  translate  in  the  way 
 "  most  natural  to  himself.  I  should  think  that  you 
 "  would  do  well  to  read  yourself  into  S.  Cyril's  style 
 "  before  you  begin  the  actual  translation.  It  will 
 "  flow  rapidly  then.  Your  translation  will,  I  fear, 
 "  be  at  a  disadvantage,  because  it  begins  with  frag- 
 "  ments  of  the  lost  books." 
 
 Mr.  Kandell,  it  need  not  be  said,  acted  on  the 
 advice  contained  in  this  letter.  In  November,  1881, 
 Dr.  Pusey  again  writes  to  Mr.  Kandell,  expressing 
 
 ^  Vol.  I.,  Preface,  p.  viii. 
 
Vl  PKEFACE. 
 
 his  pleasure  at  the  progress  of  the  work,  and  add- 
 ing: "At  81,  I  am  glad  not  to  leave  things  un- 
 settled." In  January,  1882,  Dr.  Pusey  once  more 
 writes : — 
 
 "  I  have  just  had  the  first  52  pages  of  your  MS., 
 "  as  set  up,  to  read  over.  I  have  ventured  to 
 "  change  the  irpoTel-^^ia-iJ.a,  which  you  had  rendered 
 "  '  fortification,'  into  '  outer  wall,'  for  it  represents 
 "  b'^U  ',  but  perhaps  you  left  it  on  purpose,  as  our 
 "  version  always  renders  by  some  general  term  ^. 
 "  I  only  looked  at  the  pages  to  see  that  they  came 
 "  to  you,  as  they  should.  But  I  found  that  they 
 "  read  pleasantly,  which  is  a  great  gain  for  a  writer 
 "  who  uses  so  many  compound  words  as  S.  Cyril." 
 
 In  truth,  the  difficulty  of  translating  S.  Cyril  lies 
 not  only  in  his  compound  words  but  in  his  long 
 and  involved  sentences — the  product  of  his  sustained 
 and  anxious  thought.  But  the  correction  thus  sug- 
 gested is  the  only  one  made  by  Dr.  Pusey.  Dr. 
 Pusey  read  through  and  approved  of  the  first  176 
 pages  of  the  present  volume,  which  alone  were  set 
 up  in  type  before  he  was  himself  taken  from  us,  at 
 Ascot  Priory,  on  September  16th,  1882. 
 
 Dr.  Pusey's  death,  as  was  inevitable,  seriously  in- 
 terrupted the  progress  of  the  work.  The  Holy  Kood 
 Press,  at  which  the  book  was  being  printed,  was 
 broken  up.  In  Dr.  Pusey  the  last  surviving  editor 
 of  the  Library  of  the  Fathers  was  withdrawn  from 
 this  earthly  scene.     Dr.  Pusey's  executors  were  for 
 
 ^  This  correction  was  adopted,  of.  p.  10. 
 
PKEFACE.  Vll 
 
 some  time  engaged  in  making  arrangements  with  a 
 new  publisher,  and  other  difficulties  presented 
 themselves.  But  at  length  a  fresh  beginning  was 
 made.  From  page  177  onward  the  volume  has  been 
 printed  at  the  Oxford  Clarendon  Press ;  and  every 
 care  has  been  taken  to  secure  uniformity,  not  only 
 between  the  two  portions  of  this  volume,  but  also 
 between  the  whole  volume  and  its  predecessor. 
 
 Indeed  the  work,  as  a  whole,  has  been  consider- 
 ably enriched  by  Mr.  Kandell's  industry.  Through 
 an  inadvertence,  some  copies  of  the  first  volume 
 had  no  Table  of  Contents,  while  other  copies  were 
 furnished  with  an  erroneous  one.  In  order  to 
 remedy  this  as  far  as  possible,  Mr.  Eandell  has 
 provided  the  present  volume  with  a  Table  of  the 
 Contents  of  both.  The  first  volume,  too,  was 
 published  without  any  Index.  At  the  end  of  the 
 present  volume  are  subjoined  full  Indexes  to  both. 
 The  translator  has  also  been  careful  to  note  in  the 
 margin  of  the  second  volume  those  passages  of  the 
 Commentary  in  which  the  translation  has  been 
 made  from  the  Syriac  version. 
 
 It  may  not  be  undesirable  to  remind  the  reader 
 that  S.  Cyril  used  a  text  of  the  New  Testament 
 which  is  not  quite  identical  either  with  that  of  any 
 known  ancient  manuscript,  or  with  any  conjectural 
 text  that  has  been  constructed  by  modern  scholars, 
 or  with  the  Textus  Bece_ptus.  Accordingly,  in  trans- 
 lating passages  of  the  New  Testament  that  occur  in 
 the  present  volume — whether  passages  of  the  Holy 
 Evangelist  upon  whom  S.  Cyril  is  commenting,  or 
 
Vm  PEEFACE. 
 
 incidental  quotations  in  tlie  Commentary  itself — 
 especial  care  has  been  taken  to  render  S.  Cyril's  own 
 text  as  exactly  as  possible.  Whenever  therefore  the 
 rendering  is  not  identical  either  with  the  Autho- 
 rised or  the  Revised  Version,  the  reader  may  be 
 assured  that  there  is  a  corresponding  difference  in 
 the  Greek  or  Syriac  text  as  exhibited  by  S.  Cyril. 
 Moreover,  quotations  from  the  Old  Testament  will 
 often  be  found  to  differ  from  the  corresponding 
 passages  of  our  English  Bible,  because  they  are 
 taken  from  the  Greek  version  of  the  Septuagint, 
 and  not  from  the  original  Hebrew  text. 
 
 Mr.  Eandell  is  anxious  to  express  his  gratitude 
 for  generous  assistance  which  he  has  received 
 from  many  kind  friends  in  the  course  of  his  work. 
 Among  Greek  Scholars  who  have  helped  him 
 are  Sir  WilUam  J.  Herschel,  Bart.,  M.A.;  C.  H. 
 Sampson,  Esq.,  M.A.,  Eellow  of  Brasenose  College ; 
 H.  P.  Palmer,  Esq.,  M.A.,  and  A.  P.  Moore,  Esq.,  M.A., 
 both  of  Wadham  College  ;  and,  in  one  case  of  con- 
 siderable difficulty,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bright,  Regius 
 Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History.  In  translating 
 the  Syriac  he  has  been  aided  by  the  Very  Rev. 
 Dr.  Payne-Smith,  Dean  of  Canterbury,  and  his 
 accomplished  daughter.  Miss  Jessie  Payne-Smith ; 
 by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Driver,  Regius  Professor  of  He- 
 brew; and  by  the  Rev.  F.  H.  Woods,  B.D.,  of 
 S.  John's  College.  When  correcting  the  proofs 
 and  preparing  the  Indexes,  he  had  to  thank 
 Arthur  T.  Bott,  Esq.,  B.A.,  for  time  and  trouble 
 freely  placed  at  his  disposal. 
 
PEEFACE.  IX 
 
 Not  many  weeks  after  his  son's  death,  Dr.  Pusey 
 said,  in  the  course  of  conversation,  to  the  present 
 writer : — 
 
 "  I  cannot  help  hoping,  that  if  dear  Phihp  is 
 "allowed,  now  or  hereafter,  to  be  anywhere  near 
 "  S.  Cyril  in  another  world,  S.  Cyril  may  be  able 
 "to  show  him  some  kindness,  considering  all  that 
 "  Philip  has  done  in  these  later  years  to  make 
 "  S.  Cyril's  writings  better  known  to  our  country- 
 men. 
 
 Since  these  words  were  uttered  father  and  son 
 have  met  again  after  their  brief  separation.  And 
 it  may  be  that  they  have  also  been  permitted  to 
 hold  converse  with  the  great  Alexandrian  Father 
 before,  the  Throne  of  that  adorable  and  deeply- 
 loved  Kedeemer,  Whose  Glory,  Divine  and  Hu- 
 man, each  of  the  three,  according  to  his  measure 
 and  opportunity  in  the  days  of  earthly  work  and 
 trial,  did  so  much  to  set  forth. 
 
 H.  P.  LIDDON. 
 
 Christ  Church, 
 
 Feast  of  All  Saints,  1885. 
 
TABLE  OF    CONTENTS. 
 
 VOL.  L 
 
 Preface  to  Vol.  I.  by  Dr.  Pusey     , vii 
 
 Introduction 1 
 
 BOOK  I. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  i.  1— i.  26. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 Introduction  to  Book  1 7 
 
 1.  Comprising  tlie  First  Part  of  S.  John  i.  1  11 
 
 2.  ,,            ,,    Second  Part  of  S.  John  i.  1    16 
 
 3.  „           „    Third  Part  of  S.  John  i.  1 22 
 
 4.  „          S.  Johni.  2 34 
 
 5.  „                „       i.  8 50 
 
 6.  „          the  First  Part  of  S.  Johni.  4 57 
 
 7.  „           „    Second  Part  of  S.  John  i.  4— i.  8 62 
 
 8.  „            „    First  Part  of  S.  John  i,  9   75 
 
 9.  „            „    Second  Part  of  S.  John  i.  9— i.  17    84 
 
 10.             „          S.  John  i.  18— i.  26  120 
 
 BOOK  II. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  i.  29 — v.  34. 
 
 Introduction  to  Book  II.,  comprising  S.  John  i.  29 — i.  31    131 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  i.  32 — iii.  30 134 
 
 2.  „  „         iii.  31,  32 184 
 
 3.  „  „         iii.  33,  34 190 
 
 4.  „  „         iii.  35— iv.  21 195 
 
 5.  „  „         iv.  22— V.  18   212 
 
 6.  „  „         V.  19— V.  21 246 
 
 7.  „  „         V.  22 258 
 
 8.  „  „         V.23— V.29 261 
 
 9.  „  „         V.  30— V.  34 274 
 
Xll  CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK  III. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  v.  35— vi.  37. 
 
 chap.  page 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  v.  35 — v.  37 286 
 
 2.  „  „         V.  37— V.  46    294 
 
 3.  Concerning  the  Prophecy  in  Deut.  xviii.  15 — 19  307 
 
 4.  Comprising  S.  John  vi.  1 — vi.  27 312 
 
 5.  ,,  ,,         vi.  27 — vi.  31  348 
 
 6.  „  „         vi.  32— vi.  37  361 
 
 BOOK  IV. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  vi.  38 — vii.  24. 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  vi.  38 — vi.  47  383 
 
 2.  „  „  vi.  48— vi.  56  406 
 
 3.  „  „  vi.  57 — vi.  67  424 
 
 4.  „  „  vi.  68 — vi.  71  444 
 
 5.  „  „  vii.  1— vii.  22 458 
 
 6.  „  „  vii.  23,  24    487 
 
 7-  „  „  vii.  24  498 
 
 BOOK  V. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  vii.  25— viii.  43. 
 
 Introduction  to  Book  V.,  comprising  S.  John  vii.  25 — vii.  29     ...  512 
 
 1.  Comprising  S,  John  vii.  30 — vii.  38 523 
 
 2.  „  „         vii.  89— viii.  19  546 
 
 3.  „  „         viii.  20— viii.  23 577 
 
 4.  „  „         viii.  23— viii.  28 586 
 
 5.  „  „         viii.  28 — viii.  43 606 
 
 BOOK  VI. 
 
 Introduction,  comprising  S.John  viii.  44 — ix.  1 650 
 
TABLE   OF    CONTENTS. 
 VOL.  II. 
 
 PACK 
 
 Preface  to  Vol.  II.  by  Dr.  Liddon iii 
 
 BOOK  VI. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  ix.  2 — x.  17  1 
 
 BOOK  VII.  {Fragments  of). 
 Comprising  S.  John  x.  18 — xii.  2    92 
 
 BOOK  VIII.  {Fragments  of). 
 Comprising  S.  John  xii.  3 — xii.  48 138 
 
 BOOK  IX. 
 
 Comprising  S.  John  xii.  49— xiv.  20. 
 
 Introduction,  comprising  S.  John  xii.  49 — xiv.  10  167 
 
 1.  ComprisingS.Johnxiv.il — xiv.  20    264 
 
 BOOK  X. 
 
 CoMPEisiNG  S.  John  xiv.  21— xvi.  13. 
 
 Introduction,  comprising  S.  John  xiv.  21 — xiv.  28 324 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  xiv.  28 — xiv.  31  344 
 
 2.  „  „         XV.  1— xvi.  13 363 
 
XIV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 BOOK  XL 
 Comprising  S.  John  xvi.  14 — xviii.  23. 
 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  xvi.  14 454 
 
 2.  „  „         xvi.  15— xvi.  33 457 
 
 3.  „  „         xvii.  1  478 
 
 4.  „  ,,         xvii.  2  483 
 
 5.  „  „         xvii.  3  487 
 
 6.  „  „         xvii.  4,  5  491 
 
 7.  Compriaing  S.  Jolin  xvii.  6 — xvii.  8 498 
 
 8.  „  „         xvii.  9— xvii.  11 506 
 
 9.  „  „         xvii.  11— xvii.  17    511 
 
 10  „  „         xvii.  18,  19 533 
 
 11.  „  „         xvii.  20,  21  544 
 
 12.  „  „         xvii.  22— xviii.  23  553 
 
 BOOK  XII. 
 CoMPKisiNG  S.  John  xviii.  24 — xxi.  25. 
 
 Introduction,  comprising  S.  John  xviii.  24 — xx.  17 
 1.  Comprising  S.  John  xx.  17 — xxi.  25 
 
 590 
 661 
 
SUBJECTS   DISCUSSED  OR  ILLUSTBATED 
 IN  VOL.  I. 
 
 God  the  Father  : 
 Love  of,  174. 
 Mercy  of,  176. 
 Omnipotence  of,  14. 
 The  Father  and  Son  : 
 Co-existent,  13,  15. 
 Co-inherence    of,     13,    32,     123, 
 
 192,    427    et    seq.,    572,    575, 
 
 665,  674. 
 ConsubstantJal,  17,  22,  58  et  seq., 
 
 147,  174,  243,  246  et  seq.,  266 
 
 et  seq.,  349  et  seq.,  389,  404, 
 Equality  of,   23  et  seq.,   54,   55, 
 
 245  et  seq.,  261  et  seq.,  274  et 
 
 seq.,  576,  607,  611. 
 The  Son  : 
 
 Atonement  of,  132,  148. 
 Begotten  of  the  Father,  13,   14, 
 
 159,  478,  520,  568,  584. 
 Bridegroom,  157,  182. 
 Conception  by  the   Holy  Ghost, 
 
 637,  642. 
 Divinity  of.  111,   115,   153,  163, 
 
 166,  174,  281,  292,  295,  308, 
 
 322,  395,  400,   415,   424,  522, 
 
 556,  586,  600,  604,  607  et  seq., 
 
 661,  676,  et  passim. 
 Eternity  of,  7  et  seq.,  193,  254, 
 
 644,  680. 
 Incarnation  of,  108  et  seq.,  138, 
 
 197,  547  et  seq. 
 Inherent  authority  of,  258. 
 Judge,  270  et  seq.,  432,  570,  597. 
 Lawgiver,  309,  313. 
 Manhood  of,  204,  214,  218,  252, 
 
 293,  309,  328,  334,  424,  671. 
 Mediator,  308. 
 Omniscience    of,   201,    457,    477, 
 
 611. 
 Oneness  of,  172,  348,   435,   453, 
 
 455,  563. 
 Perfect  God,  24  et  seq.,  62  et  seq., 
 
 135  et  seq. 
 
 The  Holy  Spirit  : 
 
 Divinity   and    Consubstantiality 
 
 of,  107,  167. 
 Gift  of,  142,  194,  207,  547. 
 The  Spirit  of  the  Son,   80,   106, 
 108,  111,  143,  145,  251,  436, 
 438,  547,  548,  550,  552. 
 Union  of  Son  and,  145,  194,  436 
 et  seq. 
 The  Holy  Trinity  : 
 
 Distinction  of  Persons  in,  17  et 
 seq.,  43,  54,  147,  300,  355  et 
 seq.,  402,  612. 
 Equality  of  the  Persons  of,  264. 
 Unity  in,  53,  277,  304,  386,  401, 
 425,  618. 
 ARITiS,  22  et  seq.,  204. 
 Baptism,  Holy,  129,  168, 178, 182, 
 
 294,  551. 
 Eucharist,  The,  347,  374  et  seq., 
 
 411,  417  et  seq. 
 Eunomius,  35. 
 
 Faith,  Gradual  growth  of,  165. 
 Free-will,  526  et  seq. 
 Gentiles,  Reception  of,  and  rejec- 
 tion of  Jews,   102,    158,    160, 
 202,  223,  230,  235,  316,  332, 
 334,  379,  440,  458,  467,  542, 
 563,  596,  603,  683  et  seq. 
 Law,  Prophecies  and  types  of,  126, 
 127,  173,  307  et  seq.,  317,  361 
 et  seq.,  400,  407,  412,   445  et 
 seq.,  466,  474,  491  et  seq.,  543 
 et  seq.,  624,  636,  653,  et  passim. 
 Superiority  of  Gospel  to,  118,  119, 
 
 176. 
 Typical  and  imperfect  nature  of, 
 106,  158,  228. 
 Marriage,  155. 
 Resurrection,  199,  270,  410. 
 Sabbath,  The,  242. 
 Soul,  Immortality  of,  109. 
 Not  pre-existent,  90  et  seq. 
 
SUBJECTS   DISCUSSED  OR   ILLUSTRATED 
 IN  VOL.  II. 
 
 God  the  Father,  500  et  seq. 
 
 Perfection  of,  9. 
 The  Father  and  Son  : 
 
 Co-inherence  of,  264  et  seq.,  544 
 et  seq. 
 
 Consubstantial,  93,  99,  105,  153, 
 162, 165, 168, 171, 175,  221,  242 
 et  seq.,  255  et  seq.,  352  et  seq., 
 363  et  seq.,  481,  498,  et  passim. 
 
 Equality  of,  94,  102,  105,  344  et 
 seq.,  431. 
 
 One  Will  of,  93. 
 The  Son,  55,  et  passim. 
 
 Begotten  of  the  Father,  83,  128, 
 162,  169,  247,  258  et  seq. 
 
 Creator,  19,  27,  419. 
 
 Divinity  of,  50,  57,  81,  82,  84, 
 86,  92,  99,  101,  117,  130,  141, 
 148,  149,   155,   157,   162,   164, 
 
 169,  181,  202,  209,  213,  235, 
 246  et  seq.,  256  el  seq.,  352, 
 427,  439,  471,  486  et  seq.,  511 
 et  seq.,  523  et  seq.,  564  et  seq., 
 613,  664,  666,  683,  et  passim. 
 
 Incarnation  of,  93,  100,  139,  169, 
 
 170,  233,  245,  263,  315  et  seq., 
 345,  394,  441  et  seq.,  517,  521, 
 541. 
 
 Manhood  of,  83,  84,  86,  101,  121, 
 122, 126,148,150, 155, 165,243, 
 301,  348,  439, 482, 503,526, 665. 
 
 Mediator,  243,  465. 
 
 Omnipotence  of,  516. 
 
 Omniscience  of,  111,  173, 202,  473. 
 
 Oneness  of,  56,  146,  213,  693. 
 
 Perfect  God,  128,  221, 
 
 Procession  of,  265. 
 
 Uncreate,  257. 
 The  Holy  Spirit  : 
 
 Divinity  of,  304. 
 
 Faith  in,  305. 
 
 Gift  of,  73,  386,  675. 
 
 Procession  of,  265. 
 
 The  Spirit  of  the  Son,  269,  302, 
 318,  321,  326,  338,  451,  454 
 et  seq. 
 
 Uncreate,  331. 
 
 The  Work  of,  363  et  seq.,  443,  444, 
 449,  536  et  seq.,  551,  592,  680. 
 
 The  Holy  Trinity  : 
 
 Distinction  of  Persons  in,    102, 
 
 108,  233,  264,  303. 
 Faith  in,  233,  244. 
 Unity  in,  102,  107,  108,  127,  159, 
 162,  165,  192,   234,  250,  255, 
 262  et  seq.,  296,   307  et  seq., 
 355,  364  et  seq.,  432,  534. 
 Arius,  154. 
 Baptism,   Holy,  19,  20,  54,  109, 
 
 119,  177,  645,  659. 
 Eucharist,  The,  19,  20,  100,  200, 
 
 370,  550,  645,  659,  684. 
 Eunomius,  154. 
 
 Faith,  Confession  of,  necessary,  119. 
 Pow^er  of,  125. 
 
 Produces  spiritual  worship,  58. 
 Proper  object  of,  55. 
 Rewarded,  54,  470,  691. 
 Safeguard,  A,  233. 
 Without  works  is  dead,  187,  376, 
 389  et  seq. 
 Free-will,  188,  518  et  seq. 
 Gentiles,  Eeception  of,  and  rejec- 
 tion of  Jews,   18,   22,   43,   57, 
 87,  88,  109,  134,  142,  145,  146, 
 156,  379,  626. 
 Law,  Prophecies  and  types  of,  38, 
 45,   47,  80,  87,   88,  157,  160, 
 167,  168,  197,  208,  236,  346, 
 348,  359,  429,  507,  583,  594, 
 605,   606,   609,   615,   618,   621, 
 622,  628,  630,  636,  637,  639, 
 645,  686,  689. 
 Superiority  of  Gospel  to,  66,  100, 
 156,  216,  217,  406,  424,  430, 
 528,  574,  576,  696  et  seq. 
 Typical     and    imperfect    nature 
 of,  43,  168,  335,  627,  631,  639, 
 673. 
 Manes,  152,  165. 
 Ordination,  66,  672. 
 Prayer,  128. 
 Punishments,  1  et  seq. 
 Eesurrection,  73,  85,   117,   131, 
 315,  557,  682. 
 The  life  after,  74,  325,  467. 
 Sabbath,  The,  23  et  seq. 
 Soul,  Not  pre-existent,  2. 
 
[S.  CYRIL, 
 
 ARCHBISHOP    OP    ALEXANDRIA. 
 
 INTERPRETATION    OR     COMMENT    ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL   ACCORDING   TO    JOHN.] 
 
 BOOK  VI.* 
 
 CHAPTEE  I. 
 
 That  not  from  sins  of  the  soul  prior  to  birth  do  bodily  sufferings 
 befal  any,  nor  yet  does  God  bring  the  sins  of  their  fathers  upon  any, 
 punishing  those  who  have  nothing  sinned,  but  brings  righteous  doom 
 upon  all. 
 
 ^  S.  John  ix.  2  And  His  disciples  asked  Him,  saying.  Rabbi, 
 ivho  did  sin,  this  man,  or  his  parents,  that  he  should  be  bam 
 
 3  blind?  Jesus  answered,  Neither  did  this  man  sin  tier  his 
 parents :  but  that  the  works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest 
 in  him. 
 
 Being  desirous  (and  not  without  good  reason)  that  tlie 
 mystery  should  be  explained,  or  rather  being  Divinely 
 guided,  the  most  wise  disciples  were  urged  to  ask  in- 
 struction on  the  subject.  And  they  are  inquisitive  with 
 profit,  by  this  means  furnishing  an  advantage  not  so  much 
 for  themselves  as  for  us.  For  we  are  benefited  greatly 
 both  by  hearing  the  true  explanation  of  these  things  from 
 the  Omniscient,  and  in  addition  also  by  being  warned  off 
 from  the  abomination  of  effete  doctrines.  These  errors 
 not  only  used  to  exist  among  the  Jews,  but  are  also  advo- 
 
 a  The  Introduction  to  this  Sixth  Book  is  commented  on  at  the  end  of  the  In- 
 ■will  be  found  in  the  First  Volume  of  the  troduction  to  S.  Cyril's  Sixth  Book,  in 
 translation.  the  first  volimie  of  the  Translation. 
 
 b  The  first  verse  of  the  ninth  Chapter 
 VOL,  II.  B 
 
XVlll 
 
 2  Christ  refutes  error. 
 
 Book  g.  cated  HOW  by  some  ^yllo  are  insufferably  conceited  in  their 
 
 c. ix  2  3  * 
 
 '  ' '  '  '  knowledge  of   inspired  Scripture    and  seem  to    pass   for 
 
 Christians.  Such  pei'sons  of  a  truth  delight  too  much  in 
 their  own  sophistries,  indulging  their  private  fancies,  and 
 not  fearing  to  mingle  Greek  error  with  the  doctrines  of 
 the  Church.  For  the  Jews,  when  they  were  in  misery, 
 greatly  murmured,  as  if  merely  suffering  the  penalty  of 
 their  forefathers'  impiety,  or  as  if  God  were  most  unrea- 
 sonably laying  upon  them  the  sins  of  their  fathers,  and 
 scoffed  at  it  as  a  most  unjust  punishment;  they  even  said 
 Ezek.  in  a  proverb  :  The  fathers  have  eaten  sour  grapes  and  the 
 children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge.  And  these  again,  being 
 aflQicted  with  a  like  and  kindred  ignorance  to  those  just 
 mentioned  by  us,  earnestly  maintain  "^  that  the  souls  of 
 men  existed  and  had  their  being  before  the  creation  of 
 their  bodies,  and  that  these  souls  having  turned  willingly 
 to  sin  even  before  the  existence  of  their  bodies,  then  souls 
 and  bodies  became  united,  when  in  the  order  of  chastise- 
 ment the  souls  received  birth  in  the  flesh.  But  in  one 
 brief  statement  the  follies  of  both  these  parties  are  ex- 
 posed by  Christ,  Who  conhdently  affirms  that  neither  had 
 the  blind  man  sinned  nor  his  parents.  He  refutes  the 
 doctrine  of  the  Jews  by  saying  that  the  man  had  not  been 
 born  blind  on  account  of  any  sin  either  of  himself  or  of 
 his  ancestors,  no,  not  even  of  his  father  or  mother;  and  ho 
 also  overthrows  the  silly  nonsense  of  the  others,  who  say 
 that  souls  sin  before  their  existence  in  the  body. 
 
 For  some  one  will  say  to  them  and  very  reasonably : 
 How,  tell  me,  does  Christ  say  that  neither  had  the  blind 
 man  sinned  nor  his  parents  ?  And  yet  we  could  not  grant 
 that  they  were  altogether  free  from  sin.  For,  inasmuch 
 as  they  were  human,  it  is  I  suppose  in  every  way  likely  or 
 rather  it  of  necessity  follows  that  they  fell  into  errors. 
 Pray  then,  what  time  does  Christ  mean  to  define  as  that 
 concerning  which  His  word  shall  appears  to  us  true,  that 
 neither  did  the  man  himself  sin,  nor  indeed  Jiis  ]jarenis  ? 
 
 •^  Compare  Vol.  I  of  this  Translation,  pp.  90 — 99,  especially  the  paragraph 
 numbered  18. 
 
Jewish  Jdstonj  appealed  to.  3 
 
 Surely  He  speaks  of  that  y^^liich  is  previous  to  birth,  when  Chap.  1. 
 having  no  existence  whatever,  they  did  not  sin.  •  - .  .  • 
 
 Again,  concerning  such  matters,  how  truly  frivolous 
 and  beside  the  mark  it  is  to  think  that  souls  sinned  be- 
 fore the  existence  of  their  bodies,  and  on  that  account 
 were  embodied  and  sent  into  this  world,  we  have  argued 
 at  length  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  gospel,*^  in  in- 
 terpreting and  commenting  on  the  words  ;  That  was  the  Supra  i. 
 True  Light,  which  licjhteth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the 
 world;  and  it  would  be  superfluous  for  us  to  discuss  the 
 subject  again.  But  it  is  necessary  to  say  .whence  it  occur- 
 red to  the  Jew's  to  fall  into  this  opinion  and  supposition  j 
 also  to  shew  clearly  that  from  inability  to  understand  the 
 Divine  Word,  they  mistook  its  proper  meaning.  Israel 
 once  dwelt  in  tents  in  the  wilderness,  and  Grod  called  His 
 hierophant  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai ;  but  when  he  extended 
 his  stay  there  with  God  to  the  number  of  forty  days,  he 
 seemed  to  be  a  loiterer  to  those  who  had  influence  with  the 
 people,  who  both  rose  up  against  Aaron  then  being  alone, 
 and  falling  back  in  contempt  upon  the  idolatries  of  Egypt, 
 cried  saying :  MaJce  us  gods,  ivhicJi  shall  go  before  us  ;  for  Exod. 
 as  for  this  Moses,  the  man  that  brought  us  tip  out  of  the  land  ' 
 of  Egypt,  ive  toot  not  what  is  become  of  him.  Then  what 
 followed  thereupon  I  think  it  necessary  to  speak  of  briefly. 
 They  made  a  calf,  as  it  is  written,  and  at  this  God  was  Acts  vii. 
 justly  provoked  to  anger :  then  indeed  He  threatened  to 
 destroy  the  whole  congregation  at  once.  Moses  fell  down 
 before  Him  and  sought  for  pardon  with  much  entreaty.  Exod. 
 The  Creator  of  the  universe  granted  forgiveness,  and  pro- 
 mised to  punish  the  people  no  further  than  that  He  would 
 not  continue  to  go  up  with  them  to  the  land  of  promise, 
 but  would  send  with  them  instead  His  ^  special  Angel  as  it  -  '^'"v 
 were  in  the  position  of  leader.  At  this  Moses  was  sorely 
 grieved,  and  as  God  was  not  willing  to  go  up  with  the 
 people,  he  inferred  with  some  likelihood  indeed  that  the 
 Divine  anger  was  not  yet  thoroughly  appeased.  So  he 
 prayed  again  earnestly  that  God  would  accompany  them, 
 d  Pages  90—99  of  Translation,  Vol.  I. 
 
 b2 
 
4  God's  mercy  revealed  by 
 
 Book  6.  knowiuff  tliat  tlie  mere  sruiJance  of  an  Anojel  would  not 
 
 c.ix.  2  ,3  ^  . 
 
 '  '  '  *  suffice  some  of  tlie  Israelites,  and  perhaps  also  fearing  the 
 weakness  of  the  people  and  therefore  deprecating  the  holy 
 angels'  hatred  of  evil;  and  he  entreated  the  Good  One, 
 the  Lover  of  men,  the  Supreme  King  and  Lord  over  all, 
 to  be  willing  rather  to  be  present  with  those  so  prone  to 
 transgress.  For  he  knew  that  Grod  would  pardon  them 
 not  once  only  but  many  times,  and  that  He  would  grant 
 mercy  to  those  who  should  offend.  And  God  also  con- 
 sented to  this.  Then  Moses  sought  a  sign  from  Him, 
 even  that  he  might  see  Him,  as  a  full  assurance  and  testi- 
 mony that  He  had  forgiven  them  completely :  For,  said 
 Exod.  Jie^  if  I  have  found  grace  in  Thy  sight,  manifest  Thyself  to 
 me ;  that  I  may  evidently  see  Thee,  that  I  may  find  grace 
 in  Thy  sight,  and  that  I  may  know  that  this  great  nation  is 
 Thy  ijeople.  This  also  God  granted,  as  far  as  it  was  pos- 
 sible, assuring  in  every  way  His  own  servant  both  that 
 He  liad  forgiven  the  people  their  sin  and  that  He  would 
 go  up  with  them  to  the  land  of  promise.  Then,  giving  as 
 it  were  a  sort  of  finishing  touch  to  the  promises,  which 
 seemed  wanting,  He  commands  Moses  to  hew  out  two 
 other  tables  for  Him,  the  former  ones  as  we  know  having 
 been  broken  in  pieces,  so  that  He  might  write  down  the 
 Law  yet  again  for  the  people;  even  in  this  affording  no 
 small  evidence  of  His  kindness  towards  them.  And  when 
 Exod.  Moses  was  ready  also  for  this,  the  Lord  descended  in  a 
 5_7."  cloud,  as  it  is  written,  and  stood  with  him  there,  and  pro- 
 claimed the  Name  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord  passed  by 
 before  liis  face  and  proclaimed :  The  Lord  God  is  pitiful 
 and  merciful,  long-suffering  and  abundant  in  mercy,  and 
 true,  and  keeping  justice,  and  shewing  mercy  unto  thousands, 
 taking  away  iniquities  and  unrighteousnesses  and  sins ;  and 
 He  will  not  clear  the  guilty;  visiting  the  sins  of  fathers 
 upon  children  and  upon  children's  cldldren  unto  the  third 
 and  fourth  generation. 
 
 But  now  attend  carefully,  for  I  am  about  to  take  up 
 again  the  question  proposed  at  first.  God  declares  Him- 
 self to  shew  His  kindness  and  His  incomparable  love  of 
 
His  proclamation  concerning  Himself.  5 
 
 men  in  a  manner  suitable  to  Deity.     For  we  maintain  tliat  Chap.i. 
 
 c  ix  2  3. 
 these  were  tlie  words  of  God,  not  of  any  other  speaker;    •    *  '  ' 
 
 not  (as  some  think)  the  words  of  the  all-wise  Moses,  offer- 
 ing up  laudatory  prayers  on  behalf  of  the  people.  For 
 that  it  is  the  Lord  of  all  Himself  speaking  these  things 
 of  Himself,  no  other  than  the  blessed  Moses  himself  will 
 bear  witness  to  us,  teaching  in  the  Book  of  Numbers,  when 
 the  Israelites  had  again  taken  offence  from  unseasonable 
 cowardice,  because  some,  who  by  Moses  at  God's  com- 
 mand had  been  sent  to  spy  it  out,  spake  evil  of  the  Land 
 of  Promise.  For  when  they  returned  from  the  land  of  the 
 ^  strangers  and  were  come  again  to  their  own  people,  they  *  a-^>^^- 
 spat  out  bitter  words  concerning  it.  Ainrming  the  land 
 to  be  so  wild  and  rugged  that  it  was  capable  of  eating  up 
 its  inhabitants,  they  excited  so  much  hatred  of  it  in  the 
 minds  of  their  hearers,  that  bursting  into  tears  they  now 
 desired  again  to  be  in  Egypt  with  all  its  ''hardships.  For, 
 Let  lis  malce,  said  they,  cajptains,  and  let  us  journey  into  Num. 
 Egypt.  And  when  God  threatened  to  destroy  them,  Moses 
 again  prayed,  and  all  but  reminding  Him  also  of  the  pro- 
 mise He  had  given,  went  on  to  cry :  And  now  let  Thy  I^- 17— 
 strength  he  exalted,  0  Lord,  according  as  Thou  hast  spolcen, 
 saying,  The  Lord  is  longsujfering  and  of  great  mercy  and 
 true,  forgiving  transgressions  and  iniquities  and  sins;  and 
 He  ivill  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty,  visiting  the  sins  of 
 fathers  upon  children  unto  the  third  and  fotirth  generation. 
 Forgive  this  people  their  sin  according  to  Thy  great  mercy, 
 as  Thou  liast  been  favourable  to  them  from  Egypt  even  until 
 now.  It  appears  therefore  that  He  Who  is  God  over  all 
 attributes  to  Himself  love  of  men  and  the  greatest  for- 
 bearance towards  evil.  It  will  be  fitting  in  the  next  place 
 to  set  forth  the  cause  on  account  of  which  the  Jews,  being 
 deceived,  could  suppose  our  good  God  to  be  mindful  of 
 injury  and  exceeding  wrathful. 
 
 For  my  part,  I  do  not  think  them  able  to  lay  hold  of 
 the  Divine  Oracles  in  any  way,  or  to  cavil  at  them  as  if 
 they  have  not  expressed  what  is  most  excellent  or  have 
 
 *  Reading  tovs  ttouovs 
 
6  God  is  surehj  better  than  men. 
 
 Book  6.  straved  far  from  the  law  of  fairness.     On  tlie  other  hand, 
 c  ix  2  3  • 
 
 ■■"'  ■  I  think  that  they  only  indulge  then'  own  ignorance  in  this 
 
 matter,  to  suppose  the  sins  of  fathers  to  be  really  brought 
 upon  children,  and  the  Divine  anger  to  be  stretched  so  far 
 that  it  may  even  reach  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation, 
 exacting  unjustly  from  innocent  persons  the  penalties  of 
 others'  crimes.  Would  it  not  at  all  events  be  more  be- 
 coming to  them,  if  they  were  wise,  to  hold  the  opinion 
 that  the  Source  of  righteousness  and  of  our  moral  laws 
 would  do  nothing  so  shameful  ?  For  even  men  inflict 
 punishments  according  to  the  laws  upon  habitual  trans- 
 gressors, but  by  no  means  visit  them  on  their  children, 
 unless  perchance  they  are  detected  as  partners  and  asso- 
 ciates in  the  misdeeds :  and  as  to  Him  Who  prescribed 
 to  us  the  laws  of  all  justice,  how  can  He  be  detected  in 
 inflicting  penalties  such  as  among  ourselves  are  greatly 
 condemned  ?  Then  this  also  in  addition  is  to  be  consi- 
 dered. By  the  mouth  of  Moses  He  published  laws  innu- 
 merable, and  in  many  cases  those  living  in  bad  habits 
 were  ordered  to  be  punished,  but  nowhere  is  a  command 
 from  Him  to  be  found,  that  children  should  share  the 
 penalties  incurred  by  their  sinning  fathers.  For  penalty 
 is  for  those  who  are  detected  in  crime,  and  it  was  ordained 
 that  it  was  fitting  to  punish  those  only  who  were  obnoxious 
 to  the  law.  To  think  as  the  Jews  do  is  therefore  surely 
 impious,  but  it  is  certainly  the  part  of  a  wise  man  to  in- 
 vestigate the  Divine  mind  and  by  every  means  to  observe 
 what  things  are  agreeable  to  Nature,  the  queen  of  all 
 things.  Rightly  therefore  let  us  hold  that  the  God  of  the 
 universe,  setting  as  it  were  before  Him  His  inherent 
 clemency,  willing  to  be  admired  for  His  pure  love  of  men 
 Num.  ^ii<i  to  this  end  proclaiming  :  The  Lord  is  longsuffering  and 
 XIV.  18.  ^y  gyQ(-^i  mercy  and  true,  forgiving  transgressions  and  sins, 
 would  not  wish  to  be  known  as  so  mindful  of  evil  that  He 
 TTopa-  extends  His  anger  even  to  the  fourth  generation  '*' inclusive. 
 For  how  can  He  still  be  longsuflering  and  of  great  mercy, 
 or  how  does  He  forgive  transgressions  and  sins.  Who  can- 
 not endure  to  limit  the  infliction  of  penalty  to  the  person 
 
 ttXovv 
 
Argument  from  context.  7 
 
 of  the  sinner,  but  extends  it  beyond  tbe  third  generation,  Chap.i. 
 and  like  a  sort  of  thunderbolt  assaults  even  the  innocent  ?    •    •  '  * 
 Surely  then  it  is  quite  incredible  and  of  almost  utter  folly, 
 to  suppose  that  God  atti'ibutes  to  Himself,  together  with 
 love  of  men  and  gentleness,  anger  so  lasting  and  so  un- 
 reasonable. 
 
 To  these  things  another  may  be  added  by  those  who 
 support  the  Jewish  opinion,  and  do  not  allow  that  God 
 knows  a  suitable  time  for  every  kind  of  action.  For  if  He 
 promises  longsnflPering  and  is  found  to  yield  very  easily  in 
 laying  aside  His  anger,  why  is  He  seen  to  have  added : 
 Visiting  the  sins  of  fathers  upon  children  unto  the  tJtird  and  Num. 
 fourth  generation  ?  Of  course  this  was  done  for  no  other 
 reason  than  a  wish  to  frighten  those  who  expect  remission 
 of  sins  from  Him,  as  shewing  that  the  object  of  their  hopes 
 should  never  be  realized,  since  He  Who  with  reason  is 
 grieved  with  them  is  so  mindful  of  evil  and  tenacious  in 
 anger. 
 
 But  further,  tell  me  what  the  hierophant  Moses  himself 
 indicates  to  us.  Would  he  not  seem  to  do  a  thing  most 
 opposite  to  all  reason,  if,  when  Israel  had  given  offence 
 and  was  about  to  suffer  punishment,  he  proceeded  to  pray 
 for  them,  and,  while  asking  for  oblivion  of  the  offence  and 
 an  exhibition  of  God's  love  for  men,  he  should  unseason- 
 ably say  to  God :  Thou  art  of  such  a  nature  that  Thou 
 requitest  the  sins  of  fathers  upon  children's  children  ? 
 For  this  would  be  rather  the  way  of  one  instigating  to 
 anger  than  of  one  calling  for  mercy,  and  of  one  asking 
 mindfulness  of  injury  rather  than  longsufferiug.  But  in 
 my  opinion  by  these  words  he  seemed  to  importune  God 
 and  to  recall  to  His  memory  almost  the  very  words  which 
 He  Himself  uttered,  when  He  publicly  proclaimed  His  in- 
 herent goodness.  For  in  what  way  He  is  longsufferiug 
 and  of  great  mercy,  and  how  He  is  by  nature  One  Who 
 takes  away  sins  and  transgressions,  will  be  most  excel- 
 lently discerned,  in  the  very  dealings  wherein  He  seems 
 to  be  somewhat  bitter. 
 
 In  the  next  place  then  I  think  it  is  fitting  to  set  forth 
 
XXXIV, 
 
 7. 
 
 8  True  explanation  of  Exod.  xxxiv.  7. 
 
 Book  6.  in  wbat  Way  we  may  rlglitly  understaud  the  words  whicli 
 Exod. '  *  were  spoken  by  God.  The  Lord,  He  says,  is  longsiiffering 
 and  of  great  mercy,  talcing  away  iransgressions  and  sins. 
 Then  we  will  read  that  which  immediately  follows  as  if 
 lb.  7.  with  a  note  of  interrogation  :  And  will  He  not  surely  clear 
 the  guilty  ?  So  that  thou  mayest  understand  something 
 of  this  sort :  Will  not,  says  He,  the  longsuffering  and 
 greatly  merciful  God,  Who  takes  away  transgressions  and 
 sins,  will  He  not  surely  clear  the  guilty  ?  Of  course  it  is 
 not  to  be  doubted :  certainly  He  will  thoroughly  purge 
 him.  For  how  is  He  longsuffering  and  of  great  mercy 
 and  how  does  He  at  all  take  away  sins,  unless  He  purges 
 the  guilty  ?  At  these  words  He  goes  off  to  a  demonstra- 
 tion of  His  inherent  longsuffering  and  forbearance,  even 
 that  He  will  visit  the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  children 
 unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation :  not  chastising  the 
 son  for  the  father ;  do  not  think  this  :  nay,  not  even  does 
 He  lay  upon  a  descendant  the  faults  of  his  ancestors  like  a 
 burden  :  but  meaning  something  of  this  sort.  There  was 
 (we  will  suppose)  a  certain  man,  a  transgressor  of  laws, 
 having  his  mind  full  of  all  wickedness,  and  who,  being 
 taken  in  this  manner  of  lining,  deserved  to  be  punished 
 without  any  respite;  but  yet  God  in  forbearance  dealt 
 with  him  patiently,  not  bringing  upon  him  the  wrath  he 
 had  merited.  Then  to  him  was  born  a  son,  a  rival  of  his 
 father  in  impious  deeds  and  outdoing  his  parent  in  vil- 
 lainy :  God  also  shewed  longsuffering  towards  this  man. 
 But  from  him  is  born  a  third,  and  from  the  third  a  fourth, 
 in  no  way  inferior  to  their  progenitors  in  wickedness,  but 
 practising  equal  impiety  with  them.  Then  God  pours  out 
 wrath  upon  them,  already  even  from  the  beginning  de- 
 served by  the  whole  race,  after  He  has  tolerated  as  much 
 as  and  even  more  than  it  behoved  Him.  A  postponement 
 of  vengeance  even  unto  the  fourth  generation,  how  is  it 
 not  truly  a  commendation  of  Divine  gentleness  ?  For  that 
 He  is  wont  to  chastise  neither  son  for  father  nor  father  for 
 son,  it  is  not  hard  to  learn  from  those  words  which  by  the 
 voice  of  the  prophet  Ezekiel  He  clearly  spake  to  the  Jews 
 
Unchangeable  perfection  of  God.  9 
 
 themselves,  when  over  tliis  same  thing  they  murmured  Chap.  i. 
 and  said :    The  fathers  have   eaten   sour  grapes  and  the    '^^'  ' 
 children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge.     And,  says  he,  the  ivord  Ezek. 
 of  the  Lord  came  unto  me,  saying,  Son  of  man,  what  mean  4,    ' 
 ye  by  this  proverb  in  Israel,  saying.  The  fathers  have  eaten 
 sour  grapes  and  the  children's  teeth  are  set  on  edge  ?     As  I 
 live,  saith  the  Lord,  this  proverb  shall  be  said  no  more  in 
 Israel.     For  all  souls  are  mine ;   as  the  soul  of  the  father,  so 
 also  the  soul  of  the  son ;  they  are  mine.     The  soul  that  sin-  I^-  20- 
 neth,  it  shall  die.     The  son  shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the 
 father,  neither  shall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  his  son  : 
 each  in  his  own  iniquity  in  which  he  hath  sinned,  in  that  cf.  ib.  24. 
 shall  he  die.     But  I  suppose  no  one  is  so  foolish  as  to  think 
 that  God  did  not  at  the  beginning  legislate  in  the  most 
 excellent  way,  but  somehow  changed  His  plans  and  altered 
 His  ideas  for  the  better,  and  like  one  of  ourselves  was  with 
 difficulty  and  after  subsequent  deliberation  able  to  improve 
 His  legislation  to  what  was  most  fitting.     In  such  a  case, 
 if  we  praise  the  earlier  laws  we  shall  clearly  be  blaming 
 the  later,  and  if  we  express  an  opinion  that  the  later  laws 
 are  superior  we  shall  condemn  the  earlier  by  our  lower 
 estimation  of  them.     God  too  will  legislate  in  opposition 
 to  Himself,  and  will  have  fallen  short,  as  we  may  have 
 done,  of  a  perfect  standard,  by  ordaining  one  thing  at  one 
 time  and  a  different  thing  at  another  time.     But  I  suppose 
 every  one  will  say  that  the  Divine  Nature  cannot  be  in 
 any  way  subject  to  such  inconsistencies  as  this,  and  could 
 not  even  have  ever  fallen  short  of  absolute  perfection. 
 
 It  is  then  as  a  demonstration  of  His  incomparable  mu- 
 nificence that  He  alleges  the  words  quoted  above,  viz  : — 
 Requiting  the  sins  of  fathers  upon  children  unto  the  third 
 and  fourth  generation.     For  that  the  merciful  God  is  wont 
 to  punish  sinners  not  immediately,  but  rather  to  do  it  re- 
 luctantly and  to  put  off  punishments  for  long  seasons,  thou 
 wilt  understand  from  His  own  words  :  And  I  was  full  of  jer.vl. 
 Mine  anger  and  restrained  it,  and:  did  not  mahe  a  fidl  end     ' 
 of  them.     And  again  in  another  place  :  For  the  iniquity  of  Gen.  xv. 
 the  Amorites  is  not  yet  full.     Thou  seest  that  He  was  in- 
 
10  All  illustration  from  Idstorij  of 
 
 Book  G.  deed  full  of  anger,  for  some  were  perpetrating  deeds  de- 
 * '  ■  '  '  serving  fulness  of  anger,  but  as  God  He  forbore  patiently 
 and  delayed  to  make  a  full  end  of  those  who  offended  Him. 
 But  in  order  that  we  may  exhibit  to  thee  as  in  a  picture 
 the  pi'oof  of  what  we  have  said  and  from  actual  events  de- 
 monstrate the  praise  of  God's  love  for  men  to  be  contained 
 in  this  text,  I  will  bring  forward  something  recorded  in 
 the  Sacred  Books,  and  will  endeavour  from  the  Divine 
 Scriptui^e  itself  to  show  the  sins  of  fathers  visited  on  chil- 
 dren even  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation;  not  unjustly, 
 but  justly,  and  in  a  manner  merited  by  the  sufferers  them- 
 selves. The  story  shall  be  summarized,  because  of  the 
 length  of  the  narrative. 
 
 Well  then,  in  the  First  Book  of  Kings  we  read  that 
 
 after  other  kings  Ahab  reigned  over  Israel,  and  burning 
 
 with  a  most  unrighteous  desire  for  another  man's  vineyard, 
 
 he  slew  the  lord  of  it,  even  Naboth.     For  although  he  did 
 
 not  himself  command  that  deed,  yet  he  expressed  no  anger 
 
 at  the  wickedness  of  his  wife.     At  this  God  was  of  course 
 
 1  Kings    wroth,  and  spake  to  Ahab  by  Elijah  the  prophet :   Thus 
 
 (3  Reg.     saith  the  Lord,  Forasmuch  as    thou  hast  Mlled  and   also 
 
 LXX.)     talien  i^ossession,  therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Li  the  place 
 
 where  the  swine  and  the  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  Naboth, 
 
 there  shall  the  dogs  liclc  thy  blood;  and  the  harlots  shall 
 
 ivash  themselves  in  thy  blood.     And  again  immediately : 
 
 Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Behold  L  bring  evil  upon  thee,  and  will 
 
 Idndle  afire  behind  thee,  and  ivill  utterly  destroy  from  Ahab 
 
 every  male  and  him  that  is  shut  up  and  left  in  Israel.     And 
 
 I  will  make  thy  house  like  the  house  of  Jeroboam  the  son  of 
 
 Nebat,  and  like  the  house  of  Baasha  the  son  of  Ahab,  for 
 
 the  provocations  wherewith  thou  hast  provoked  Me  to  anger 
 
 and  made  Israel  to  sin.     And  of  Jezebel  he  spake,  saying, 
 
 ]  ^P"-    The  doqs  shall  eat  her  ivithin   the  ^  outer-wall  of  Jezreel. 
 
 And  him  that  dieth  of  Ahab  in  the  city  the  dogs  shall  eat, 
 
 and  him  that  dieth  in  the  field  shall  the  birds  of  the  air  eat. 
 
 When  the  Lord  of  all  unmistakably  threatened  to  do  all 
 
 these  things  and  to  inflict  them,  Ahab  rent  his  garment 
 
 lb.  27.      and  entered  into  his  house ;  as  it  is  written.  He  ivas  pricked 
 
 lb.  21— 
 21. 
 
the  true  meaning  of  Exod.  xxxiv.  7.  11 
 
 to  the  heart,  and  hurst  bitterly  info  tears,  and  girded  his  loins  Chap.i. 
 with  sacJidoth .     In  wliich  state  God  pities  liinij  and  begins    *'^'  '   * 
 to  allay  His  angei%  and  putting  as  it  were  a  bridle  to  His 
 sudden  fury  says  to  the  Prophet:  Hast  thou  seen  how  Ahah  i  W'^^f^ 
 ivas  jpricJied  to  the  heart  hefore  Me  ?     I  will  not  bring  these 
 things  in  his  days,  but  in  his  son's  days  I  ivill  bring  the 
 evil.     Will  it  not  therefore  be  right  to  inquire  upon  whom 
 these  things  were  fulfilled  ?     Well;  the  son  of  Ahab  was 
 Ahaziah,  Who,  Scripture  says,  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  IJi-  xxH. 
 Lord  and  ivalked  in  the  ivay  of  his  father  Ahab,  and  in  the  LXX.) 
 way  of  Jezebel  his  mother.     Then  the  son  of  Ahaziah  was, 
 Scripture  says,  Joram,  of  whom  again  it  is  written  that 
 he  walked  in  the  sins  of  the  house  of  Jeroboam.     Next  to  4  Reg.  i. 
 Joram  reigned  a  third  Ahaziah,  of  whom  again  the  Ian-       i^^x« 
 guage  of  the  narrative  says  that  he  did  evil  in  the  sight  of  2  Kings 
 the  Lord,  as  did  the  house  of  Ahab.     But  when  the  time  ^"^' 
 had  now  come  for  punishing  the  house  of  Ahab,  which 
 had   not  ceased  from  impiety  towards  God  even  to  the 
 fourth  generation,  there  was  anointed  to  be  the  next  king 
 over  Israel  Jehoshaphat  son  of  Nimshi,  who  slew  Ahaziah, 
 and  beside  him  Jezebel ;  he  slew  also  seventy  other  sons 
 of  Ahab,  carrying  out  as  it  were  the  Divine  wrath  to  the 
 uttermost,  so  that  he  obtained  both  honour  and  favour  on 
 account  of  it.     For  what  saith  God  to  him  ?     Because  thou  2  Kings 
 hast  done  well  in  executiny  that  ujhich  is  right  in  Mine  eyes,  ^'     ' 
 and  hast  done  unto  the  house  of  Ahah  according  to  all  that 
 tvas  in  Mine  heart,  thy  children  of  the  fourth  generation  shall 
 sit  upon  thy  throne.     Thou  seest  therefore  that  He  reluc- 
 tantly punished  in  the  fourth  generation  the  wicked  des- 
 cendants of  wicked  men,  whereas  to  him  from  whom  He 
 received  honour  He  extends  His  mercy  even  to  the  fourth 
 generation.     Cease  therefore,  0  Jew,  to  accuse  the  right- 
 eousness of  God.     As  a  form  of  encomium  certainly  we 
 will  accept  that  saying  :  Requiting  the  sins  of  fathers  upon 
 children  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation. 
 
 3     But  that  the  ivorks  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him. 
 That  which  lies  before  us  is  hard  to  explain  and  capable 
 
12  Two  errors  corrected. 
 
 Book  fi.  of  causing  mucli  perplexity^  so  tliat  it  would  be  perhaps 
 not  unlearned  to  pass  it  over  in  silence,  and  because  of  its 
 excessive  difficulty  to  leave  it.  But  when  the  Jewish  doc- 
 trines have  been  refuted,  lest  another  thing  akin  to  them, 
 Heb.  xii.  like  ally  root  of  bitterness  springing  up,  trouble  you,  as  Paul 
 says  ;  (for  perhaps  some  will  hence  suspect  that  the  bodies 
 of  men  are  affected  with  sufferings,  in  order  that  the  works 
 of  God  may  be  made  manifest  in  them ;)  I,  for  my  part, 
 think  it  seasonable  to  subjoin  a  few  words  with  reference 
 to  this,  that  thereby  we  may  both  keep  off  any  injuries 
 arising  from  this  source,  and  leave  no  loophole  for  decep- 
 Siipra  tive  arguments.  That  God  does  not  bring  the  sins  of 
 ''■  '  parents  upon  children  unless  they  are  partakers  of  their 
 Vol.  I.  wickedness,  and  further,  that  embodiment  is  not  on  ac- 
 '  count  of  sins  previously  committed  by  the  soul,  we  have 
 shown.  For  by  speaking  in  opposition  to  these  two  errors, 
 Christ  in  a  wonderful  manner  overturned  them,  since  He 
 unquestionably  knows  all  things,  as  God ;  or  rather,  since 
 He  Himself  is  the  over-ruler  of  our  affairs,  and  the  ordainer 
 of  those  things  which  befit  and  are  deserved  by  every  man. 
 For  in  that  He  says  the  blind  man  had  not  sinned,  nor 
 was  suffering  blindness  on  that  account.  He  shows  that  it 
 is  foolish  to  suppose  the  soul  of  man  to  be  guilty  of  sins 
 previous  to  its  birth  in  the  body  :  moreover,  when  He 
 Supra  openly  says  that  neither  had  His  parents  sinned  that  their 
 son  should  be  born  blind,  He  refutes  the  silly  suspicion 
 of  the  Jews.  Therefore,  after  He  had  taught  His  disciples 
 as  much  as  was  necessary  for  them  to  know  in  order  to 
 refute  the  doctrines  which  we  have  above  stated,  and  im- 
 parted to  them  as  much  as  it  was  fitting  to  exhibit  to  the 
 understanding  of  man.  He  is  silent  as  to  the  rest,  and  sets 
 forth  no  further  with  clearness  the  reason  why  he  was 
 born  blind  who  was  guilty  of  no  sin  previous  to  birth, 
 attributing  to  the  Divine  Nature  alone  the  knowledge  of 
 all  such  things  and  a  management  of  aflPairs  which  is  past 
 finding  out.  But  again  He  very  skilfully  transfers  the 
 language  of  His  answer  to  something  else  and  says ;  But 
 that  the  worl's  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him. 
 
Connexion  of  siclcness  and  sin.  13 
 
 Does  then,  some  one  will  say,  the  Lord  declare  to  us  Chap.  i. 
 these  words  here  as  a  certain  doctrine,  as  if  for  this  single 
 reason  ailments  attack  the  bodies  of  men,  tJiat  the  ivories  of 
 God  sJiould  be  made  manifest  in  them  ?  It  does  not  seem 
 so  at  all  to  me,  but  rather  it  is  evidently  absurd  so  to 
 imagine  or  suppose ;  He  certainly  is  not  dogmatizing  at 
 all  (as  some  might  think)  when  He  says  this.  For  that  it 
 happens  to  some  to  be  smitten  on  account  of  their  sins, 
 we  have  often  learnt  from  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Paul  in- 
 deed plainly  writes  to  those  who  with  feet  as  it  were  un- 
 washed dared  to  approach  the  holy  altar,  and  with  profane 
 and  unholy  hand  to  touch  the  mystical  Eucharist :  For  this  i  Cor.  xi. 
 
 •'  •'  3Q 32  _ 
 
 cause  many  among  you  are  weali  and  sicldy,  and  not  a  few 
 
 sleep.  For  if  we  judged  ourselves,  we  shoidd  not  he  judged. 
 But  when  we  are  judged,  ive  are  chastened  of  the  Lord,  that 
 ive  may  not  he  condemned  vjith  the  luorld.  Accordingly, 
 upon  the  sickly  and  dead,  it  is  sometimes  by  Divine  wi'ath 
 that  the  suffering  has  been  brought.  But  also  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  Himself,  after  He  had  loosed  the  paralytic 
 from  a  long  disease,  and  had  miraculously  made  him 
 whole,  says  :  Behold,  thou  art  made  whole  :  sin  no  more.  Supra 
 lost  a  worse  thing  befal  thee.  Surely  He  says  this  as  though 
 it  might  happen  that  unless  the  man  took  heed  he  would 
 suffer  something  worse  for  his  sin,  although  he  had  once 
 escaped  and  by  the  Lord's  favour  been  restored  to  health. 
 But  perhaps  some  may  say  :  we  will  grant  that  these  things 
 are  rightly  said ;  but  as  to  those  who  suffer  something  ter- 
 rible from  the  cradle  and  their  earliest  years,  or  even  from 
 the  very  womb  are  afflicted  with  diseases,  it  is  not  easy  to 
 understand  what  kind  of  explanation  any  one  can  satisfac- 
 torily give.  For  we  do  not  believe  that  the  soul  previously 
 existed ;  nor  indeed  can  we  think  that  it  sinned  before  the 
 body,  for  how  can  that  sin,  which  has  not  yet  been  called 
 to  birth  ?  But  if  there  has  been  no  sin  nor  fault  preceding 
 the  suffering,  what  then  shall  we  allege  as  the  cause  of  the 
 suffering?  Truly,  by  our  minds  we  cannot  comprehend 
 those  things  which  are  far  above  us,  and  I  should  advise 
 the  prudent,  and  myself  above  all,  to  abstain  from  wishing 
 
14  Man's  Icnowledge  is  imperfect. 
 
 BooKf).  to  thoroughly  scrutinize  them.  For  we  should  recall  to 
 Ecclus. '  mind  what  we  have  been  commanded^  and  not  curiously 
 111.  21, 22.  examine  things  which  are  too  deep,  nor  pry  into  those 
 which  are  too  hard,  nor  rashly  attempt  to  discover  those 
 which  are  hidden  in  the  Divine  and  ineffable  counsel  alone ; 
 but  rather  concerning  such  matters  we  should  piously 
 acknowledge  that  God  alone  knows  some  things,  peculiar 
 to  Himself  and  excellent.  At  the  same  time  we  should 
 maintain  and  believe  that  since  He  is  the  fountain  of  all 
 righteousness.  He  will  neither  do  nor  determine  anything 
 whatever  in  human  affairs,  or  in  those  of  the  rest  of  crea- 
 tion, which  is  unbecoming  to  Himself,  or  differs  at  all  from 
 the  true  rectitude  of  justice. 
 
 Since  therefore  it  becomes  us  to  be  affected  in  this  way, 
 I  say,  that  the  Lord  does  not  speak  dogmatically  when 
 He  says,  that  tJie  ivorJis  of  God  should  he  made  manifest  in 
 him;  but  rather  He  says  it  to  draw  off  the  answer  of 
 the  questioner  in  another  direction,  and  to  lead  us  from 
 things  too  deep  for  us  to  more  suitable  ones ;  for  that  is  a 
 thing  He  was  in  some  sort  wont  to  do.  And  that  this  asser- 
 tion is  true,  hear  again  how  when  the  holy  disciples  were 
 earnestly  inquiring  about  the  end  of  the  world,  and  very 
 curiously  putting  questions  concerning  His  second  coming, 
 and  going  far  beyond  the  limits  proper  for  man.  He  very 
 Acts  i.  7,  evidently  draws  them  away  from  such  interrogations.  It 
 is  not  for  you,  says  He,  to  hioiv  times  or  seasons  which 
 the  Father  hath  set  within  His  own  aiiiJiority.  But  ye  shall 
 receive  power,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you;  and 
 ye  shall  he  My  loitnesses  hoth  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judea. 
 Thou  hearest  that  He  does  not  permit  us  at  all  to  seek 
 into  those  things  which  no  way  are  fit  for  us,  but  rather 
 directs  us  to  come  back  to  what  is  necessary.  So  also  in 
 this  place,  having  spoken  plainly  what  was  meet  for  us 
 to  learn.  He  reserves  the  rest  in  silence,  knowing  that  it 
 behoved  Himself  alone  to  understand  this.  But  lest  by 
 being  altogether  silent  He  should  as  it  were  invite  them 
 again  to  ask  Him  about  the  same  things,  in  the  manner  of 
 alleging  a  reason,  and  as  though  courteously  fashioning 
 
Christ  chccJis  undue  curiositij.  15 
 
 some  such  answer  as  the  questions  seemed  to  deserve,  He  Chap.i. 
 
 •  .     c  Ik  3  4 
 
 says,  Bid  that  the  works  of  God  should  he  made  manifest  in    '  "  >  ' 
 
 him.  Which  is  just  as  if  He  had  said,  in  different  and 
 simpler  language  :  The  man  was  not  born  blind  on  ac- 
 count of  his  own  sins  or  the  sins  of  his  parents ;  but  since 
 it  has  happened  that  he  was  so  affected,  it  is  possible  that 
 in  him  God  may  be  glorified.  For  when,  by  power  from 
 above,  he  shall  be  found  free  from  the  affliction  which  lies 
 upon  him  and  troubles  him,  who  will  not  admire  the  Phy- 
 sician ?  Who  will  not  recognise  the  power  of  the  Healer 
 shown  forth  in  Him  ? 
 
 I  think  this  sense  is  latent  in  the  words  before  us,  but 
 let  those  who  are  clever  think  out  the  more  perfect  mean- 
 ing. And  if  any  think  fit  "to  be  contentious  and  say  that 
 the  man  was  born  blind  for  the  very  end  that  Christ  might 
 be  glorified  in  him,  we  will  say  to  them  in  reply :  Do  you 
 suppose,  0  good  people,  that  this  was  the  only  man  in 
 Judea  who  was  blind  from  birth  in  the  time  of  the  coming 
 of  our  Saviour,  and  that  there  was  no  other  whatever  ? 
 Surely,  even  though  unwilling,  they  will  confess,  I  think, 
 that  in  all  likelihood  very  many  such  were  found  in  all  the 
 land.  How  was  it  then  that  Christ  only  exhibited  His 
 kindness  and  power  to  one  of  them,  or  at  all  events  to  but 
 a  small  number  ?  Concerning  these  things,  however,  I 
 deem  it  superfluous  to  hold  an  argument.  Wherefore,  the 
 other  opinion  being  rejected  as  foolish,  we  will  hold  it 
 true,  that  after  Christ  had  revealed  to  us  as  much  about 
 the  questions  asked  as  was  meet  for  us  to  learn,  He  passed 
 on  to  another  subject,  skilfully  turning  aside  His  own  dis- 
 ciple from  searching  into  such  things. 
 
 4     We  must  loork  the  works  of  Him  that  sent  us,  ivhile  it  is  day  : 
 the  night  cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 
 
 Lo  here  again  in  these  words,  plainly  and  reasonably^ 
 He  rebukes  in  a  similar  manner  the  disciples,  as  if  they 
 had  done  something  they  ought  not,  and  having  left  the 
 high  road,  well-trodden  and  firm,  had  ventured  on  another 
 
16  S.  Paul's  language  illustraics  Christ's. 
 
 Book  6.  wliicli  Seemed  not  at  all  fit  for  tliem.  For,  wTiy  do  ye  ask, 
 says  He,  things  toucliing  wliicli  it  is  good  to  be  silent  ? 
 Or  why,  leaving  that  which  suits  the  time,  do  ye  hasten  to 
 learn  things  beyond  the  capacity  of  man  ?  It  is  not  a  time 
 for  such  curiosity,  says  He,  but  for  work  and  intense  zeal ; 
 for  I  deem  it  more  becoming,  passing  by  such  questions, 
 to  execute  zealously  God's  commands,  and  since  He  has 
 appointed  us  Apostles,  to  fulfil  the  works  of  the  Apostle- 
 ship.  When  the  Lord  numbers  Himself  with  those  who 
 are  sent,  and  enrols  Himself  among  those  who  ought  to 
 work,  in  no  way  does  He  make  Himself  really  one  of  us, 
 or  say  that  He  Himself  is  subject  as  we  are  by  a  certain 
 servile  necessity  to  the  will  of  a  commander  :  but  He  uses 
 a  common  habit  of  speech,  even  to  ourselves  trite  and 
 familiar.  For,  especially  when  the  bare  substance  of  an 
 argument  is  not  calculated  to  impress  our  hearers,  we  are 
 wont  to  join  ourselves  to  them,  and  to  reckon  ourselves 
 with  them.  For  which  reason  doubtless  the  most  wise 
 Paul  addressed  the  Corinthians  as  if  concerning  himself 
 
 1  Cor,  iv,  and  Apollos,  and  at  last  added  :  Now  these  things,  hrctliren, 
 I  have  in  a  figure  transferred  to  myself  and  Apollos  ;  that 
 in  us  ye  might  leant  not  to  he  ivise  beyond  the  things  which 
 are  written.  While  therefore  it  is  day,  says  He,  let  us  ivorh 
 the  ivories  of  Him  that  sent  us ;  for  the  night  will  come,  when 
 no  man  can  worh.  In  these  words  He  calls  the  time  of 
 bodily  life,  day ;  and  the  time  we  are  in  death.  He  calls 
 night.  For  since  the  day  was  given  for  works,  but  the 
 night  for  rest  and  sleep,  therefore  the  time  of  life  in  which 
 we  ought  to  work  what  is  good,  people  call  day;  and  the 
 time  of  sleeping,  in  which  nothing  whatever  can  be  done, 
 
 Kom.  vi.  they  call  night.     For  he  that  hath  died  is  justified  from  sin, 
 
 '■  according  to  the  saying  of  Paul,  being  found  unable  to  do 
 
 anything,  and  therefore  unable  to  sin. 
 
 Thus  Holy  Scripture  really  does  recognise  a  theory  of  a 
 metaphorical  day,  and  in  no  less  degree  a  corresponding 
 theory  of  night.  And  if  taken  into  consideration  at  the 
 right  moment  each  of  these  metaphorical  interpretations 
 exhibits  the  aspect  of  the  questions  under  investigation  in 
 
Christ  never  falls  to  do  Tils  worJi.  17 
 
 a  manner  free  from  error.  Bafc  concerninsf  unsuitable  Chap.  i. 
 subjects,  and  when  it  ouglit  not  to  bo  done,  to  attempt 
 violently  to  drag  round  to  a  spiritual  interpretation  that 
 which  ought  to  be  taken  historically,  is  nothing  else  than 
 unlearnedly  to  confuse  what  is  profitable  if  understood 
 simply,  and  to  spoil  its  usefulness  through  excess  of 
 ignorance. 
 
 5      When  I  am  in  the  world,  I  am  the  Light  of  the  world. 
 
 Shall  we  then  think  that  Christ  is  now  not  at  all  in  the 
 world,  or  do  we  believe  that  He,  having  ascended  to  hea- 
 ven after  His  restoration  to  life  from  the  dead,  no  longer 
 dwells  among  those  in  this  present  life  ?  And  yet  being 
 very  God,  He  fills  and  ^  tends  not  only  the  heavens  and  '  TrepUtrei 
 what  is  beyond  the  firmament,  but  also  the  world  which 
 we  inhabit.  And  just  as  while  He  associated  in  the  flesh 
 with  men,  He  was  not  absent  from  heaven,  so  if  we  think 
 rightly  we  shall  hold  the  opinion  that  even  though  He  is 
 out  of  the  world  as  regards  the  flesh,  His  Divine  and  in- 
 effable Nature  is  yet  no  less  present  among  those  who 
 dwell  in  the  world.  Yea,  it  overrules  the  universe,  being 
 absent  from  nothing  that  exists,  neither  having  abandoned 
 anything,  but  present  everywhere  in  all  things;  and,  filling 
 all  the  visible  universe  and  whatever  may  be  conceived  of 
 as  beyond  it,  is  fully  contained  by  Itself  alone. 
 
 The  next  thing  therefore  is  to  understand  what  it  is 
 that  the  Lord  says  in  these  words.  Having  cast  aside  as 
 a  stale  thing  the  suspicion  of  the  Jews,  and  shewn  that 
 they  were  foolishly  entangled  in  unsound  doctrines ;  hav- 
 ing given  counsel  to  His  own  disciples  that  it  was  more 
 becoming  for  them  to  strive  to  love  the  things  that  please 
 God,  and  to  leave  off  pursuing  a  search  into  what  was 
 altogether  beyond  them ;  and  having  in  a  manner  warned 
 them  that  the  time  for  work  will  slip  away  from  those 
 who  do  nothing,  unless  they  devote  all  their  zeal  to  the 
 wish  to  do  well,  while  they  are  in  the  flesh  in  the  world ; — 
 He  holds  up  Himself  as  an  Example  in  the  matter.  For 
 behold.  He  says,  I  also  work  at  My  own  proper  work,  and 
 
 VOL.  II.  c 
 
18  The  hlind  man  a  tyije  of  the  Gentiles, 
 
 Book  6.  since  I  have  come  to  give  light  to  those  things  that  were 
 '  '  in  want  of  light,  it  behoves  Me  to  cause  light  to  dwell  even 
 in  the  eyes  of  the  body,  if  thoy  are  diseased  with  the  ter- 
 rible lack  of  light,  whensoever  any  of  the  sufferers  come 
 before  Me. 
 
 We  will  accordingly  understand  what  was  said  as  spoken 
 with  reference  to  the  occasion,  and  in  a  simple  sense.  For 
 that  the  Only-Begotten  is  indeed  a  real  Light,  with  the 
 knowledge  and  power  to  illumine  not  only  the  things  that 
 are  in  this  world,  but  also  every  other  supramundane 
 creature,  is  not  to  be  doubted.  And  if  we  accommodate 
 the  sense  of  the  words  to  the  matter  in  hand,  I  do  not 
 think  we  shall  be  found  guilty  of  setting  forth  anything 
 unworthy  of  credit. 
 
 G  When  He  had  thus  spoken.  He  spat  on  the  groimd,  and 
 made  clay  of  the  spittle,  and  ivith  the  clay  thereof  anointed 
 
 7  his  eyes,  and  said  tinto  him,  Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloani 
 (which  is  by  interpretation,  Seiit.)  He  went  away  therefore, 
 and  washed,  and  came  seeing. 
 
 Accepting'  the  cure  wrought  upon  this  blind  man  as  a 
 type  of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  we  will  again  tell  the 
 meaning  of  the  mystery,  summing  it  up  in  few  words. 
 First  then  because  it  was  merely  in  passing,  and  after 
 leaving  the  Jewish  templcj  that  He  saw  the  blind  man  : 
 and  again  from  this  circumstance  also,  that  without  in- 
 treaty  and  no  man  soliciting  Him,  but  rather  of  His  own 
 accord  and  from  a  spontaneous  inclination,  the  Saviour 
 came  to  a  determination  to  heal  the  man ;  hence  we  shall 
 profitably  look  upon  the  miracle  as  symbolical.  It  shows 
 that  as  no  intreaty  has  been  made  by  the  multitude  of 
 the  Gentiles,  for  they  were  all  in  error,  God,  being  indeed 
 in  His  nature  good,  of  His  own  will  has  come  forward 
 to  shew  mercy  unto  them.  For  how  at  all  or  in  what 
 way  could  the  vast  number  of  Greeks  and  of  Gentiles 
 beseech  God  for  mercy,  having  their  mind  darkened  by 
 gross  ignorance,  so  as  to  be  in  no  wise  able  to  see  the 
 Illuminator  ?     As  therefore  certainly  the  man  who  has 
 
and  his  illumination  of  theirs.  19 
 
 been  liealed^  being  blind,  does  not  know  Jesus,  and  by  Chap.  i. 
 an  act  of  mercy  and  philanthropy  receives  an  unhoped-for  ^*'^*  ' 
 benefit ;  so  also  has  it  happened  to  the  Gentiles  through 
 Christ.     On  the  sabbath  too  was  the  work  of  healinsr  ac- 
 complished,  the  sabbath  being  capable  thereby  completely 
 to  exhibit  to  us  a  type  of  the  last  age  of  the  present  world, 
 in  which  the  Saviour  has  made  light  to  shine  on  the  Gen- 
 tiles.    For  the  sabbath  is  the  end  of  the  week,  and  the 
 Only-Begotten  took  up  His  abode  and  was  manifested  to 
 us  all  in  the  last  time,  and  in  the  concluding  ages  of  the 
 ■world.     But  at  the  manner  of  the  healing  it  is  really  fit 
 that  we  should  be  astonished  and  say :   0  Lord,  how  great  P^.  civ. 
 are  Thy  ivories ;  in  loisdom  hast  Thou  performed  them  all. 
 
 For  some  one  perhaps  will  say  :  Why,  although  able  to 
 set  all  things  right  easily  by  a  word,  does  He  mix  up  da}/ 
 from  the  spittle,  and  anoint  the  eyes  of  the  sufferer,  and 
 seem  to  pi-escribe  a  sort  of  operation;  for  He  says.  Go, 
 ivash  in  the  pool  of  Siloam  ?  Surely  I  deem  that  some  deep 
 meaning  is  buried  beneath  these  words,  for  the  Saviour 
 accomplishes  nothing  without  a  purpose.  For  by  anoint- 
 ing with  the  clay  He  makes  good  that  which  is  (so  to 
 speak)  lacking  or  vitiated  in  the  nature  of  the  eye,  and 
 thus  shews  that  He  is  the  One  Who  formed  us  in  the  be- 
 ginning, the  Creator  and  Fashioner  of  the  universe.  And 
 the  power  of  the  action  possesses  a  sort  of  mystical  signifi- 
 cance ;  for  that  which  we  said  just  now  with  reference  to 
 this,  and  what  we  consider  may  be  understood  by  it,  we 
 will  mention  again.  It  was  not  otherwise  possible  for  the 
 Gentiles  to  thrust  off  the  blindness  which  affected  them, 
 and  to  behold  the  Divine  and  holy  light,  that  is,  to  receive 
 the  knowledge  of  the  Holy  and  Consubstantial  Trinity, 
 except  by  being  made  partakers  of  His  Holy  Body,  and 
 washing  away  their  gloom-producing  sin,  and  renouncing 
 the  authority  of  the  devil,  namely  in  Holy  Baptism.  And 
 when  the  Saviour  stamped  on  the  blind  man  the  typical 
 mark  which  was  anticipative  of  the  mystery.  He  mean- 
 while fully  exhibited  the  power  of  such  participation  by 
 the  anointing  with  His  spittle.     And  as  an  image  of  Holy 
 
 c  2 
 
20  Virtue  of  Christ's  Body. 
 
 Book  6.  Baptism  He  commands  the  man  to  run  and  wasTi  in  Siloam, 
 '^^"  '   'a  name  whose  interpretation,  the  Evangelist,  beiag  very 
 wise  and  Divinely-inspired,  felt  it  necessary  to  give.     For 
 we  conclude  that  the  One  Sent  is  no  other  than  God  the 
 Only-Begotten,  visiting  us  and  sent  from  above,  even  from 
 the  Father,  to  destroy  sin  and  the  rapacity  of  the  devil : 
 and  recognising  Him  as  floating  invisibly  on  the  waters 
 1  S.  Pet.    of  the  sacred  pool,  we  by  faith  are  washed,  not  for  the 
 putting  atvay  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh,  as  it  is  written,  but  as 
 it  were  washing  away  a  sort  of  defilement  and  uncleanness 
 of  the  eyes  of  the  understanding,  in  order  that  for  the 
 future,  being  purified,  we  may  be  able  in  pureness  to  be- 
 hold the  Divine  beauty.     As  therefore  we  believe  the  Body 
 of  Christ  to  be  life-giving,  since  it  is  the  temple  and  abode 
 of  the  Word  of  the  Living  God,  possessing  all  His  energy, 
 G  7rpJ|f-    so  we  declare  it  to  be  also  a  ^  Patron  of  light ;  for  it  is  the 
 Body  of  Him  Who  is  by  nature  the  True  Light.     And  as, 
 when  He  raised  from  death  the  only  son  of  the  widow.  He 
 was  not   satisfied  with  merely  commanding  and  saying : 
 S.Luke     Youvg  mem,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise;   although  accustomed 
 ^'"'     ■    to   accomplish   all    things,  whatsoever   He  wished,   by   a 
 word ;  but  also  touched  the  bier  with  His  hand,  showing 
 that  even  His  Body  possesses  a  life-giving  power :  so  in 
 this  case  He  anoints  with  His  spittle,  teaching  that  His 
 Body  is  also  a  Patron  of  light,  even  by  so  slight  a  touch. 
 For  it  is  the  Body  of  the  True  Light,  as  we  said  above. 
 The  blind  man  accordingly  departs  with  what  haste  he 
 can,  and  washes,  and  without  delay  performs  all  that  was 
 bidden  him,  shewing  as  it  were  in  his  own   person  the 
 ready  obedience  of  the  Gentiles,  concerning  whom  it  is 
 Ps.  X.  17.  written  :    He  inclined  His  ear  to  the  in-epo/ration  of  their 
 LXX)      hearts.     The  wretched  Jews  then  were  hard  of  heart,  but 
 they  of  the  Gentiles  were  altogether  docile  in  obedience 
 and  bear  witness  of  it  in  experience.     The  man  having 
 forthwith,  removed  his  blindness,  washing  it  away  together 
 with  the  clay,  now  returns,  seeing.     For  it  was  Christ^s 
 pleasure    that  thus  it  should  come   to   pass.     Excellent 
 therefore  is  faith,  which  makes  God-given  grace  to  be 
 
Effects  of  miracle  on  difeyent  minds.  21 
 
 stron«'  in  us  ;  and  harmfal  is  hesitation.     For  t'le  douhle-  Chap.  i. 
 
 .  .  ...  ix   8-10 
 
 minded  man  is  unslahle  in  all  his  ways,  as  it  is  written^  and  s.  Jas.  i. 
 shall  receive  nothing  whatovev  from  the  Lord.  > '' 
 
 8  The  7icighhours  therefore,  and  they  which  saw  him  aforetime 
 
 that  he  ivas  a  beggar,  said.  Is  not  this  he  that  sat  and  begged  ? 
 
 9  Another  said,  No,  but  he  is  like  him.     He  said,  I  am  he. 
 
 Hard  indeed  to  be  believed  are  such  surpassing  wonders^ 
 and  that  [which  exceeds  nian^s  experience],  from  whatever 
 source  it  comes,  finds  the  intellect  to  be  intolerant  of  it, 
 and  is  scarcely  treated  with  honour  when  convincingly 
 forced  upon  people's  minds.  For  the  attempt  to  inves- 
 tigate what  is  beyond  the  grasp  of  reason  indicates  a  state 
 of  mind  akin  to  insanity.  Hence,  I  think,  the  unbelief  of 
 some  who  had  previously  known  the  blind  man  haunting 
 the  cross-roads,  and  who  were  astonished  afterwards  when 
 they  beheld  him  unexpectedly  able  to  discern  objects  with 
 clear  vision.  And  they  are  divided,  from  uncertainty  re- 
 garding the  event,  and  some  who  consider  more  carefully 
 the  greatness  of  the  deed  say  that  it  is  not  the  same  man, 
 bat  one  remarkably  like  him  whom  they  had  known.  For 
 indeed  it  really  is  not  strange  that  this  opinion  should  be 
 expressed  by  some,  who  by  rejecting  the  truth  were  com- 
 pelled through  the  greatness  of  the  miracle  to  adopt  an 
 involuntary  falsehood.  Others  again  keep  their  minds 
 free  from  obvious  objections,  and  in  reverence  and  fear 
 they  recognise  the  wonder,  and  say  that  it  is  the  same 
 man.  But  he  who  was  healed  quickly  settled  the  ques- 
 tion, by  making  his  own  statement,  most  worthy  of  credit 
 as  concerning  himself.  For  no  man  can  be  ignorant  of 
 his  own  identity,  even  though  very  ill  in  delirium.  Thus 
 in  every  way  the  marvellous  deed,  discredited  on  account 
 of  the  unusual  degree  of  power  it  displayed,  testifies  that 
 the  Wonder-worker  is  to  be  reckoned  among  the  great. 
 
 ]  0      Thei/  said  therefore  unto  him.,  How  were  thine  eyes  opened  ? 
 "With  difficulty  they  consent  to  believe  that  he  was  the 
 
22  Sow  the  blind  man  esteems  CJirist. 
 
 Book  6.  same  mau  whom  tliey  had  known  aforetime^  and  abandon- 
 ing their  hesitation  on  this  pointy  they  ask  how  he  had  got 
 rid  of  his  blindness,  and  v/hat  was  the  manner  of  such  an 
 unhoped-for  event.  For  it  seems  usual  for  those  who  are 
 astonished  to  make  careful  inquiries  and  to  investigate 
 the  manner  of  what  has  been  done ;  aud  these  pei'sons  re- 
 solved to  do  the  same,  not  without  the  guidance  of  God, 
 in  our  opinion,  but  in  order  that  even  unwillingly  they 
 might  learn  the  power  of  Our  Saviour  from  the  narration 
 and  clear  announcement  which  the  blind  man  made  to 
 them.  This  thou  mayest  accept  as  a  beautiful  type  of  the 
 converts  from  among  the  Gentiles  becoming  teachers  to 
 the  people  of  Israel,  after  escaping  from  their  former 
 blindness  and  receiving  the  illumination  which  comes  from 
 Our  Saviour  Christ  through  the  Spirit.  And  that  what 
 we  have  said  is  true,  the  events  themselves  will  loudly 
 proclaim. 
 
 11  He  answered,  A  man  that  is  called  Jesus  made  clay,  and 
 anointed  mine  eyes,  and  said  unto  me.  Go  to  Siloam  and 
 wash.   So  I  tvent  away  and  washed,  and  I  received  sight. 
 
 He  appears  still  to  be  ignorant  that  the  Saviour  is  by 
 nature  God,  for  otherwise  he  would  not  have  spoken  of 
 him  so  unworthil}^  He  probably  thought  of  Him  and  es- 
 teemed Him  as  a  holy  Man,  forming  this  opinion  perhaps 
 from  the  somewhat  indistinct  rumour  concerning  Him 
 that  went  about  all  Jerusalem,  and  was  repeated  every- 
 where in  the  common  talk.  Moreover  we  may  observe 
 tliat  those  aflfiicted  of  body  and  struggling  with  abject 
 poverty  never  feel  overmuch  zeal  in  occupying  themselves 
 about  making  acquaintance,  their  unmitigated  poverty 
 exhausting  as  it  were  their  mental  faculties.  Therefore 
 he  speaks  of  Him  merely  as  a  Man,  and  describes  the 
 manner  of  the  healing.  He  must  surely  have  been  com- 
 pelled by  the  magnitude  of  the  miracle  to  attribute  a  glory 
 beyond  the  nature  of  man  to  the  Wonder-worker,  but  from 
 giving  credit  to  the  belief  that  holy  men  were  enabled  by 
 
Ill  temjjer  of  the  Jews.  23 
 
 God  to  work    miracles,  he   was  probably  drawn  to   look  Chap,  i, 
 upon  Jesus  as  one  of  them.  c.ix.  ij. 
 
 1 2     And  they  said  unto  him,  Where  is  He  ?  He  saith,  I  know  not. 
 
 Not  from  dev^out  feelings  do  they  inquire  for  Jesus,  nor 
 are  they  moved  to  inquire  where  and  with  whom  He  was 
 uttering  discourses,  so  that  they  might  go  and  seek  some 
 profit  from  His  doings;  but  being  blinded  in  the  eyes  of 
 their  understanding,  even  much  worse  than  he  had  for- 
 merly been  in  those  of  his  body,  they  are  inflamed  with 
 most  unjust  anger,  and  rage  like  untamable  beasts,  think- 
 ing that  Our  Saviour  had  broken  a  commandment  of  the 
 law,  that  one  namely  which  forbids  any  work  whatever  to 
 be  done  on  the  sabbath.  And  they  raved  immoderately, 
 because  He  had  dared  actually  to  touch  clay,  rubbing  the 
 dirt  round  with  His  finger,  and  in  addition  to  this  had 
 also  directed  the  man  to  wash  it  ofi"  on  the  sabbath. 
 Wherefore  in  anger  and  desperation  they  spit  out  the 
 words.  Where  is  He  ?  without  making  any  excuse  for 
 speaking  so  rudely.  For  in  their  pettiness  they  bestow 
 abuse  upon  Him  Who  rightly  deserved  the  highest  honour, 
 though  they  must  have  admired  Him  if  they  had  been  sin- 
 cere and  had  known  how  to  honour  God^s  power  with  be- 
 fitting praises.  But  thrusting  aside  in  their  extravagant 
 maliciousness  that  which  I  think  they  ought  in  fairness  to 
 have  thought  and  done,  they  devote  themselves  to  untimely 
 zeal.  And  falsely  supposing  that  they  were  performing 
 a  duty  in  supporting  the  law  which  had  somehow  been 
 wronged,  they  inquire  for  Jesus  as  one  who  had  worked  on 
 the  sabbath  and  thus  wronged  the  excellent  commandment 
 by  healing  the  man.  Certainly  they  may  have  supposed 
 that  God  was  (so  to  speak)  cruel  and  not  compassionate 
 on  the  sabbath,  and  was  very  angry  when  he  saw  a  man 
 healed,  who  was  made  in  His  own  image  and  likeness,  and 
 on  whose  account  the  sabbath  was  instituted.  For  the  S.  Matt. 
 Son  of  Man  is  Lord  of  the  sabbath,  according  to  the  saying  ^"'  ' 
 of  the  Saviour. 
 
24  Conduct  of  Jeivs  cxjilauicd. 
 
 Book.  G.  13     T//c>/  briuff  to  the  Pharisees  him  that  aforetime  was  blind. 
 
 ihhath  on  the  day  wht 
 and  opened  his  eyes. 
 
 ix.  13,  14,  ,  ,      ,,       .  , 
 
 14     JSoa'  it  teas  the  sabbath  on  the  day  when  Jesus  made  the  clay, 
 
 They  bring  tlie  man  to  the  rulers,  not  that  they  might 
 learn  what  had  been  done  to  him,  and  admire  it ;  for  it 
 was  not  likely  that  men  travailing  with   extreme    envy 
 against  our  Saviour  Christ  could  ever  be  pleased  by  any 
 such  thing;  but  that  they  might  publicly  convict  Jesus, 
 as  they  thought,  of  a  transgression  of  the  law,  and  accuse 
 Him  of  being  a  wrong-doer  in  having  made  clay  on  the 
 sabbath.     For  rejecting  the  idea  of  the  miracle  because  of 
 its  incredibility,  they  lay  hold  of  the  deed  as  a  transgres- 
 sion, and  for  a  proof  of  what  had  been  done  they  exhibit 
 the  man  upon  Avhom  He  had  dared  to  perform  the  miracle. 
 At  the  same  time  they  think  to  succeed  in  gaining  a  repu- 
 tation for  piety  according  to  Jewish  customs,  and  proceed 
 to  strain  the  legal  commandment  to  the  utmost.     For  in 
 Deuteronomy  He  Who  by  Nature  is  Very  God,  enjoining 
 the  minds  of  the  pious  not  to  be  drawn  aside  to  another, 
 nor  to  think  there  were  any  gods  besides  Him,  but  bidding 
 them  to  serve  Him  only  in  truth,  and  to  hate  bitterly  those 
 who  should  dare  to  counsel  them  differently,  thus  speaks  : 
 I)eut.       If  thy  brother  by  thy  father  or  mother,  or  thy  son,  or  thy 
 9.      '   '  daughter,  or  thy  wife  in  thy  bosom,  or  friend  who  is  equal  to 
 thine  own  soul  entreat  thee  secretly,  saying.  Let  lis  go  and 
 serve  other  gods,  tliou  shalt  not  consent  to  him,  neither  shalt 
 thou  hearken  to  him,  and  thine  eye  shall  not  spare  him,  and 
 thou  shalt  feel  no  regret  for  him,  neither  shalt  thou  at  all 
 protect  him  ;   tliou  shalt  surely  report  concerning  him.     And 
 so   the  Jews,  looking  only  at  the  errors  of  others,  and 
 foolishly  treating  everything  by  the  regulation  laid  down 
 concerning    one    thing,  brought    before   the    magistrates 
 those  who  were   detected  in  any  action  contrary  to  the 
 aw,  thinking  that  thereby  they  were  honouring  the  Law- 
 giver.    For  this  ri^son  I  think  they  enquired  for  Jesus, 
 Supra       saying.  Where  is  He  ?  but  being  unable  to  find  Him  any- 
 ''^^'  ""     where,  they  take  as  it  were  in  the  second  place  him  upon 
 whom  the  wonder  had  been  wrought,  that  he  might  seal 
 
Tlieir  rage  increases.  25 
 
 with  liis  own  voice  the  testimony  to'tlie  breach  of  the  law  ^">^'^- 
 which  had  been  committed  by  the  actions  of  the  One  Who 
 healed  him  on  the  sabbath. 
 
 When  the  blessed  Evangelist  is  making  it  manifest  to 
 ns  that  they  were  immoderately  vexed  at  the  making  of 
 clay  on  the  sabbath,  he  fitly  hints  at  the  absurdity  of  the 
 thing,  by  adding  :  Now  it  ivas  the  sabbath  on  the  day  when 
 Jesus  made  the  clay. 
 
 15     Again  therefore  the  Pharisees  also  asked  him.  How  didst  thou 
 receive  thy  sight  9 
 
 They  busy  themselves  about  the  manner  of  the  healing, 
 stirring  up  as  it  were  the  fire  of  malice  which  was  in  them 
 to  a  greater  heat,  and  ask  unnecessary  questions,  not  fail- 
 ing, as  it  seems  to  me,  to  recognize  the  miracle.  For  is 
 it  not  altogether  absurd  to  suppose  that  they,  who  had 
 come  bringing  to  them  the  man  who  aforetime  was  blind, 
 had  not  expressed  at  all  ther  reason  for  which  they  had 
 brought  him  ?  But  as  if  they  were  not  sufficient  to  accuse 
 Christ,  the  magistrates  compel  him  to  confess  with  his 
 own  mouth  what  had  been  done,  believing  that  by  this 
 means  the  malicious  accusation  would  have  greater  force. 
 For  observe  that  they  do  not  ask  simply  and  barely  if  he 
 had  been  healed,  but  they  seek  rather  to  hear  how  he 
 received  his  sight;  this  was  what  they  were  particularly 
 anxious  to  hear  : — "  He  made  clay,  and  anointed  mine 
 eyes.^^  For  it  was  in  this  that  they  foolishly  conceived 
 all  the  transgression  of  the  law  to  lie,  and  imagining  that 
 laws  from  above  were  violated,  they  thought  they  were 
 righteously  vexed,  and  that  punishment  ought  to  be  in- 
 flicted on  Him  Who  vexed  them. 
 
 And  he  said  unto  them.  He  put  clay  npoti  mine  eyes  and 
 I  washed,  and  do  see. 
 
 They  receive  eagerly,  as  if  it  were  a  sort  of  food  for 
 their  envy,  his  confession  of  the  marvel,  and  gladly  seize 
 upon  the  excuse  for  their  rage  against  Jesus.  For  the 
 man  who  had  been  blind  relates  everything  on  this  occasion 
 
26  The  mail's  gratitude  and  delight. 
 
 Book  6.  very  simply,  and  speaks  very  abruptly,  in  brief  expressions 
 praising  as  it  were  his  Physician  :  for  he  is  somewhat  as- 
 tounded at  the  nature  of  the  deed.  Probably  he  may  have 
 thought  in  his  mind  that  Jesus  had  miraculously  enabled 
 him  to  see  by  anointing  him  with  clay,  an  unusual  medica- 
 ment ;  and  it  seems  to  me  that  it  was  very  significantly 
 and  with  sharp  meaning  that  he  said  He  made  clay,  and 
 anointed  mine  eyes.  For  it  was  as  though  one  might  sup- 
 pose him  to  say  :  I  know  that  I  am  speaking  to  a  malicious 
 audience,  but  nevertheless  I  will  not  on  that  account 
 conceal  the  truth.  I  will  requite  my  Benefactor  with  my 
 thanks ;  I  will  be  above  unseasonable  silence.  I  will  ho- 
 nour by  my  confession  the  Physician,  Who  did  not  trouble 
 me  by  an  elaborate  process  of  healing,  or  perform  the 
 operation  by  the  knife  and  surgery,  or  effect  what  was 
 necessary  by  compound  mixtures  of  drugs,  or  adopt  any  or- 
 dinary method,  but  rather  exhibited  His  power  by  strange 
 devices.  He  made  clay,  and  anointed  mine  eyes,  and  I 
 washed,  and  do  see.  It  is  perhaps  worthy  of  notice  that  the 
 man  very  rightly  added,  as  the  climax  to  his  description  of 
 these  events,  the  words  :  And  do  see.  For  it  is  almost  as 
 though  he  said :  I  will  prove  to  you  that  the  power  of  the 
 Healer  was  not  exerted  in  vain;  I  will  not  deny  the  favour 
 I  received,  for  I  now  possess  what  I  formerly  longed  for ; 
 I,  he  says,  who  was  blind  from  birth  and  afflicted  from  the 
 womb,  having  been  anointed  with  clay,  am  healed,  and  do 
 see.  That  is,  I  do  not  merely  shew  you  my  eye  opened, 
 concealing  the  darkness  in  its  depth,  but  I  really  see.  I 
 am  henceforth  able  to  look  upon  the  things  which  formerly 
 I  could  only  hear  about.  Lo  !  the  bright  light  of  the  sun 
 is  shining  around  me :  lo  !  the  beauty  of  strange  sights 
 surrounds  my  eye.  A  short  time  ago  I  scarcely  knew 
 what  Jerusalem  was  like ;  now  I  see  glittering  in  her  the 
 temple  of  God,  and  I  behold  in  its  midst  the  truly  venera- 
 ble altar.  And  if  I  stood  outside  the  gate,  I  could  look 
 around  on  the  country  of  Judea,  and  should  recognise  one 
 thing  as  a  hill  and  another  as  a  tree.  And  when  the  time 
 changes  to  evening,  my  eye  will  no  longer  fail  to  notice 
 
False  argument  of  some  Pharisees.  27 
 
 tlie  beauty  of  tlie  wondrous  objects  on  bigli,  the  brilliant  Chap.  i. 
 company  of  tlie  stars,  and  the  golden  light  of  the  moon. 
 Thereupon  I  shall  be  amazed  at  the  skill  of  Him  Who 
 made  them ;  from  the  heauti/  of  the  creatures  I  as  well  as  cf.  Wisd. 
 others  shall  acknowledge  the  Grreat  Creator.  So  that 
 however  little  breadth  of  imagination  or  elegance  of  argu- 
 ment he  uttered,  his  language  is  pregnant  with  all  this 
 power  when  he  adds :  and  do  see,  after  saying :  He  made 
 clay  and  anointed  'mine  eyes.  For  the  preacher^s  style  of 
 argument,  which  we  employ,  does  not  exclude  all  that  is 
 graceful  in  imagination,  or  reject  it  as  useless.  He  there- 
 fore who  had  received  mercy  from  Christ,  when  questioned 
 before  the  priests,  speaks  as  we  have  said,  declaring  in  a 
 truly  innocent  manner,  and  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  the 
 power  of  the  One  Who  had  healed  him. 
 
 16     Some  therefore  of  the  Pharisees  said.  This  man  is  not  from 
 God,  because  he  keepeth  not  the  sabbath. 
 
 In  their  folly  they  say  He  is  not  from  God,  Who  has  the 
 power  to  work  the  works  of  God ;  and  although  they  see 
 the  Son  crowned  with  an  equal  measure  of  glory  with  the 
 Almighty  Father,  they  are  not  ashamed  unreasonably  to 
 cast  upon  him  the  blame  of  impiety;    and  disregarding 
 the  report  of  the  miracle,  they  attack  the  Wonder-worker 
 with  their  peculiar  envy,  and  carelessly  accuse  as  an  evil- 
 doer Him  Who  knew  no  sin.     They  foolishly  believe  the 
 whole  law  to  have  been  broken  by  His  daring  to  move 
 one  finger  on  the  sabbath,  although  they  would  themselves 
 loose  their  ox  from  the  stall  and  lead  it  aivay  to  ivater;  more-  s.  Lul^e 
 over,  if  a  sheep  fell  into  a  j'^it,  as  it  is  written,  with  much  s"Matt. 
 eagerness  they  would  lift  it  out.     So  they  strain  out  the  ]["•  ^^:.. 
 gnat,  according  to  the  Saviour's  word ;  for  this  was  their  24. 
 ordinary  custom.     With  much  folly  and  very  desperately 
 they  do  not  give  credit  to  Christ  for  the  marvellous  deed, 
 nor  from  the  work  of  healing  do  they  henceforth  acknow- 
 ledge Him  to  be  Avhat  He  is ;  but  they  cavil  pettily  about 
 the  sabbath,  and,  as  if  in  their  opinion  all  virtue  was  ob- 
 served by  merely  remaining  unemployed  on  the  sabbath. 
 
28  Others  argue  more  jasthj. 
 
 Book  6.  tlioy  totally  deny  His  relationship  to  God,  saying  tliat  He 
 was  not  from  God ;  although  they  ought  rather  to  have 
 understood  that  the  One  before  them  had  authority  over 
 His  own  laws,  and  that  it  was  pleasing  and  acceptable  to 
 God  to  do  good  even  on  the  sabbath,  and  not  to  leave 
 without  hope  one  who  needed  mercy.  For  whenever  will 
 any  of  you  refuse  to  praise  the  doer  of  good  deeds,  or 
 what  set  time  can  exercise  a  tyranny  against  virtue  ?  Yet 
 while  they  admire  the  ancient  hero  Joshua,  who  captured 
 
 Jos.vi.  15.  Jericho  on  the  sabbath,  and  commanded  their  forefathers 
 to  do  such  things  as  are  customary  for  conquerors,  and 
 himself  by  no  means  observed  the  proper  sabbath  rest ; 
 they  persistently  attack  Christ,  and  as  their  personal  ill- 
 feeling  prompted  them,  not  only  strive  to  take  away  from 
 Him  the  glory  due  to  God,  but  also  to  rob  Him  of  the 
 honour  due  to  holy  men.  And  being  stirred  up  by  their 
 mere  malice  to  speak  very  inconsiderately,  they  pour  forth 
 a  charge  of  impiety  against  Him  Who  justifies  the  world, 
 and  for  that  very  purpose  came  from  the  Father  to  us. 
 
 But  others  said,  Hoiv  can  a  man   that  is  a  sinner  do  such 
 signs  ?     And  there  was  a  division  among  them. 
 
 Even  these  still  think  too  meanly,  speaking  and  reckon- 
 ing as  of  a  mere  man;  only,  being  convinced  by  the  mar- 
 vellous deed,  they  give  the  palm  to  Christ  rather  than  to 
 the  law ;  and,  putting  the  proof  afforded  by  the  Divine 
 sign  in  opposition  to  the  sabbath  rest  on  this  occasion, 
 they  appear  in  a  better  light  as  just  judges.  Yet,  was  it 
 not  acting  greatly  in  opposition  to  the  precepts  laid  down 
 respecting  the  sabbath,  to  withdraw  altogether  the  charge 
 of  transgression,  and  to  acquit  Him  of  sin.  Who  had  not 
 hesitated,  when  He  thought  fit,  to  do  something  even  on 
 the  sabbath  ?  But,  coming  to  this  conclusion  by  reason- 
 ing which  seems  unanswerable  and  has  much  common 
 sense  in  it,  they  argue  thus.  For  it  is  manifest  and  ac- 
 knowledged beyond  question,  that  to  those  who  neglect 
 the  Divine  law,  and  set  at  nought  precepts  ratified  from 
 on  high,  God  would  never  give  the  power  to  achieve  any- 
 
Consequent  division  of  opinion.  29 
 
 thing  wonderful.  To  Christ,  however,  in  the  opinion  of  Chap.  i. 
 tlie  Jews,  He  gave  such  power,  although  He  slighted  the 
 law  respecting  the  sabbath.  Certainly  the  doing  some- 
 thing on  the  sabbath  does  not  necessarily  involve  sin,  but 
 neither  can  any  one  doubt  that  the  doing  of  good  works 
 is  far  better  than  remaining  unemployed  on  that  day.  At 
 all  events,  as  the  Saviour  Himself  somewhere  else  says,  it  S.  Matt. 
 is  permitted  to  the  Levites  to  minister  on  the  sabbath,  and  ' '  "'• 
 they  exercise  their  functions  on  that  day  without  blame, 
 or  rather  their  remaining  unemployed  would  be  blamable. 
 For  would  any  one  find  fault  if  they  were  detected  sacri- 
 ficing oxen  on  the  sabbath,  or  even  attending  to  other 
 kinds  of  offerings  ?  He  would  on  the  other  hand  more 
 probably  accuse  them  if  they  were  not  doing  their  duty 
 and  fulfilling  the  regulations  of  Divine  service.  When 
 therefore  things  dedicated  according  to  the  law  for  the 
 ''  good  of  certain  persons  are  brought  to  the  Divine  altar  ^  ffur-npia 
 even  on  the  sabbath  without  prohibition,  is  it  not  more 
 fitting  still  that  a  kind  action  should  be  performed  unto  a 
 man,  for  whose  sake  the  marvellous  deed  might  be  accep- 
 table even  on  the  sabbath  ?  By  just  reasoning  therefore, 
 some  of  the  Jews  are  inclined  to  an  excellent  judgment, 
 and  putting  off  by  an  efibrt  from  the  eyes  of  their  under- 
 standing the  mist  of  ignorance  that  characterises  their 
 nation,  they  admire  the  glory  of  the  Saviour,  (although  as 
 yet  not  very  ardently,  for  they  speak  of  Him  less  worthily 
 than  they  ought;)  and  they  separate  themselves  from 
 those  who  are  actually  condemning  Him.  For  the  one 
 part  unholily  allowed  themselves  to  be  swayed  by  envy 
 more  than  by  just  reasoning,  and  treat  as  a  transgression 
 that  which  in  its  nature  could  not  in  any  wise  be  blamed ; 
 whereas  the  others,  rightly  considering  the  nature  of  the 
 action,  condemn  such  a  foolish  accusation. 
 
 It  is  of  course  possible  that  it  was  with  reference  to 
 some  other  matter  that  they  chose  to  say  :  How  can  a  man 
 that  is  a  sinner  do  such  signs  ?    Perhaps,  to  put  it  briefly, 
 they  are  eager  to  defend  the  general  ^  practice  of  holy  '^  ef(rfi6s 
 men.     For,  say  they,  if  we  allow  that  it  is  quite  possible 
 
30  They  again  question  the  man, 
 
 Book  c^.  for  habitual  transgressors  to  make  themselves  glorious  by 
 extraordinary  actions  and  to  be  seen  working  marvellous 
 deeds,  what  is  there  any  longer  to  hinder  those  fond  of 
 making  accusations  from  bringing  charges  against  most  of 
 the  prophets,  or  indeed  by  and  bye  attacking  the  blessed 
 Moses  himself,  and  lightly  esteeming  one  so  venerable, 
 even  though  he  was  borne  witness  to  by  the  most  mighty 
 actions  of  all  ?  These  men  therefore  may  be  contending 
 for  the  reputation  of  the  fathers  as  at  stake  in  Christ, 
 treating  the  circumstances  respecting  Him  as  a  sort  of 
 pretext  for  shewing  their  love  towards  them. 
 
 17     Thei/  say  therefore  unto  the  blind  man  again,  IVJiat  sayest 
 thou  of  Him,  in  that  He  opened  thine  eyes  ? 
 
 They  imagine  those  who  are  disposed  to  judge  faii'ly  to 
 be  wandering  in  their  wits,  and  they  seem  to  me  to  have 
 cfDeut.  forgotten  altogether  Him  Who  says:  Judge  righteous  judg- 
 ment; and  having  been  taken  captive  as  it  were  in  the 
 bonds  of  envy,  they  cannot  endure  to  listen  at  all  to  any 
 word  that  honours  Christ.  Turning  away  from  any  one 
 wishing  to  speak  of  His  miracles  as  from  some  one  most 
 hostile  to  themselves,  and  mistrusting  their  own  powers 
 of  explanation,  they  haughtily  address  their  words  to  the 
 man  that  had  been  healed.  Again  they  ask  what  had  been 
 many  times  told  them,  having  already  proclaimed  their 
 belief  that  He  Who  had  performed  an  action  contrary  to 
 the  sabbath  was  both  worthless  and  wicked.  They  think 
 that  in  this  way  the  blind  man  will  join  them  in  condemn- 
 ing Him,  and  take  his  cue  from  their  words ;  that  he  will 
 suppress  all  outward  signs  of  gratitude,  out  of  fear  and 
 trembling  before  their  anger,  and  readily  charge  Jesus 
 with  contempt  of  the  law,  because  of  its  being  the  sabbath. 
 Evil  therefore  was  the  design  of  the  Pharisees,  and  it  can- 
 not be  doubted  that  it  was  foolish  also.  For  how  could 
 the  voice  of  one  thankless  man  weaken  the  force  of  the 
 miracle  ?  And  would  not  Christ's  Divine  glory  appear,  if 
 it  so  happened  that  the  blind  man,  overcome  by  fear, 
 should  deny  the  kindness  he  had  received,  in  order  to 
 
ivlio  gives  a  hold  and  just  answer.  31 
 
 avoid  suffering  anj^tliing  from  tliose  wont  to  inflict  pain?  Chap.  i. 
 But  envy  is  powerful  to  persuade  those  wlio  are  bursting 
 with,  it  to  eagerly  do  any  thing  in  their  passion,  even 
 though  it  involves  conduct  very  fairly  open  to  ridicule. 
 The  mind  which  is  free  from  such  thoughts,  however,  is 
 not  entangled  by  foolish  arguments;  but,  ever  preserving 
 its  natural  excellence  untarnished,  is  borne  directly  towards 
 a  right  conclusion,  and  does  not  go  beyond  the  limits  of 
 truth.  Mean  therefore  and  insolent  are  the  Pharisees, 
 thinking  that  those  who  choose  to  think  and  speak  rightly 
 are  wandering  in  their  wits,  and  endeavouring  to  compel 
 the  man  to  speak  evil  words  concerning  Him  Who  had 
 miraculously  bestowed  on  him  an  unhoped-for  blessing. 
 But  he  was  disposed  to  express  gratitude  and  had  been 
 brought  nigh  to  a  clear  knowledge  by  means  of  the 
 miracle. 
 
 And  he  said.  He  is  a  prophet. 
 
 They  receive  a  sharp  arrow  into  their  hearts,  who  do  not 
 admit  fair  and  just  reasoning,  and  are  eager  to  seek  that 
 only  which  gratifies  their  malice.  For,  as  it  is  written,  Prov.  xii. 
 the  crafty  man  sliall  not  meet  with  prey.  For  their  zealous  lxx, 
 design  is  upset,  contrary  to  their  expectation;  and  they 
 are  greatly  disappointed  of  their  hope  when  to  their  sur- 
 prise they  receive  the  reply :  He  is  a  propJiet.  For  the 
 man  who  had  been  healed,  judging  very  rightly,  agrees 
 with  the  opinion  of  the  other  party.  For  they,  not  un- 
 wisely considering  the  nature  of  the  action,  maintain  that 
 a  man  who  was  a  sinner  could  not  perform  such  a  deed  : 
 and  he  upon  whom  the  marvel  has  been  wrought,  all  but 
 pursuing  the  same  track  of  argument,  declares  Jesus  to  be 
 a  prophet,  not  yet  having  accurately  learned  Who  He  is  in 
 truth,  but  adopting  a  notion  current  among  the  Jews. 
 For  it  was  customary  with  them  to  call  wonder-workers 
 prophets,  deeming  that  their  holiness  was  thereby  borne 
 witness  to  by  God.  Accordingly,  just  as  they  wisely  de- 
 termine not  to  dishonour  the  majesty  of  the  Divine  sign 
 out  of  reverence  for  the  sabbath,  but  argue  from  it  that 
 
32  Testimony  of  the  man,  and  of  Ids  ])arents. 
 
 Book  6.  He  AVlio  wroug'lit  it  was  altogether  guiltless  of  sin;  so 
 "  '  '  also  I  suppose  this  man,  thrusting  aside  the  petty  cavil 
 respecting  the  sabbath,  with  worthier  thoughts  gives  glory 
 to  Him  Who  had  freely  given  him  sight,  and,  having 
 allotted  him  a  place  amongst  holy  men,  calls  him  aproplief. 
 He  seems  to  me,  moreover,  not  to  have  thought  too  highly 
 of  the  regulations  of  the  law ;  for  [otherwise]  he  would 
 not  have  admired  Jesus  so  much,  or  raised  his  Physician 
 to  the  rank  of  a  prophet  in  spite  of  his  apparent  trans- 
 gression of  the  sabbatical  law.  Having  certainly  derived 
 benefit  from  the  marvellous  deed,  and  having  arrived  at 
 a  better  state  of  mind  than  that  of  the  Jews,  he  is  therefore 
 obliged  to  admit  a  superiority  to  legal  observances  in  the 
 Wonder-worker,  Who,  in  doing  good  works,  deemed  au 
 infringement  of  the  law  altogether  blameless. 
 
 18  The  Jews  did  not  believe  concerning  him,  that  he  had  been 
 blind,  and  had  received  his  sight,  until  thei/  called  the  pa- 
 
 19  rents  of  him  that  had  received  his  sight,  and  asked  them, 
 saying.  Is  this  your  son,  who  ye  say  ivas  born  blind?  how 
 
 then  doth  he  note  see  ? 
 
 The  envy  against  the  Healer  which  is  hot  within  them 
 does  not  allow  them  to  believe  what  is  acknowledged  by 
 all  j  and,  swayed  by  the  frenzy  of  madness,  they  of  course 
 care  little  for  the  discovery  of  truth,  and  speak  falsely 
 against  Christ.  First  they  applied  pressure  to  the  man 
 himself,  and  now  they  are  seen  to  be  no  less  rashly  dis- 
 tressing his  parents,  but  with  the  very  opposite  result  to 
 that  which  they  intended.  They  propose  a  most  super- 
 fluous question  to  the  man's  parents,  and  they  seem  to  me, 
 in  their  unbounded  folly,  to  dishonour  the  very  law  which 
 they  so  venerated  and  so  extravagantly  upheld.  For  the 
 Supra.  neighbours,  as  it  is  written,  brought  Kxm  that  aforetime 
 ^"*  *  was  blind,  and  setting  him  face  to  face  with  those  who 
 were  asking  these  questions,  they  reported  most  clearly 
 that  he  had  been  born  blind,  and  bore  witness  that  now 
 he  had  received  sight.     Thus,  whereas  the  law  distinctly 
 
 Deut.xix.  savs  that  every  matter  is  estahlishod  hii  the  mouth  of  two  or 
 15.  "  -^  ./  / 
 
Tactics  of  the  Pharisees.  33 
 
 three  ivitnesses,  they  set  aside  the  testimony  not  merely  of  Chap.  i. 
 
 ix  20  21 
 two  or  three  but  probably  of  many  more,  and  go  for  further 
 
 evidence  to  the  parents  of  him  who  was  healed,  thus  acting 
 contrary  to  the  law  as  well  as  to  good  manners.  But  the 
 law  is  nothing  to  them  when  they  are  eager  to  accomplish 
 somethiug  agreeable  to  their  private  pleasures.  For  when 
 the  testimony  borne  to  the  miracle,  by  the  voices  both  of 
 the  neighbours  and  of  the  man  who  was  healed,  put  them 
 out  of  countenance  sorely  against  their  will ;  they  ex- 
 pected to  be  able  to  persuade  those  now  being  questioned, 
 to  make  light  of  truth,  and  rather  to  speak  as  they  wished 
 them  to  speak.  For  see  in  how  overbearing  a  manner 
 they  put  their  question,  saying :  Is  this  your  son,  who  ye 
 say  was  horn  blind  ?  For  they  all  but  avow  their  certain 
 intention  to  treat  them  very  dreadfully,  and  they  frighten 
 them  with  unbounded  fear,  calling  as  it  were  by  compul- 
 sion and  violence  for  that  which  they  wished  to  hear,  namely 
 the  answer :  "  He  was  not  born  blind."  For  they  had 
 but  one  object  and  that  an  impious  one,  namely,  to  loosen 
 the  hold  which  Christ  had  on  the  multitudes,  and  to  turn 
 away  the  simple  faith  of  such  as  were  now  overcome  with 
 admiration.  And  just  as  men  who  strive  to  take  some 
 well-fortified  city  environ  it  on  every  side  and  besiege  it 
 in  all  manner  of  ways ;  at  one  time  they  are  eager  to 
 undermine  the  foundations,  at  another  they  strike  blows 
 with  battering-rams  against  the  towers  :  so  the  shameless 
 Pharisees  lay  siege  to  the  miracle  with  all  their  evil  de- 
 vices and  leave  no  method  of  impiety  untried.  But  it  was 
 not  possible  to  disparage  as  unworthy  of  credit  what  was 
 well  known  to  all,  or  to  distort  that  at  which  many  had 
 marvelled  into  a  less  certain  conviction. 
 
 20  His  parents  answered  and  said,  We  know  that  this  is   our 
 
 21  son,  and  that  he  ivus  horn  blind:  but  hoiv  he  now  seeth,  zve 
 know  not ;  or  who  opened  his  eyes,  ive  know  not :  ask  him  ; 
 
 he  Is  of  age  to  speak  for  liimself. 
 
 They  acknowledge  as  true  that  which  was  in  no  wise 
 doubtful  and  for  which  it  was  hardly  likely  they  would 
 
 VOL,  II.  D 
 
34  Timidity  of  the  man's  parents. 
 
 Book  6.  suffer  anything  disagreeable ;  for  tliey  say  that  they  re- 
 
 '    ' "  '     '  cognise  their  own  offspring,  and  do  not  deny  what  really 
 
 was  the  case  at  his  birth,  but  distinctly  affirm  that  he  was 
 
 born  with  the  affliction.     Nevertheless  they  shrink  from 
 
 relating  the  miracle,  leaving  the  nature  of  the  deed  to 
 
 speak  for  itself,  and  maintaining  that  it  would  be  -much 
 
 more  suitable  to  put  the  question  as  to  how  he  had  been 
 
 healed  to  their  son  himself.     Fear  of  danger  is  certainly 
 
 a  powerful  motive  to  turn  men  aside  from  what  it  befits 
 
 them  to  do.     Being  greatly  alarmed  by  the  harshness  of 
 
 the  Pharisees,  they  do  not  observe  that  which  is  some- 
 
 Ecclus.     where  well  said  :    Strive  for  the  truth  unto  death.     It  is 
 iv   28 
 
 likely  that  they  did  suffer  something  of  another  sort ;  for 
 
 the  poor  man  is  always  timid,  and,  losing  through  his 
 poverty  the  power  to  offer  bold  resistance,  often  takes  re- 
 fuge in  an  unwilling  silence,  and  a  forced  acquiescence  :  as 
 if  already  completely  crushed  in  spirit  by  the  vexation  of 
 poverty,  he  seems  insensible  to  being  burdened  with  other 
 misfortunes.  We  suspect  that  the  parents  of  the  blind 
 man  suffered  something  of  this  sort,  even  though  their 
 answer  on  the  whole  is  composed  with  great  plausibility. 
 For  every  one  would  agree  that  the  recognition  of  the 
 man  as  their  son  was  a  matter  as  to  which  it  was  far  more 
 reasonable  to  interrogate  them  than  the  man  himself, 
 whereas  the  question  as  to  the  Physician  was  one  not  so 
 much  for  the  parents  to  answer  as  for  him  who  had  expe- 
 rienced the  benefit  of  the  wonderful  operation.  Thus  they 
 distinctly  acknowledge  what  they  know,  inasmuch  as  they 
 are  fairly  called  upon  for  this;  but  what  he  could  tell  more 
 truly,  since  he  had  the  more  accurate  knowledge,  about 
 that  they  call  upon  him  to  give  information.  And  it  is 
 not  without  Divine  guidance,  I  think,  that  they  added  to 
 their  speech  the  words  :  He  is  of  age.  For  this  too  seems 
 to  indicate  the  impiety  of  the  Pharisees.  Because,  if  he 
 that  received  sight  was  qualified  by  his  time  of  life  to  form 
 a  sound  opinion ;  when  he  relates  the  miracle  and  how  he 
 was  treated,  he  will  not  speak  with  the  mind  of  a  boy,  but 
 with  an  understanding  now  well  matured,  and  probably 
 
Tijranny  of  the  Vliarisees.  ■  35 
 
 able  to  support  by  argument  tbose  speakers  witli  whom  Chap.1. 
 lie  agrees.  This  then  will  of  necessity  tend  to  shew  the 
 utterly  shameless  incredulity  of  the  Pharisees.  For  be- 
 hold !  they  will  believe  neither  the  neighbours  nor  the 
 blind  man  himself,  although  it  is  not  with  an  immature 
 intellect  that  he  gives  evidence,  nor  on  account  of  a  boyish 
 understanding  does  he  easily  glide  into  falsehood ;  but  ha 
 is  of  age,  a  fact  which  prevents  his  being  ignorant  of  the 
 nature  of  affairs. 
 
 22  Thnse  things  said  his  parents,  because  they  feared  the  Jews  : 
 for  the  Jews  had  agreed  already,  that  if  any  man  should  con- 
 fess  Him  to  be  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue. 
 Well  and  fitly  does  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  utter 
 this  woe  at  the  heads  of  the  Pharisees  :  Woe  unto  you  S.  Luke 
 laioyers !  for  ye  tooJc  away  the  key  of  knowledge  :  ye  entered 
 not  in  yourselves,  and  them  that  luere  entering  in  ye  hindered. 
 For  again  let  the  devout  person  consider  if  the  beauty  of 
 truth  will  not  correspond  to  these  words ;  for  Christ  could 
 never  be  deceived.  For  behold !  besides  the  unwilling- 
 ness of  any  one  of  them  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  the  pre- 
 sence of  the  Christ  among  them,  they  both  terrify  with 
 cruel  fear  those  who  could  perceive  Him  by  the  brilliance 
 of  His  actions,  and,  by  imposing  a  severe  compulsion  in 
 their  savageness,  hinder  any  member  of  their  company 
 who  seemed  disposed  to  do  so  from  acknowledging  His 
 miracles.  For  by  putting  out  of  the  synagogue  him  who 
 was  right-minded  and  therefore  disposed  to  believe,  the 
 wretches  do  not  blush  of  their  own  authority  to  alienate 
 in  a  manner  from  God  him  who  cleaves  to  God ;  and  to 
 persuade  him  that  the  Lord  of  all  is  a  partaker  of  the 
 madness  against  all  which  they  themselves  possess.  The 
 admirable  Evangelist  however  defends  such,  and  says  that 
 the  persons  questioned  were  overcome  by  fear  and  there- 
 fore unwilling  to  say  that  the  Christ  had  healed  their  son  : 
 so  that  by  exposing  the  magnitude  of  the  fury  of  the  Jews, 
 he  might  make  it  evident  to  those  that  come  after.  For 
 what  could  be  more  inhuman  than  the  conduct  of  these 
 men,  who  deem  right-minded  persons  worthy  of  punish- 
 
 d2 
 
36         •  Their  design  frustrated. 
 
 Book.  t.  ment,  and  bring  under  the  necessity  of  being  punislied, 
 such  as  at  all  understand  Him  Who  was  proclaimed  by 
 the  Law  and  the  Prophets  ?  And  we  shall  find  from  the 
 sacred  Scriptures  that  the  unholy  design  of  the  Jews  was 
 not  unknown  to  the  holy  Prophets.     For  He  Who  search- 
 
 Heb.  iv.  eth  the  hearts  and  reins^  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  of  soid 
 and  sjijirit,  of  hath  joints  and  marrow,  and,  quich  to  discern 
 
 lb.  13.      t]iQ  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart,  to  Whom  all  things 
 
 Isa.  XXX.  are  naked  and  laid  open,  saith  by  Isaiah  :  Woe  to  the  rebel- 
 lious children :  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Ye  tooJc  counsel,  hut  not 
 of  Me ;  ye  made  covenants,  hut  not  hy  My  Spirit ;   to  add 
 
 1  Cor.  xii.  sin  to  sin.     For  he  who  saith  that  Jesus  is  Lord  most  cer- 
 3. 
 
 tainly  will  speak  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  according  to  the  words 
 
 of  Paul ;  but  any  one  who  professes  the  contrary  will  not 
 speak  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  (how  could  it  be  possible  ?)  but 
 rather  in  Beelzebub.  Sarely  then  the  covenants  of  the 
 Jews  were  not  made  hy  the  Holy  Spirit,  for  they  added 
 sins  to  sins.  They  first  of  all  draw  down  the  doom  of 
 disobedience  upon  their  own  heads,  and  then  they  com- 
 municate it  to  others  by  forbidding  them  to  confess  the 
 Christ.  Surely  the  design  is  full  of  the  grossest  impiety, 
 albeit  the  Psalmist  laughs  at  those  who  to  their  disap- 
 
 Ps.  XX.     pointment  engage  in  a  fruitless  undertaking,  saying  :   Tlioii 
 
 (10— i2.  0  Lord  shall  confound  them  in  Thy  lurath,  and  the  fire  shall 
 '  devour  them  ;  their  fruit  shalt  Thou  destroy  from  the  earth, 
 and  their  seed  from  among  the  children  of  men  :  for  they 
 intended  evil  against  Thee;  they  imagined  a  device  ivhich 
 they  are  not  ahle  to  perform.  For  they  were  quite  unable 
 to  cai'ry  out  a  design  which  fought  against  God,  although 
 often  and  in  ten  thousand  ways  they  attempted  to  obscure 
 
 lb.  12,  the  glory  of  Christ.  Therefore  they  were  turned  hack,  that 
 ''        is,  were  driven  from  the  face  and  presence  of  the  Lord  of 
 
 Isa.  1.11.  all,  justly  being  addressed  with  the  words:  Walk  in  the 
 light  of  your  fire,  and  in  the  flame  ivhich  ye  kindled. 
 
 24     So  they  called  a  second  tmie  the  tnan  that  ivas  blind,  and 
 said  unto  him.  Give  glory  to  God :  we  knoio  that  this  Man 
 is  a  sinner. 
 Being  unable  to  stop  the  man  from   speaking  well  of 
 
Tlieij  try  another  method.  37 
 
 Christ,  they  attempt  to  attain  a  similar  end  by  another  Chap.1. 
 method,  and  proceed  to  entice  him  in  a  sort  of  coaxing 
 way  to  fulfil  their  private  aim.  Trying  by  many  argu- 
 ments to  make  him  forget  Christ  altogether,  and  not  even 
 mention  Him  as  a  Physician,  they  say  most  craftily  that 
 he  ought  to  ascribe  glory  to  God  on  account  of  the  marvel- 
 lous deed,  thus  pretending  piety.  Nevertheless  they  bid 
 him  agree  with  and  believe  themselves,  even  when  they 
 maintain  the  highest  impiety  possible  by  saying  that  He 
 is  a  sinner,  Who  came  to  destroy  sin.  They  bring  forward 
 no  proof  whatever  of  this  slanderous  assertion,  but  being 
 boasters  and  thinking  something  great  and  extraordinary 
 of  themselves,  merely  because  they  were  leaders  of  the 
 people,  they  command  implicit  confidence  to  be  put  in 
 their  discernment  of  character,  and  lay  it  down  as  a  matter 
 of  duty.  For  the  words,  We  know,  will  be  found  pregnant 
 with  surpassing  arrogance  by  those  who  closely  examine 
 what  they  imply.  But  thou  mayest  in  no  small  degree 
 wonder  at  the  foolish  mind  of  the  Jews  from  this  also, 
 that  whereas  they  decree  that  gtory  should  be  ascribed  to 
 God  on  account  of  the  miracle,  since  He  alone  is  the  doer 
 of  such  deeds,  they  condemn  One  Who  works  the  works 
 of  God  by  His  own  might ;  and  not  only  do  the  miserable 
 people  act  thus  themselves,  but  they  compel  others  to 
 agree  with  them.  Yet  when  they  aver  that  by  their  own 
 unaided  knowledge  they  are  sure  that  Christ  is  a  sinner, 
 they  are  ignorant  that  they  assert  something  most  harm- 
 ful to  themselves.  For^  being  wont  to  boast  greatly  of 
 their  learning  in  the  Law,  and  exhibiting  intolerable 
 conceit  about  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  they  will  suffer  a 
 greater  penalty ;  because,  it  being  in  their  power  to  know 
 the  mystery  of  Christ,  which  by  the  Law  and  the  Pro- 
 phets in  many  ways  is  typified  and  proclaimed,  they  with 
 much  heedlessness  cling  to  their  self-imposed  ignorance ; 
 or,  if  they  possess  accurate  knowledge,  are  always  most 
 pertinaciously  unwilling  to  do  what  they  ought.  For  they 
 ought  rather  to  instruct  the  mind  of  the  common  people 
 to  comprehend  the  mysteries  of  Christ,  and  to  try  to  lead 
 
38  Tills  miracle  fiiljiUed  a  prophecy . 
 
 Book  6.  others  to  tlie  knowledg'e  of  what  it  behoved  them  to  know, 
 c.ix,  25. 
 
 But  thej,  profuse  in  arguments  and  mighty  in  boasts,  and 
 
 crying  out  with  far  too  high  an  opinion  of  themselves  : 
 
 We  hiow,  set  aside   the  words  of  the  Law,  account  the 
 
 voice  of  Moses  as  nothing,  and  think  the  declarations  of 
 
 prophets  to  be  as  vain  as  those  of  the  thoughtless  mob; 
 
 for  they  quite  fail  to  take  notice  of  what  the  voice  of  the 
 
 prophet  foretels  will  happen  at  the  time  of  Our  Saviour 
 
 Is  XXXV.  Christ^s  coming,  for  he  says  :   Then  the  eyes  of  the  blind 
 
 (LXX)  shall  be  opened,  and  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  hear ;  then 
 shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the 
 
 Snp^  V.  2.  dumb  shall  be  distinct.  For  the  paralytic  was  healed  at 
 the  pool  of  Bethesda,  and  after  passing  through  thirty  and 
 eight  years  in  his  infirmity,  as  it  is  written,  by  one  word  of 
 the  Saviour  he  took  up  his  bed  and  leaped  away  like  a 
 hart :  yet  when  they  ought  to  have  admired  Jesus  for  that, 
 they  lamented  the  breach  of  the  sabbath,  and,  holding  that 
 the  law  had  been  transgressed,  disparaged  the  excellence 
 of  the  miracle.     At  another  time,  when  an  evil  spirit  had 
 
 _S.  Matt,  been  cast  out  of  him,  the  dumb  man  spake ;  but  they  fell 
 into  such  terrible  folly  as  not  to  gain  even  a  little  profit 
 from  it.  The  blind  man  received  sight,  the  prophetic 
 announcement  was  fulfilled,  the  word  of  the  Spirit  waa 
 brought  to  pass  to  the  uttermost,  and  what?  Again  at 
 this  they  go  mad,  they  condemn  the  Wonder-worker, 
 they  attribute  sin  to  Him  Who  is  able  to  shine  forth  with 
 Divine  brightness,  and  Who  displays  as  actually  now 
 present  that  which  had  been  expected  long  ages  before. 
 
 25     He  therefore  answered.   Whether  He  he  a  sinner,  I  know 
 not :  one  thing  I  know,  that,  ivhereas  I  ivas  blind,  now  I 
 see. 
 
 The  benefit  which  the  man  formerly  blind  had  received 
 from  Christ  appears  to  have  been  twofold :  his  under- 
 standing was  in  some  way  enlightened  at  the  same  time 
 as  his  bodily  eyes,  and  as  he  possesses  the  light  of  the 
 physical  sun  in  his  fleshly  eyes,  so  the  intellectual  beam, 
 I  mean  the  illumination  by  the  Spirit,  takes  up  its  abode 
 
Faraphrase  of  the  man's  answer.  39 
 
 within  liim,  and  he  receives  it  into  his  heart.  For  hear  Chap.  i. 
 how  he  resists  the  abominable  conduct  of  the  magistrates 
 out  of  his  great  love  towards  Christ,  and  how  cleverly  he 
 repi'oaches  them  as  being  well-nigh  intoxicated  and  beside 
 themselves.  But  he  frames  his  speech  with  proper  re- 
 spectfulness, and  giving  them  their  due  honour  as  the 
 ruling  order,  courteously  says  :  Whether  He  he  a  sinner,  I 
 hiow  not.  We  do  not  argue  from  this  that  the  man  was 
 unaware  that  Jesus  was  not  a  sinner,  but  shall  rather  sup- 
 pose that  he  so  addressed  those  men  with  the  following 
 design.  For  he  may  be  imagined  to  speak  thus.  Though 
 compelled  against  my  will  to  acquiesce  in  what  is  wrong, 
 I  will  not  endui-e  to  slander  my  Benefactor :  I  will  not 
 join  myself  to  those  who  wish  to  dishonour  Him  Who 
 deserves  all  honour :  I  will  not  say  that  such  a  Wonder- 
 worker is  a  sinner  :  I  will  not  give  an  unjust  vote  against 
 One  Who  is  mighty  to  work  the  works  of  God.  The  mira- 
 cle wrought  in  me  does  not  permit  me  to  consent  to  your 
 words  :  I  was  blind  and  I  see.  It  is  not  another  man's 
 account  of  His  doings  that  I  have  believed :  I  am  not 
 carried  away  by  the  reports  of  mere  strangers  :  it  is  not 
 cures  effected  upon  others  that  I  am  led  to  admire.  I  my- 
 self, he  says,  am  a  proof  of  His  power :  I  stand  here  seeing, 
 having  been  formerly  blind,  as  a  sort  of  monument,  ex- 
 hibiting the  excellence  of  His  love  for  men,  and  flashing 
 forth  the  greatness  of  His  Divine  power.  Something  like 
 this  I  conceive  to  be  the  real  significance  of  the  words 
 used  by  him  who  had  received  his  sight.  For  to  say : 
 WJiether  he  he  a  sinner  I  hiow  not;  and  immediately  to 
 add  :  One  thing  I  know,  that,  whereas  I  tvas  hlind,  now  I 
 see,  is  not  in  the  style  of  a  simple  statement,  but  shews  a 
 deeper  meaning  of  very  wise  reasoning. 
 
 21)     Thei/  said  therefore  unto  him  again,  What  did  He  to  thee  ? 
 how  opened  He  thine  eyes  9 
 
 They  again  resort  to  questioning,  and  inquire  about  the 
 manner  of  the  Divine  sign ;  not  doing  this  out  of  good 
 feeling  or  a  laudable  curiosity,  but  placing  and  reckoning 
 
40  The  Pharisees  cross-question  him  further. 
 
 Book  6.  tlie  Speaking  well  of  Christ  by  any  living  being  as  baser 
 than  any  villainy  and  worse  than  any  wickedness^  they  stir 
 up  all  these  matters  afresh ;  thinking  pei'haps  that  the 
 man  would  no  more  repeat  the  same  words,  but  would 
 vary  his  account  of  the  event,  and  say  something  incon- 
 sistent with  his  former  answers,  so  that  they  might  lay 
 hold  of  the  contradiction  and  denounce  him  as  an  impostor 
 and  a  liar.  For,  supercilious  in  their  excessive  cleverness, 
 they  imagined  the  force  of  the  miracle  to  depend  on  the 
 mere  words  of  the  man,  as  though  it  wei^e  not  evident 
 from  the  fact  of  what  had  been  done.  And  moreover,  I 
 think  that  they  may  have  experienced  something  of  this 
 sort :  such  as  are  not  backward  in  hating  others  unjustly, 
 when  they  are  making  inquiries  about  anything  done  by 
 them  which  does  not  seem  to  have  been  rightly  done,  wish 
 to  hear  it  from  the  witnesses  not  once  only  but  over  and 
 over  again,  whetting  as  it  were  into  keener  action  the 
 anger  which  seems  too  feeble.  For,  conscience,  ever  test- 
 ing our  motives,  makes  us  uncomfortable,  and  ceases  not 
 to.  accuse  us  of  injustice,  even  though  from  passionate 
 prejudice  we  may  feel  a  certain  pleasure  in  the  unjust 
 action.  The  man  who  had  been  healed  is  accordingly 
 provoked  and  urged  against  his  will  to  go  over  the  story 
 again  and  to  answer  the  same  questions,  while  they  almost 
 make  signs  to  one  another  to  observe  closely  whether 
 something  illegal  might  not  have  been  done  in  the  work- 
 ing of  this  Divine  sign  on  the  sabbath.  For  conscience 
 checks  the  savage  design  that  rages  within  them,  and  (so 
 to  speak)  puts  a  bridle  on  them,  though  they  are  unwill- 
 ing to  admit  its  interference. 
 
 27     He  answered  them,  I  told  you  even  now,  and  ye  did  not  hear : 
 wherefore  ivould  ye  hear  it  again  ? 
 
 It  seems  superfluous  now,  he  says,  to  tell  the  story  over 
 again  to  an  incredulous  audience,  and  it  is  useless  for  you 
 to  inquire  so  often  concerning  these  things,  when  you  do 
 not  gain  anything  whatever,  although  you  learn  and  have 
 conclusive  evidence.     But  you  bid  me  now  again  reiterate 
 
He  indirectly  confesses  Christ.  41 
 
 tlie  same  words  for  no  good  purpose,  as  experience  pro-  Chap.i. 
 claims.      For    hereby    the    man    who    had    been    healed 
 thoroughly  convicts  the  Pharisees  of  unreasonableness,  of 
 turning  away  their  ears  from  the  truth,  as  it  is  written,  not  2  Tim. 
 being  laudably  angry  at  the  law  being  broken,  but  by 
 these  questions  bidding  him  who  wished  to  speak  well  of 
 the  Wonder-worker  to  appear  in  the  character  of  an  ac- 
 cuser, rather  than  accepting  him  as  an  admirer.     For  this 
 was  in  truth  their  aim,  since  the  transgression  of  the  law 
 was  altogether  a  matter  of  indifference  to  them,  and  passed 
 over  as    quite   unimportant.      On   this  account    they  set 
 aside  just  judgment  and  were  only  bent  on  gratifying  their 
 prejudice ;    forgetting   God,  Who  says  :    The  p-iest's  lips  Mai.  ii. 
 shall  guard  judgment  and  they  shall  seek   the  law  at  his 
 mouth. 
 
 Would  ye  also  become  His  disciples  ? 
 
 He  has  now  confessed  distinctly,  and  without  any  eva- 
 sion, that  he  has  been  made  a  disciple,  if  not  by  argument 
 yet  in  consequence  of  the  marvellous  deed;  and  has  become 
 a  believer,  accepting  his  miraculous  sight  in  the  place  of 
 instruction.  For  when  he  said  to  them  :  Would  ye  also 
 become  His  disciples  ?  he  as  it  were  revealed  his  own  con- 
 dition of  mind,  that  he  was  not  only  willing  to  become, 
 but  actually  had  already  become,  a  disciple.  And  in  some 
 degree  even  before  he  had  fulness  of  faith,  acting  upon 
 the  precept :  Freely  ye  received,  freely  give,  he  was  prepared  s.  Matt, 
 at  once  and  very  unselfishly  to  communicate  his  advan-  ^' 
 tages  to  them.  He  affirms  unhesitatingly  and  often  his 
 account  of  the  marvellous  deed,  if  they  had  only  considered 
 his  narrative  really  as  instruction.  He  certainly  therefore 
 observed  in  an  excellent  way  that  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs : 
 He  speaketh  in  the  ears  of  them  that  hear.  Esclus. 
 
 It  seems  probable  that  some  deep  and  hidden  meaning  ^^^'  ""^' 
 is  obscurely  intimated  in  these  words  of  his,  and  I  will 
 briefly  state  what  it  is.  There  were  some  of  the  magis- 
 trates who  recognised  that  the  Wonder-worker  was  in 
 truth  Christ,  but  keeping  their  knowledge  of  Him  buried 
 (so  to  speak)  within  their  hearts,  they  as  yet  were  unsus- 
 
42  Some  of  the  rulers  recognised  Christ. 
 
 Book  6.  pected  by  the    majority  of  their  companions.     And   our 
 
 witness  will  be  the  wise  Evangelist  himself,  where  he  says 
 
 Infra  xii.  that  the  rulers  knew  that  He  was  the  Christ,  hut  because 
 42. 
 
 of  the  Pharisees  theij  did  not  confess  it.     The  proofs  of  this 
 
 will  be  strengthened  also  to  some  extent  by  Nicodemus, 
 
 boldly  exclaiming  and  saying  to  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ : 
 
 Rahhi,  we  know  that  Thou  art  a  Teacher  come  from  God,  and 
 
 that  no  man  can  do  these  signs  that  Thou  doest,  except  God  he 
 
 with  Him.     Certainly  therefore  some  of  the  rulers  knew, 
 
 and  the  report  of  this  was  spread  abroad  throughout  all 
 
 Jerusalem.     The  majority  of  the  Jews  suspected  that  the 
 
 rulers  knew,  but  were  determined  not  to  confess  it  through 
 
 malice  and  envy ;  and  that  this  also  is  true,  we  will  shew 
 
 from  the  evangelical  writings  themselves.    For  the  blessed 
 
 Sup.  vii.  John  himself  somewhere  says  that  Jesus  stood  teaching  in 
 the  very  temple  and  explaining  things  which,  at  least  to 
 the  understanding  of  His  hearers,  seemed  to  be  breaking 
 the  law.  And  when  the  magistrates  of  the  Jews  did  not 
 proceed  at  all  against  Him,  nay,  did  not  venture  so  much 
 as  to  say :  "  O  fellow,  cease  teaching  what  does  not  har- 
 monize with  our  ancient  laws,^^  they  brought  suspicion  on 
 themselves  among  the  multitudes  as  we  have  just  observed. 
 
 Sup.  vii.  Thus  for  instance  it  is  written  :  So7ne  of  them  of  Jerusalem 
 '  '  said,  Is  not  this  Re  Whom  they  seek  to  kill  ?  And  lo,  He 
 speaketh  openly  and  they  say  nothing  unto  Him.  Can  it  he 
 that  the  riders  know  that  this  is  the  Christ  ?  Surely  he  all 
 but  says,  "  Those  whose  lot  it  is  to  be  leaders  know  that 
 He  is  indeed  the  Christ;  see,  although  they  are  generally 
 considered  to  be  desirous  of  killing  Him,  He  is  speaking 
 with  very  great  boldness  and  they  do  not  rebuke  Him 
 even  so  much  as  by  words."  Accordingly,  this  suspicion 
 being  spread  abroad  through  all  Jerusalem,  the  blind  man 
 had  at  some  time  heard  it,  and  had  this  report  about  these 
 men  ringing  in  his  ears.  Gracefully  therefore  reproving 
 them,  as  we  may  suppose,  he  says  :  "  Surely  it  is  to  no 
 purpose  that  ye  bid  me  again  utter  the  same  words  and 
 again  speak  the  praise  of  the  mai'vellous  deed :  or  do  ye 
 indeed  consider  the  narrative  a  pleasm-e,  thirsting  even 
 
Bid  the  majority  rejected  Him.  43 
 
 now  for  instruction  from  Him,  altliougli,  overcome  by  fear  Chap,  l, 
 of  others,  ye  allow  ungrateful  cov 
 way  of  such  excellent  knowledge  ? 
 
 •  c  ix  28 
 
 of  others,  ye  allow  ungrateful  cowardice  to  stand  in  the 
 
 28     And  they  reviled  him,  and  said,  Thou  art  His  disciple ;  but 
 we  are  disciples  of  Moses. 
 
 We  almost   see  the  Evangelist  smile  as  he  says  this. 
 For  he  beholds  those  whose  lot  it  was  to  hold  sacred 
 offices  degraded  in  mental  stupor  so  far  as  to  make  an 
 object  of  reviling  that   which  was   so  excellent,  namely 
 discipleship  under  Christ ;  smitten  with  a  worthy  love  of 
 which,  some  of  the  saints  say :  Hoiv  siveet  are  Thy  ivords  Ps.  cxix. 
 tinto  my  throat,  sweeter  than  honey  and  honeycomb  u7ito  my 
 mouth.     And  again  another,  as  if  speaking  to  Our  Lord 
 Jesus  the  Christ  coucerning  those  that  disobey  Him,  says: 
 Consume  them,  and  Thy  word  shall  be  to  me  a  pleasure  and  Jer.  xv. 
 delight,  yea  the  joy  of  my  heart.     But  they  attach  no  value  (l'xX) 
 to  His  sacred  words,  and  think  that  one  who  is  being  in- 
 structed by  Him  is  worthy  of  blame  even  on  that  account 
 alone ;  and  holding  so  far  true  opinions  even  against  them- 
 selves, they  speak  of  the  Christ  as  the  blind  man^s  teacher, 
 and  Moses  as  their  own.     For  in  very  truth  the  Gentiles 
 were  illuminated  by  Christ  through  the  Evangelical  teach- 
 ing, and  Israel  died  in  the  types  given  by  Moses  and  was 
 buried  in  the  shadow  of  the  letter.     Wherefore  also  Paul 
 somewhere  says  of  them  :   Unto  this  day,  whensoever  Moses  2  Cor.  iii. 
 is  read,  a  veil  lieth  upon  their  heart.    And  there  is  no  doubt  ^* 
 that  it  was  as  a  type  of  the  Gentiles  that  we  were  as  in  a 
 picture  delineating  the  history  of  the  blind  man,  fashion- 
 ing, as  in  a  type,  the  incidents  connected  with  him  to  ex- 
 press the  truth  concerning  them. 
 
 Yet  this  also  is  signified,  that  to  suffer  reproach  for 
 Christ's  sake  is  a  thing  delightful  and  most  honourable; 
 for  the  very  means  by  which  those  who  do  not  shrink  from 
 becoming  persecutors  think  to  vex  those  who  love  Him, 
 become  (though  the  persecutors  know  it  not)  sources  of 
 joy  to  them.  Yea,  those  who  persecute  Christians  cause 
 their  excellence  to  shine  more  conspicuously,  and  do  not 
 
44  Pretended  knowledge  real  ignorance, 
 
 Book  6.  SO  easily  succeed  in  causing  them  injuiy.     The  abandoned 
 c.  IX.  29.  pi^j^j,jgegs  then,  disparaging  as  seems  probable  themselves 
 more  than  Christ,  say  of  the  blind  man :  Thou  art  His  dis- 
 ciple ;  and  being  elated  and  puffed  up  with  pride,  foolishly 
 say  of  themselves  :  But  we  are  disciples  of  Moses. 
 
 29     Wc  know  that  God  hath  spoken  mito  Moses:  but  as  for  this 
 Man,  we  know  not  whence  He  is. 
 
 Boldly  do  they  speak  again,  armed  with  that  folly 
 which  is  so  familiar  and  dear  to  them ;  and  in  undimi- 
 nished shamelessness  they  once  more  boastfully  exclaim  : 
 We  know.  And  when  they  add  :  that  Qod  hath  spoken 
 unto  Moses,  thereby  recognising  that  he  deserved  great 
 honour,  they  in  another  way  again  insult  him,  seeing  that 
 they  take  no  account  of  his  precepts.  For  they  ignorantly 
 condemn  One  Whom  as  yet  they  know  not,  or  rather  they 
 dishonour  Him  in  spite  of  what  they  have  learnt  concerning 
 Him,  although  the  Law  forbids  them  to  act  unjustly  and 
 quarrelsomely  towards  any  or  to  judge  at  all  in  this  way. 
 Something  of  this  sort  they  say  again  now :  "  confessedly 
 God  hath  spoken  unto  Moses ;  there  is  no  sufficient  reason 
 for  any  to  be  in  doubt  on  this  point ;  He  enacted  laws  by 
 him,  and  laid  down  regulations  how  every  thing  is  to  be 
 done.  Certainly  therefore,  he  says,  he  is  a  transgressor 
 of  the  sacred  Scriptures,  who  has  contrary  opinions  to 
 those  expressed  by  Moses :  and  manifestly  the  law  con- 
 cerning the  sabbath  has  been  bi'oken,  for  thou  wast  healed 
 on  the  sabbath  :  it  is  righteous  not  to  acknowledge  one 
 who  is  detected  in  this  matter  and  therefore  condemned. 
 Now  we  have  good  reason  to  say  that  He  has  not  observed 
 the  Divine  law.'^  Then,  when  they  say  of  Christ :  We 
 know  not  whence  He  is,  they  surely  do  not  say  so  as  being 
 ignorant  Who  or  whence  He  was,  for  they  are  elsewhere 
 found  publicly  confessing  that  they  know  all  about  Him. 
 S.  Matt.  Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  Son,  Whose  father  and  mother  we 
 Si'pra'vi.  know  ?  How  then  doth  He  say,  I  am  come  down  out  of  hea- 
 ^'  ven  ?    Certainly  therefore  we  can  not  accept  this   state- 
 
 ment: We  know  not  whence  He  is,  as  indicative  of  ignorance, 
 
and  vice  versa.  45 
 
 but  we  shall  look  upon  it  as  tlie  ^  expression  of  tlie  arro-  Chap.  i. 
 gance  wliicli  was  in  them.  For,  throwing  contempt  oug"^  "^v" 
 their  own  previous  judgment,  and  setting  it  altogether 
 at  naught,  they  make  this  statement  concerning  Him. 
 Perhaps  indeed  their  words  indicate  that  they  argued  as 
 follows;  for  it  is  only  fair  to  their  arguments  that  we 
 should  scrutinise  them  more  carefully.  "  We  know,"  say 
 they,  "  that  God  has  spohen  unto  Moses :  certainly  therefore 
 we  must  believe  without  hesitation  what  was  spoken  by 
 him,  and  observe  the  commandments  given  him  from  Grod. 
 But  tJiis  Man  ive  Jaiow  not,  for  God  hath  not  spoken  unto 
 Him,  nor  have  we  recognised  any  such  thing  with  regard 
 to  Him."  But  the  Pharisees,  wont  to  be  wise  in  their 
 own  conceit,  and  boasting  much  of  their  knowledge  of  i>he 
 Divine  word,  ought  to  have  considered  that  God  the  Father 
 thus  speaks,  when  by  the  all-wise  Moses  He  proclaims  the 
 future  advent  of  Jesus  :  I  ivill  raise  them  up  a  Prophet  Deut. 
 from  among  their  brethren  lihe  unto  thee,  and  will  put  Mij  ly.  '  ' 
 words  in  His  mouth,  and  He  shall  speaJc  unto  them  as  I 
 shall  command  Him.  And  whatever  man  shall  not  hearken 
 to  whatsoever  that  Prophet  shall  speak  in  My  Name,  I  will 
 take  vengeance  on  him.  Surely  any  one  might  have  re- 
 buked the  Jews  with  good  reason,  and  said  :  0  ye  who 
 only  know  how  to  disbelieve,  if  ye  are  so  readily  persuaded 
 by  the  words  of  Moses,  because  God  hath  spoken  unto  him, 
 ought  ye  not  to  believe  Christ  in  the  same  way,  when  ye 
 hear  Him  publicly  declaring* :   The  words  that  I  say  unto  Infra  xiv. 
 
 .10  24. 
 
 you  are  not  Mine,  hut  the  Father's  Who  sent  Me ;  and  again :  ' 
 I  speak  not  from  Myself;  hut  the  Father  ivhich  sent  Me,  He  lb.  xii. 
 hath  given  Me  a  commandment,  what  I  should  say,  and 
 what  I  should  speak.  Certainly  therefore  the  words  of  the 
 Pharisees  are  a  mere  excuse,  a  fiction  of  vain  reasoning. 
 For  if  they  say  they  ought  rather  to  follow  Moses,  on  this 
 account,  that  God  spake  to  him ;  why  do  they  not  think 
 similarly  with  regard  to  Christ,  when  He  distinctly  says 
 what  we  have  just  mentioned  ?  But  while  in  part  they 
 honour  the  law,  and  pretend  to  hold  God's  will  in  high 
 esteem,  in  another  way  they  violate  it  and  dishonour  it 
 
46  The  man  rchulces  the  Pharisees. 
 
 Book  0.  greatly  by  refusing  to  accept  its  proclamation  concerning 
 their  time,  that  namely  which  was  announced  by  it  con- 
 cerning Christ,  that  by  His  Incarnation  He  should  appear 
 in  the  character  of  a  Prophet. 
 
 30     The  man  ansu-ered  and  said  unto  them.  Why,  herein  is  the 
 marvel,  that  ye  know  not  whence  He  is,  and  yet  He  opened 
 mine  eyes. 
 
 I  am  astonished,  he  says,  and  very  justly,  that  you  say 
 you  do  not  know  One  Who  is  borne  witness  to  by  such 
 holiness  and  by  the  Divine  power  shewn  in  His  actions ; 
 yet  you  are  thought  to  incessantly  give  attention  to  God's 
 teaching,  you  administer  the  law,  you  make  the  verbal 
 study  of  the  sacred  Words  your  great  delight,  you  possess 
 the  chief  power  among  the  people  and  especially  may  be 
 1  <ppov-  expected  to  know  who  are  good  '  teachers.  For  who  ought 
 to  rightly  know  those  who  by  God's  power  work  wonders, 
 if  they  do  not  who  are  appointed  to  minister  in  holy  things 
 and  who  have  been  put  in  charge  of  the  venerable  mys- 
 teries ?  And  by  saying  that  he  is  astonished  that  they  are 
 altogether  ignorant  respecting  the  Divine  sign,  so  won- 
 derful and  strange,  which  had  been  wrought  upon  him,  the 
 man  covertly  and  by  implication  rebukes  them,  hinting  that 
 they  were  so  far  removed  from  sanctification  and  fitness 
 for  piety,  that  they  shamelessly  confessed  themselves 
 utterly  ignorant  of  Him  Who  is  truly  holy,  that  is,  Christ. 
 For  let  us  lay  bare  what  we  believe  to  have  been  the 
 concealed  thought.  If  that  is  true  which  is  somewhere 
 Ecclus.  well  said :  Every  beast  loveth  his  Wee,  and  a  man  will 
 le"'  '  cleave  to  his  like,  how  then  if  they  were  holy  and  good  did 
 they  turn  away  and  refuse  to  cleave  to  Him  Who  was  holy 
 and  good?  Certainly  therefore  that  which  was  spoken 
 was  pregnant  with  a  rebuke  of  the  accursed  policy  and 
 behaviour  of  the  Pharisees.  And  I  think  another  thing 
 also  will  help  to  make  this  manifest.  For  I  think  that 
 the  diligent  student  who  devotes  his  attention  to  such 
 expressions  will  perceive  more  distinctly  that  which  seems 
 to  be  hidden  in  each.    What  then  is  this  ?    Many  rumours 
 
Various  inophecies  of  Christ.  47 
 
 went  about    tlirougb   all  Judaea  concerning   our  Saviour  Chap.  i. 
 Christ,  but  tbey  spoke  of  Him  only  as  a  Propbet.     For  ^'  '^*  ^^' 
 thus  tbe  Law  propbesied  tbat   He  would  come,  saying : 
 The  Lord  our  God  will  raise  up  a  Prophet  from  among  your  Deut. 
 brethren ;  yet  tbey  boped  tbat  wben  He  was  revealed  in  '^^"'"     ' 
 His  proper  time  He  would  instruct  tbem  in  tilings  above 
 tbe  Law,  and  by  unfolding  tbe  truer  intent  of  tbe  Law- 
 giver would  educate  tbem  in  worthier  wise.     And  tbou 
 needest  not  wonder  tbat  there  was  among  tbe  Jews  such 
 a  hope  and  opinion,  wben  even  among  tbe  other  nations 
 tbe  same  opinion  was  spread  abroad.     For  instance  even 
 tbat  Samaritan  woman  said  :   We  hiow  that  Messiah  cometh  Supra  iv. 
 f which  is  called  Christ)  :  ivhen  He  is  come,  He  ivill  declare  " 
 unto  tts  all  things.     Most  clearly  therefore  tbe  Jews  knew 
 tbat  Christ  would  come,  (for  this  is  what  Messiah  meaneth), 
 and  would  interpret  to  tbem  tbe  higher  counsel  of  God ; 
 and  moreover  that  He  would  also  open  the  eyes  of  tbe 
 blind  was  declared  by  Isaiah,  who  says  distinctly :   Then  Isa.  xxxv. 
 sliall  the  eyes  of  the  blind  be  opened.     But  there  was  also 
 another  opinion  prevalent  in  Jerusalem,  forasmuch  as  the 
 prophet  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  Ineffable  Son  of  God  the 
 Father  as  quite  -unrecognised,  saying  :    Who  shall  declare  -  dyvaxr- 
 His  generation  ?     The  Jews,  here  also  distorting  the  force  ib!iiii. 
 of  tbe  words  in  accordance  with  their  own  notions,  ima-  ^' 
 gined  that  tbe  Christ  would  be  altogether  unrecognised, 
 no  one  whatever  knowing  whence  He  was :  although  tbe 
 Divine  Scriptures  establishes  for  us  very  evidently  His 
 birth  in   the   flesh,  and  therefore  exclaims :    Behold,   the  lb.  vii, 
 virgin  shall  be  with  child,  and  shall  bring  forth  a   Son.     ' 
 And  tbat  the  mind  of  the  Jews  in  this  again  was  unedu- 
 cated as  regards  the  comprehension  of  essential  truths, 
 when  tbey  supposed  tbat  the  Christ  would  be  unrecog- 
 nised, it  is  easy  to  see,  from  what  the  blessed  Evangelist 
 John  declared  to  be  evident  concerning  Him,  wben  speak- 
 ing to  tbem  of  Jerusalem.     For  some  of  them  of  Jerusalem  Supra  vii, 
 said,  Is  not  this  He  Whom  they  seek  to  hill?     And  lo.  He"  ~"'' 
 spealceth  openly,  and  they  say  nothing  unto  Him.     Can  it 
 be  that  the  riders  indeed  laiow  that  this  is  the  Christ  ?    How- 
 
48  The  man's  excellent  argument. 
 
 BookC).  heit  we  hiow  this  Man  whence  He  is:  hut  when  the  Christ 
 Cometh,  no  one  hwiveth  ivhence  He  is. 
 
 Wliile  the  Jews  therefore  are  thus  absurdly  laying  down 
 these  opinions  concerning  Christ,  the  man  who  had  been 
 blind  already  forms  [right]  ideas  about  Him,  quickly 
 drawing  inferences  from  the  marvellous  deed,  and  all  but 
 seizes  on  the  words  of  the  Pharisees  in  confirmation  of  his 
 own  reasoning.  For  he  says  :  Why,  herein  is  the  miracle, 
 that  ye  know  not  ivhence  He  is,  and  yet  He  opened  mine 
 eyes.  Two  signs,  he  says,  I  have,  and  very  clear  ones,  of 
 His  being  the  Christ.  For  ye  hiow  not  ivhence  He  is,  but 
 yet  He  opened  mine  eyes.  Certainly  therefore  this  is  evi- 
 dently He  Who  was  foretold  by  the  Law,  and  borne  wit- 
 ness to  by  the  voice  of  Prophets. 
 
 31      fVe  know  that  God  heareth  not  sinners:  but  if  any  man  be  a 
 worshipper  of  God,  and  do  His  will,  him  He  heareth. 
 
 Having  already  in  some  measure  shewn  his  delight  in 
 the  proclamations  made  by  the  Prophets  and  the  Law  as 
 now  fulfilled,  both  in  its  being  unknown  whence  Chi'ist 
 was,  and  in  the  eyes  of  the  blind  being  opened,  he  collects 
 for  himself  aids  to  faith  from  every  quarter,  and  thus  dis- 
 covers something  else  also.  Starting  from  necessary  and 
 acknowledged  principles,  he  makes  a  show  of  going  on  to 
 the  inquiry  as  to  what  is  profitable  and  fitting,  and  con- 
 structs what  may  be  termed  a  piece  of  reasoning  well- 
 pleasing  to  God.  For  he  maintains,  and  surely  there  are 
 good  grounds  for  so  thinking,  that  the  God  Who  loves 
 justice  and  virtue  never  hears  those  who  love  sin;  and 
 laying  this  down  as  indisputable  and  universally  acknow- 
 ledged, he  introduces  as  a  contrast  the  opposite  statement 
 as  true,  and  as  gainsaid  in  no  quarter,  I  mean  of  course 
 that  everywhere  and  always  the  Lord  of  all  listens  to  such 
 as  are  habitually  pious.  And  although  the  conclusion  to 
 be  drawn  was  designed  to  refer  to  the  Christ  alone,  it  was 
 so  constructed  as  if  it  had  reference  to  a  general  and  uni- 
 versal principle.  For  as  I  have  already  pointed  out  by 
 anticipation,  the  man  who  had  been  blind  has  an  unworthy 
 
Christ  shoivn  to  he  greater  than  Moses.  49 
 
 conception  of  Christ  and  has  not  yet  learnt  accurately  that  Chap.  l. 
 He  is  by  nature  God;   so  that  he  thinks  and  speaks  of   * 
 Him  as  a  Prophet,  to  Whom  he  might  without  blame  as- 
 cribe piety :  but  this  does  not  rightly  apply  to  Christ  at 
 all,  because  He  is  by  nature  God,  receiving  the  worship 
 of  the  pious  as  it  were  a  spiritual  sacrifice. 
 
 32     Since  the  ivorld  began  it  vms  never  heard  that  any  one  opened 
 the  eyes  of  a  man  born  blind. 
 
 Pained  as  it  seems  very  keenly,  and  grieving  as  we  may 
 say  over  their  revilings  against  Christ,  so  as  to  be  vexed 
 beyond  endurance  because  they  contemptuously  said : 
 Thou  art  His  disciple,  hut  ive  are  disciples  of  Moses,  he  is  Sup.  ver. 
 eager  to  speak  on  behalf  of  his  Master ;  hence  he  draws  a 
 sort  of  comparison  between  the  achievements  of  Moses 
 and  the  brilliant  deeds  of  Our  Saviour,  showing  that  as 
 the  latter  is  greater  in  wonder-working,  so  far  He  is  the 
 better.  For  indeed,  is  it  not  a  matter  of  course  that  he 
 who  accomplishes  the  greater  work  should  be  in  every 
 way  superior  in  glory  ?  Surely  it  is  not  to  be  doubted. 
 And  at  the  same  time  he  probably  signifies  something  of 
 this  sort.  Whereas  a  very  ancient  prophecy  foretells  and 
 declares  thus  concerning  the  coming  of  Christ :  The7i  shall  Isa.xxxv. 
 the  eyes  of  the  hlind  he  opened,  and  no  one  ever  before  * 
 caused  astonishment  by  having  done  any  such  deed ;  now 
 it  has  been  fulfilled  by  Him  and  Him  only.  Whom  you  (I 
 know  not  why,  he  says)  do  not  scruple  to  call  a  sinner. 
 Moreover,  a  great  company  of  holy  prophets  are  spoken 
 of,  and  a  number  not  easily  computed  of  just  men  are 
 mentioned  throughout  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  but  since 
 the  world  began  it  was  never  heard  that  any  one  opened  the 
 eyes  of  a  man  horn  hlind.  Is  it  not  therefore  certain  that 
 this  is  the  Christ,  Who  accomplishes  the  declarations  of 
 the  Prophets,  Who  thoroughly  and  completely  fulfils  the 
 things  proclaimed  of  old  ?  For  if  no  other  besides  Him 
 opens  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  what  henceforth  shall  stand 
 in  the  way  of  faith  ?  What  shall  turn  us  aside  from 
 accepting  Him  ?    Or  how  can  we  fail,  every  doubt  being 
 
 VOL.  II.  E 
 
50  Christ  greater  than  amj  saint. 
 
 Book  6.  cast  aside,  to  attain  by  the  very  easiest  way  the  mystery 
 of  knowing  Him  ? 
 
 Thus  in  these  woi'ds  also  the  man  who  was  healed  speaks 
 on  behalf  of  the  Saviour  Christ.  And  see  how  cleverly 
 he  puts  together  the  argument  of  his  plea.  For  it  Avould 
 really  have  been  altogether  outspoken  and  frank  to  say 
 that  Christ  was  better  and  more  illustrious  than  Moses 
 and  the  Prophets,  but  it  was  not  unreasonable  to  suppose 
 that  the  Pharisees,  frantic  at  that,  would  have  pretended 
 that  they  were  contending  for  the  saints  thus  insulted, 
 and  with  a  good  excuse  would  have  attempted  to  punish 
 the  man,  that  he  might  not  live  and  be  looked  upon  as  a 
 monument  of  Christ's  glory  and  a  sort  of  representative 
 of  the  Divine  power  which  Christ  possessed :  wherefore, 
 craftily  avoiding  the  passion  that  might  arise,  and  depriv- 
 ing their  murderous  thoughts  of  this  pretext  for  develop- 
 ment, he  diverts  the  application  of  the  argument  to  what 
 is  universal  and  indefinite,  saying :  Since  the  world  began 
 that  which  Christ  had  wrought  upon  him  had  never  been 
 done  by  any  one.  This  was  nothing  else  than  shewing 
 that  Christ  was  certainly  greater  and  more  glorious  than 
 all,  since  He  manifested  by  His  actions  such  power  and 
 authority  to  be  possessed  by  Him,  as  none  of  the  saints 
 had  ever  possessed.  Thus  he  crowns  his  Physician  with 
 excellent  honour  in  every  thing,  taking  for  justification 
 the  marvellous  deed  never  before  accomplished  or  at- 
 tempted, namely,  the  removal  of  blindness. 
 
 33     If  this  Man  were  not  from  God,  He  could  do  nothing. 
 
 He  who  had  just  received  sight  and  been  miraculously 
 freed  from  his  old  blindness,  was  quicker  to  perceive  truth 
 than  they  who  had  been  instructed  by  the  law,  for  see,  see 
 how  by  very  many  and  wise  arguments  he  demonstrates 
 the  utter  baseness  of  the  Pharisees'  opinion.  For  when 
 Sup.  ver,  they  absurdly  said  of  Christ :  As  for  this  Man  ive  know  not 
 whence  He  is,  he  in  reply  severely  rebukes  them  for  their 
 unfairness  of  thought,  when  they  deny  all  knowledge  of 
 One  Who  worked  such  wonders;  it  being  evident  to  all 
 
Miraculous  2J0wers  indicate  holiness.  51 
 
 that  one  who  was  not  from  God  would  be  unable  to  do  Chap.  l. 
 
 .    .        c  ix  33 
 any  of  those  deeds  which  are  only  accomplished  by  Divine 
 
 energy.  For  God  works  such  deeds  through  the  saints 
 only,  and  would  never  bestow  upon  a  stranger  who  had 
 not  yet  entered  on  the  way  of  godliness  the  ability  to 
 boast  of  such  glories.  Else  let  the  dumbfoundered  Pha- 
 risee come  forward  and  say  what  is  henceforth  the  distinc- 
 tion with  God  between  the  holy  and  the  profane,  the  just 
 and  the  sinner,  the  impious  and  the  devout.  For  if  He 
 enables  each  equally  to  become  glorious  by  the  same 
 means,  there  is  no  longer  any  distinction,  but  at  once  all 
 things  are  brought  into  confusion,  and  we  will  say  with 
 good  reason  that  which  is  written  :  How  sliall  ive  fitly  serve  Job.  xxi. 
 Him,  and  luhat  will  he  the  profit  if  tve  appear  before  Him  ? 
 For  if,  as  one  of  the  Greek  poets  said : 
 
 ^  "Ictt;  fioipa  [xevovn,  fcal  el  fiaXa  rt?  TroXefii^oi,  ti*"?^^ 
 
 318 
 and  the  evil  and  the  good  are  held  in  equal  honour,  will 
 
 it  not  be  useless  to  experience  bitter  hardships  on  account 
 
 of  virtue  ?    But  we  will  not  consider  that  these  things  are 
 
 so,  and  wherefore  ?    Because  :  Tltem  that  honour  Me,  saith  i  Sam.  ii. 
 
 30. 
 God,  I  ivill  honour ;  and  he  that  despiseth  Me  shall  he  des-  (iKgs.  ii. 
 
 .      7  30.  LXX) 
 
 pised. 
 
 For  my  part,  I  would  ask  the  self-conceited  Pharisees, 
 if  God  indifferently  works  such  deeds  even  by  the  hands 
 of  sinners,  why  the  magicians  of  Egypt  did  not  achieve 
 the  same  things  as  the  great  Moses  ?  Wherefore  could 
 they  not  do  equally  wonderful  works  and  carry  off  the 
 same  glory  as  he  did  ?  But  thou  wilt  say  that  Moses^  rod 
 when  it  fell  on  the  ground  became  a  serpent,  and  those  of 
 the  magicians  became  so  in  like  manner.  We  answer  that 
 their  rods  were  not  transmuted  into  serpents,  but  a  deceit 
 was  practised,  and  something  which  appeared  to  men  like 
 the  form  of  serpents  deluded  them  into  error;  a  certain 
 magical  art  made  their  rods  look  like  serpents  :  whereas 
 Moses^  rod  was  truly  changed  into  a  serpent  and  suddenly 
 
 f  "The  same  share  is  allotted  to  him  who  remains  at  home  as  to  him  who 
 fights  bravely." 
 
 E  2 
 
52  Magical  effects  are  of  a  lower  Mnd. 
 
 Book  6.  received  the  nature  of  that  beast.  And  from  the  distinc- 
 *  tion  whicli  is  laid  down  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures  thou 
 wilt  see  that  what  I  have  said  is  true.  For  Moses^  rod 
 swallowed  up  their  rods  :  for  since  the  latter  were  merely 
 in  the  outward  form  of  serpents^  but  the  former  was  truly 
 and  in  nature  that  which  it  appeared  to  be,  it  was  pro- 
 voked to  anger  that  they  should  look  no  longer  like  rods 
 but  like  living  beings,  and  devoured  them  with  unheard 
 of  power  beyond  the  power  of  an  [ordinary  serpent],  God 
 rendering  such  a  diflScult  thing  easy  to  it.  And  again, 
 let  the  Pharisee  tell  me  why  these  magicians,  who  caused 
 their  own  rods  to  take  the  outward  form  of  serpents,  did 
 not  exhibit  a  leprous  hand  made  clean,  but  in  despair 
 Exod.  openly  confessed  :  This  is  the  finger  of  God?  And  tell  me 
 why  the  priests  of  Baal  did  not  bring  down  fire  from  hea- 
 ven, and  yet  Elijah  brought  it  down  ?  Are  therefore 
 Grod^s  ways  certainly  characterised  by  respect  of  persons  ? 
 God  forbid  !  But  because  He  is  just  and  a  lover  of  just 
 men  He  works  His  gracious  miracles  through  the  agency 
 of  the  saints,  but  by  no  means  through  the  agency  of  the 
 sinful.  With  excellent  reason  therefore  the  man  who  had 
 been  blind  rebukes  the  impudent  pratings  of  the  Pharisees 
 and  convicts  them  of  an  erroneous  opinion,  when  they  say 
 He  is  not  from  God  Who  is  proved  to  have  a  Divine  Na- 
 ture by  His  power  of  working  miracles. 
 
 34     They  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Thoic  wast  altogether  horn 
 in  sins,  and  dost  thou  teach  us  ?     And  they  cast  him  out. 
 
 Hard  of  acceptation  to  most  people  are  the  wounds  of 
 refutation,  and  the  consequent  correction  of  error.  They 
 are  certainly  welcome  and  sweet  to  the  wise,  since  they 
 convey  much  profit  and  have  an  improving  tendency, 
 although  they  may  carry  with  them  a  painful  sting.  But 
 to  those  who  love  sin  they  are  bitter,  and  wherefore  ? 
 Because,  having  fixed  their  mind  on  debasing  pleasures, 
 they  turn  away  from  any  warning  that  draws  them  thence 
 as  vexatious,  and  deem  it  a  loss  to  be  diverted  from  their 
 pleasures,  setting  no  value  on  what  is  truly  profitable. 
 
The  Pharisees  persist  in  error.  53 
 
 For  just  as  they  who  fall  overboard  from   a  ship^   and.  Chap.  i. 
 
 being  caught  by  the  current  of  a  river,  are  not  strong 
 
 enough  to  resist  it,  and,  thinking  it  dangerous  to  swim 
 
 in  opposition  to  the  waves,  are  simply  borne  on  by  the 
 
 current;    so   I  think   these  men,  of  whom  we  were  just 
 
 speaking,  overcome  by  the  tyranny  of  their  own  pleasures 
 
 allow  those  pleasures  to  rush  on  unbridled,  and  decline 
 
 to    offer   any  resistance  whatever.     Hence  the  wretched 
 
 Pharisees  are  displeased,  and  crying  out  like  wild  beasts 
 
 against  him  who   brought   forward  excellent  arguments, 
 
 they  welcome  the  beginnings  of  anger,  and  spouting  forth 
 
 the  extreme  rage  of  madness,  unlawfully  revile  him ;  and 
 
 somehow  recurring  to  the  haughtiness  so  natural  to  them, 
 
 say  that  the  blind  man  was  born  in  sins,  thus  maintaining 
 
 the  Jewish  errors,  and  ignorantly  supporting  a  doctrine 
 
 that  will  not  hold  together.     For  that  no  living  person, 
 
 either  on  his  own  account  or  on  account  of  his  parents, 
 
 is  born  either  blind  or  with  any  other  bodily  infirmity; 
 
 moreover,  that  God  does  not  visit  the  sins  of  their  fathers 
 
 upon  children,  not  unskilfully,  in  my  opinion  at  least,  we  Supra 
 
 have  shown  at  some  length,  when  we  had  to  explain  the 
 
 words :  Rabbi,  ivho  did  sin,  this  man,  or  his  parents,  that  Supra 
 
 vcr.  2a 
 he  should  be  born  blind  ?     Since  therefore  the  man  who 
 
 had  been  born  blind  knew  how  to  refute  the  Pharisees, 
 
 he  was  on   that  account  not   only  reviled,  but  cast  out 
 
 by  them.     And  here  again  learn  that  what  was  done  is 
 
 typical  of  a  true   event :    for  that   the   people   of  Israel 
 
 were  going  to  utterly  loathe  the  Gentiles  as  nurtured  in 
 
 sins  from  erroneous  prejudice,  any  one  can  recognise  from 
 
 what  the  Pharisees  said  to  that  man.      And  they  expel 
 
 him,   exactly  as   they  who  plead  the   doctrine  of  Christ 
 
 are  expelled  and  cast  out  by  the  Jews. 
 
 35     Jesus  heard  that  they  had  cast  him  out. 
 
 The  inspired  Evangelist  says  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
 heard,  not  implying  certainly  or  of  necessity  that  any  one 
 reported  the  fact  to  Him,  but  because,  as  one  of  the  wise 
 somewhere  says  :   The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jilleth  the  world,  Wisd.  i. 
 
64  Profession  of  faith  is  rewarded. 
 
 Book  6.  and  the  car  of  Jiearhig  heareth  all  things.     Surely  He  hears, 
 
 p'  ' '.    *  as  the  Psalmist  says  :  He  that  planted  the  ear,  doth  He  not 
 
 9-  ...        hear?  and  He  tltat  formed  the  eye,  doth  He  not  perceive? 
 
 LXX.)'    When  therefore  we  suffer  insult  on  His  account,  or  endure 
 
 any  grievous  thing  from  those  who  are  wont  to  fight  against 
 
 God,  we  are  bound  to  believe  that  most  assuredly  God  is 
 
 a  looker-on,  and  listens  as  it  were  to  the  trial  that  comes 
 
 upon  us :  for  the  very  nature  of  the  occurrence,  and  the 
 
 sincerity  of  those  who  are  dishonoured  on  His  account,  cry 
 
 aloud  in  His  Divine  Ears. 
 
 And  Jlnding  him.  He  said  unto  him.  Dost  than  believe  on  the  Son 
 
 of  God  ? 
 
 The  man  who  had  been  blind  has  been  cast  out  by  the 
 Pharisees,  but  after  no  long  interval  of  time  Christ  seeks 
 him,  and  finding  him,  initiates  him  in  mysteries.  There- 
 fore this  also  shall  be  a  sign  to  us  that  God  keeps  in  mind 
 those  who  are  willing  to  speak  on  His  behalf  and  who  do 
 not  shrink  from  peril  through  faith  in  Him.  For  thou 
 hearest  how,  making  Himself  manifest  as  though  to  give 
 a  good  recompense.  He  hastens  to  implant  in  him  the 
 highest  perfection  of  the  doctrines  of  the  faith.  And  He 
 proposes  the  question  in  order  that  He  may  receive  the 
 assent.  For  this  is  the  way  of  shewing  faith.  Wherefore 
 also  those  who  are  going  to  Divine  Baptism  are  previously 
 as  a  preparation  asked  questions  concerning  their  belief, 
 and  when  they  have  assented  and  confessed,  then  at  once 
 we  admit  them  as  fit  for  the  grace.  Hence  therefore 
 arises  the  significance  of  the  event  to  us,  and  we  have 
 learnt  from  Our  Saviour  Christ  Himself  how  right  it  is 
 that  this  profession  of  faith  should  be  made.  Wherefore 
 1  Tim.  vi.  also  the  inspired  Paul  asserted  that  [Timothy]  confessed 
 the  confession  of  these  things  with  many  witnesses,  mean- 
 ing the  holy  angels :  and  if  it  is  an  aweful  thing  to  falsify 
 what  is  spoken  before  angels,  how  much  more  so  before 
 Christ  Himself?  So  then  He  asks  the  man  who  had  been 
 blind  not  simply  if  he  was  willing  to  believe,  but  also  men- 
 tions on  Whom.     For  the  faith   [must  be]  on  the  Son  of 
 
The  proper  object  of  faith.  55 
 
 God,  and  not  as  on  a  man  like  ourselves,  but  as  on  God  Chap.  l. 
 Incai'nate.  Surely  this  is  the  fulness  of  the  mystery  con-  '  37^  ' 
 cerning  Christ.  And  in  saying  :  Bost  thou  believe  ?  He  all 
 but  says  ''  Wilt  thou  shew  thyself  superior  to  the  madness 
 of  those  men  ?  Wilt  thou  bid  farewell  to  their  incredu- 
 lousness  and  accept  the  faith  ?  "  For  the  emphatic  Thou 
 implies  such  a  contradistinction  from  other  persons  in 
 some  way. 
 
 36    And  JVho  is  He,  Lord,  saith  he,  that  I  may  believe  on  Him  ? 
 
 The  soul  furnished  with  sound  reason,  diligently  seeking 
 the  word  of  truth  with  the  eyes  of  the  understanding 
 free,  without  embarrassment  makes  straight  for  it  like  a 
 ship  going  into  port,  and  obtains  its  advantages  by  a  chase 
 without  fatigue.  And  again  the  man  who  had  been  blind 
 will  be  a  proof  of  what  has  been  said.  For  when  he  had 
 already  by  many  arguments  and  reasonings  admired  the 
 mystery  concerning  Christ,  and  moreover  had  been  struck 
 with  astonishment  at  His  unspeakable  might,  which  had 
 been  experienced  not  by  any  other  but  by  himself  in  him- 
 self, he  is  found  thus  ready  to  believe  and  without  delay 
 proceeds  to  do  so.  For  see,  see,  he  earnestly  asks  upon 
 whom  he  should  fasten  that  faith  which  had  been  already 
 built  up  within  him.  For  this  alone  was  lacking  to  him, 
 and  he  was  previously  prepared  for  it,  as  we  have  said. 
 
 37     And  Jesus  said,  Thou  hast  both  seen  Him,  and  He  it  is  that 
 speaketh  with  thee. 
 
 Being  asked  upon  whom  it  was  proper  to  believe,  Jesus 
 points  to  Himself,  and  not  simply  by  saying  "  It  is  I,"  but 
 by  saying  that  the  Person  Whom  the  other  was  looking 
 at  and  by  Whom  he  was  being  addressed,  was  the  Son  of 
 God ;  in  every  way  consulting  beforehand  our  advantage, 
 and  in  divers  manners  constructing  aids  towards  a  faith 
 both  free  from  error  and  unperverted,  lest  while  thinking 
 ourselves  pious  we  might  fall  into  the  meshes  of  the  net 
 of  the  devil,  by  foolishly  turning  aside  from  the  truth  of 
 the  mystery.     For  even  now   some  of  those  who  think 
 
56  "He  is  not  two,  hut  One  Christ." 
 
 Book  6.  tliemselves  Christians,  not  accurately  understanding  tlie 
 *  scope  of  the  Incarnation,  have  dared  to  separate  from 
 God  the  Word  that  Temple  which  was  for  our  sake  3 
 taken  from  woman,  and  have  divided  Him  Who  is  truly 
 and  indeed  One  Son  into  two  sons,  even  because  He  was 
 made  Man.  For  Avith  great  folly  they  disdain  to  acknow- 
 ledge as  probable  that  which  the  Only-Begotten  disdained 
 
 Phil.  ii.     ^ot  even  to  do  for  our  sakes.     For  He,  being  in  the  form 
 
 ^>  ^'  of  Ood,  according  to  that  which  is  written,  counted  it  not 
 a  prize  to  be  on  an  equality  with  God,  hut  emptied  Himself, 
 talcing  the  form  of  a  servant,  that  He  might  become  a  Man 
 like  us,  of  course  without  sin :  but  they  in  their  strange 
 opinions  find  fault  in  a  sort  of  way  with  His  Divine  and 
 philanthropic  design,  and  thrusting  away  the  Temple 
 taken  from  woman  from  the  true  Sonship  as  far  as  they 
 can  in  their  thoughts,  they  do  not  accept  His  humiliation : 
 and  conceiving  an  opinion  far  removed  from  the  truth, 
 they  say  that  the  Only-Begotten  Son  of  God  the  Father, 
 that  is,  the  Word  Begotten  of  His  Essence,  is  One ;  and 
 that  the  son  born  of  woman  is  another  again.  Still,  when 
 the  inspired  Scripture  proclaims  the  Son  and  Christ  to  be 
 One,  are  they  not  full  of  all  impiety  who  sever  into  two 
 Him  Who  is  truly  and  indeed  One  Son  ?  For  inasmuch 
 as  He  is  God  the  Word,  He  is  thought  of  as  distinct  from 
 the  flesh ;  and  inasmuch  as  He  is  flesh.  He  is  thought  of 
 as  distinct  from  the  Word :  but  inasmuch  as  the  Word 
 
 ^  «K  ^  of  God  the  Father  was  made  flesh,  the  two  will  cease  to 
 
 be  distinct  through  their  ineSable  union  and  conjunction. 
 For  the  Son  is  One  and  only  One,  both  before  His  con- 
 junction with  flesh,  and  when  He  came  with  flesh ;  and  by 
 flesh  we  denote  man  in  his  integrity,  I  mean  as  consisting 
 of  soul  and  body.  Certainly  therefore  on  account  of  this 
 pretence,  with  the  greatest  foresight,  the  Lord  here  again 
 
 Supra,  when  asked,  "  Who  is  the  Son  of  God  ?  "  did  not  say,  "  It 
 is  1,"  for  it  would  then  perhaps  have  been  possible  for 
 some  ignorantly  to  suppose  that  the  Word  alone  Who 
 shone  forth  from  God  the  Father  was  thereby  signified; 
 but  shewed  Himself  forth  in  the  very  manner  which  to 
 
 ver.  36. 
 
The  man  rightly  and  typicalUj  believes.  57 
 
 some  seems  so  doubtful,  by  saying  :  Thou  hast  seen  Htm,  Chap,  l. 
 and  also  indicated  that  the  Word  Himself  was  dwelling  in  '  "  ' 
 the  flesh  by  speaking  again  and  adding  :  And  He  it  is  that 
 spealceth  xoith  thee.  Thou  seest  therefore  what  a  unity  the 
 Word  possesses  ;  for  He  makes  no  distinction  but  says 
 that  Himself  is  both  that  which  presents  itself  to  bodily 
 eyes,  and  that  which  is  known  by  speech.  Certainly 
 therefore  it  is  altogether  ignorant  and  impious  to  say  as 
 some  inconsiderately  do  say  :  "  O  Christ's  man/'  for  being 
 God  He  was  made  man  without  being  severed  from  His 
 Divinity,  and  is  the  Son  also  with  flesh :  for  in  these 
 things  is  the  most  perfect  confession  and  knowledge  of 
 faith  in  Him. 
 
 38     And  he  said.  Lord,  I  believe.     And  he  worshipped  Him. 
 
 Quick  to  make  a  confession,  I  mean  as  regards  his  faith^ 
 and  warm  in  shewing  piety,  is  the  man  who  had  been 
 blind.  For  when  he  knew  that  the  One  present  with 
 him  and  visible  to  his  eyes  was  truly  the  Only-Begotten 
 Son,  he  ivorshijiped  Him  as  God,  although  beholding  Him 
 in  the  flesh  without  the  glory  which  is  really  God-befitting. 
 But  having  had  his  heart  illumined  by  Christ's  indwelling 
 power  and  authority,  he  advances  to  wise  and  good 
 thoughts  by  fair  reasoning,  and  beholds  the  beauty  of 
 His  Divine  and  IneSable  Nature ;  for  he  would  not  have 
 ivorshipped  Him  as  God  unless  he  believed  Him  to  be 
 God,  having  been  prepared  and  led  thus  to  think  by  what 
 had  happened  unto  himself,  even  the  miraculously  accom- 
 plished marvellous  deed.  And  since  we  transferred  all 
 the  circumstances  connected  with  the  blind  man  to  the 
 history  of  the  Gentiles,  let  us  now  speak  again  concerning 
 this.  For  see,  I  pray  you,  how  he  fulfils  by  the  prefiguring 
 of  the  worship  in  spirit  the  type  to  which  the  Gentiles 
 were  conducted  by  their  faith.  For  it  was  the  custom  for 
 Israel  to  serve  the  Lord  of  all  according  to  the  bidding  of 
 the  Law,  with  sacrifices  of  oxen  and  incense  and  with 
 offerings  of  other  animals;  but  the  faithful  among  the 
 Gentiles  know  not  this  manner  of  service  but  were  turned 
 
58  Faith  produces  spiritual  worship. 
 
 Book  6,  to  the  Other,  that  is,  the  spiritual,  which  God  says  is  truly 
 
 Ps  i  13*^^*^  especially  dear  and  sweet  to  Hiru.  For  He  says:  / 
 ivill  not  eat  the  flesh  of  hulls,  neither  ivlll  I  drinh  the  hlood 
 
 lb.  14.  of  goats.  And  in  preference  He  bids  us  offer  the  sacrifice  of 
 thanksgiving,  that  is,  worship  with  song,  to  celebrate  which 
 the  Psalmist  through  faith  in  the  Holy  Spirit  sees  that  all 
 the  Gentiles  would  go  up,  and  says  as  if  to  our  Lord  and 
 
 Ps.  Ixvi.    Saviour  :  All  the  earth  shall  worship  Thee,  and  shall  sing 
 
 unto  Thee;  yea  they  shall  sing  to   Thy  name.     Moreover, 
 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself  shows  the  spiritual  to  be 
 
 better  than  the  legal  service,  when  He  says  to  the  woman 
 
 Supra  iv.  of  Samaria  :   Woman,  believe  Me,  the  hour  cometh,  when  nei- 
 21.  ,  .  ,  .  . 
 
 ther  in  this  mountain,  nor  in  Jerusalem,  shall  ye  worship 
 
 lb.  23,24.  the  Father.    But  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true 
 worshippers  shall  worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  truth  : 
 for  such  doth  the  Father  seek  to  he  His  worshippers.     Ood 
 is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  worship  Sim  must  worship  Sim 
 in  spirit  and  truth.    And  if  we  rightly  think,  we  shall  con- 
 clude that  the  holy  angels  also  are  distinguished  by  this 
 kind  [of  service],  presenting  unto  God  such  worship  as 
 a  sort  of  spiritual  offering.     For  instance  when  the  Spirit 
 gave    command  to    those    above  to    bring  God-befitting 
 honour  to   the  Firstborn    and  Only-Begotten,  He    says : 
 Dent.       And  let  all  the  angels  of  God  worship  Sim.     Moreover  the 
 (LXX).  '  Divine  Psalmist  called  us  to  do  this,  saying :  0  come  let  us 
 Ps.  xcv.    ^(jf)ygjy{p  (^y^d  j-^f^ii  down  before  Sim.     And  it  would  not  be 
 difficult  to  treat  of  this  matter  at  great  length ;  but  put- 
 ting a  convenient  limit  to  our  words,  we  will  abstain  from 
 bringing  forward  any  more  arguments   for  the  present. 
 Except  that  we  will  once  more  repeat  that  the  man  who 
 had  been  blind  admirably  carries  out  the  type  of  the  ser- 
 vice of  the  Gentiles,  making  his  worship  the  close  com- 
 panion of  his  confession  of  faith. 
 
 39     And  Jesus  said.  For  judgment  came  1  into  this  world,  that 
 they  whicli  see  not  may  see  ;  and  that  they  which  see  may 
 become  blind. 
 
 Christ,  when  explaining  to  us  by  the  voice  of  Isaiah  the 
 
Obstinate  unbelief  blinds  the  eyes.  59 
 
 cause  of  His  manifestation,  I  mean  in  this  world,  says  :  Chap.  l. 
 The  Spirii  of  tJie  Lord  is  upon  Me,  because  He  anointed   '^  '  .  ' 
 Me:  He  hath  sent  Me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  poor  (LXX). 
 to  proclaim  deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  recovery  of  sight 
 to  the  blind.     Moreover  he   saith   somewhere  in  another 
 place  :  Hear,  ye  deaf ;  and  receive  your  sight  0  blind,  that  lb.  xlii. 
 ye  may  see.     When  therefore  He  saith  that  for  this  cause 
 He  was  chosen  by  God  the  Father,  that  He  might  proclaim 
 recovery  of  sight  to  the  blind,  how  is  it  that  here  He 
 saith  :  For  judgment  came  I  into  this  world,  that  they  ivliich 
 see  not  may  see ;  and  that  they  which  see  may  become  blind  ? 
 Is  then,  some  one  will  say,  Christ  a  minister  of  sin,  accord- 
 ing to  the  language  of  Paul  ?   God  forbid.     For  He  came 
 to  accomplish  the  predetermined  intention  of  His  goodness 
 towards  us,  namely,  to  illuminate  all  men  by  the  torch  of 
 the  Spirit.     But  the  Jews,  being  obstinate  in  unbelief  did 
 not  accept  the  grace  shining  upon  them,  imprecating  as  it 
 were  on  themselves  a  self-chosen  darkness.     For  instance, 
 it  is  written  concerning  them  in  the  prophetic  records  : 
 While  they  waited  for  light  darkness  came  upon  them  :  ivait-  Isa.  lix. 
 ing  for  brightness  they  walked  in  obscurity.     For  inasmuch   ' 
 as  He  was  to  come  according  to  the  declaration  of  the 
 Law,  the  Jews  waited  for  brightness  and  the  Light,  that 
 is,  Christ.     For  they  accepted  the  fact  that  He  would 
 come,  and  expected  Him,  but  they  who   thought  them- 
 selves pious  in  this  matter  were  walking  in  obscurity,  that 
 is,  in  profound  darkness,  when  there  was  no  other  cause 
 why  they  suffered  the  gloom  that  came  upon  them,  except 
 that  by  their  own  unbelief  they  drew  the  aflfliction  upon 
 themselves.     I  came  therefore,  He  says,  to  give  sight  to 
 the  blind  through  their  faith;  but  the  unyielding  obstinacy 
 of  the  stubborn  and  refractory,  which  tended  greatly  to 
 unbelief,  caused  the  coming  of  the  Illuminator  to  be  unto 
 them  a  coming  for  judgment.     For  since  they  believe  not, 
 they  are  condemned.     And  this  the  Saviour  has  said  more 
 clearly  to  thee  in  other  words  also  :   Verily,  verily,  I  say  Supra  iii. 
 unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  is  not  judged  :  but     '^' 
 he  that  believeth  not  on  the  Son  itath  been  judged  already, 
 
60  The  malicious  question  of  the  Pharisees 
 
 Book  6.  hecause  he  hath  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God. 
 c  ix  40         .  . 
 
 *  With   beautiful    fitness    therefore    He    mentions    this   in 
 
 connection  with  the  event  now  under  our  consideration, 
 making  the  deed  miraculously  wrought  upon  the  blind 
 man  the  basis  as  it  were  of  his  discourse  :  for  He  declares 
 that  man  to  have  received  sight  not  only  as  regards  the 
 body,  but  also  as  regards  the  mind,  because  he  had  ac- 
 cepted the  faith ;  but  that  the  Pharisees  suffered  just  the 
 contrary,  because  they  did  not  behold  His  glory,  although 
 it  was  shining  most  clearly,  even  in  that  marvellous  deed 
 that  was  so  great  and  so  novel. 
 
 40     Those  of  the  Pharisees  which  were  with  Him  heard  these 
 things,  and  said  unto  Him,  Are  we  also  blind  ? 
 
 The  Pharisees  keep  close  to  the  Saviour  Christ  and  are 
 eager  to  associate  with  Him,  although  they  have  a  sharp 
 arrow  shot  into  their  heart,  and  pine  with  vexation  and 
 envy  at  His  glory ;  they  associate  with  Him,  however, 
 gathering  nourishment  for  their  hatred,  and  devising 
 various  slanders  against  His  marvellous  deeds,  and  by 
 these  means  perverting  the  guileless  mind  of  such  as  are 
 more  ready  to  believe.  And  when  they  heard  Christ  say 
 these  words,  they  were  cut  to  the  heart  again,  for  it 
 was  not  likely  they  would  fail  to  know  that  the  aim  of  the 
 discourse  was  directed  against  them.     But  when  He  said 
 
 Supra  at  first,  vaguely  and  indefinitely  :  That  they  loh'ich  see  may 
 become  blind,  not  yet  having  an  occasion  to  find  fault  with 
 good  reason  as  being  insulted,  they  maliciously  question 
 Him,  applying  the  force  of  what  had  been  said  to  their 
 own  persons,  and  demanding  as  it  were  that  He  should 
 say  more  clearly  whether  He  meant  that  they  were  blind 
 also,  so  that  they  might  now  condemn  Him  again  as 
 offending  against  the  commandment  of  the  Law.  For 
 being  constantly  familiar  with  every  part  of  the  writings 
 
 Exod.  of  Moses,  they  knew  that  it  was  written :  TJtou  shall  not 
 sjjealc  evil  of  a  ruler  of  thy  i:)eoi-)le.  Either  therefore  ex- 
 pecting to  be  insulted  they  say  such  words,  so  that  they 
 
 ver.  39. 
 
 xxii.  28. 
 
may  he  explained  in  two  imys.  61 
 
 might  seem  with  good  reason  to  attack  Him,  and  to  be  Chap.  i. 
 angry,  and  now  without  blame  to  take  counsel  against  "^  *  * 
 Christ;  or  because  they  really  felt  such  excess  of  bitter- 
 ness in  their  mind,  and  were  bursting  to  show  the  malice 
 which  was  in  them.  For  when  Christ  said  :  For  judgment  Supra 
 came  I  into  this  ivorld,  thai  they  which  see  not  may  see,  and 
 by  these  words  indicated  the  restoration  of  sight  to  the 
 blind  man,  they  were  unable  to  endure  being  reminded  of 
 the  miracle,  and  being  goaded  by  envy  they  once  more 
 rise  up  against  Him,  and  endeavour  to  oppose  Him.  In 
 His  presence  they  do  not  shrink  from  saying  what  almost 
 amounts  to  this  :  "  0  fellow,  thou  boastest  strange  things, 
 having  accomplished  none  of  those  deeds  which  Thou 
 thinkest  Thyself  to  have  wrought.  Dost  Thou  indeed 
 wish,  say  they,  to  impose  even  upon  us  with  Thy  wonder- 
 working ?  Wilt  Thou  be  capable  of  saying  that  Thou 
 hast  healed  us,  for  that  we  are  blind  also  ?  Dost  Thou 
 wish  that  we  should  ascribe  to  Thee  the  glory  of  a  physi- 
 cian and  wonder-worker,  telling  lies  after  the  manner  of 
 this  man,  of  whom  Thoa  sayest  that  he  has  received  his 
 sight,  having  been  born  blind  ?  Wilt  Thou  dare  to  deal 
 falsely  with  us  by  similar  statements  ?  "  Certainly  there- 
 fore the  language  of  the  Pharisees  as  they  mock  at  the 
 events  relating  to  the  blind  man  is  evil  and  very  bitter, 
 and  they  deem  the  whole  thing  an  imposture  rather  than 
 a  truth ;  for  nothing  convinces  the  obstinate. 
 
 41      Jesus  said  unto  them,  If  ye  were  blind,  ye  would  have  no  sin  : 
 hit  noiv  ye  say.  We  see  :  your  sins  will  remain. 
 
 The  Saviour  once  more  confounds  them,  tempering  His 
 reproof  with  skill.  For  He  holds  aloof  from  all  reviling 
 and  puts  them  out  of  countenance  by  setting  before  them 
 the  force  of  the  truth :  He  shows  them  that  they  derive 
 no  advantage  from  possessing  sight,  or  rather  that  they 
 fell  into  a  worse  condition  than  one  who  could  not  see  at 
 all.  For  the  blind  man,  saith  He,  by  not  beholding  any 
 of  the  deeds  miraculously  wrought,  escaped  without  sin, 
 
62  Self-condemnation  of  tlie  P/iarlsees. 
 
 Book  6.  and  is  SO  far  blameless ;  but  they  who  have  been  watchers 
 '  and  beholders  of  the  marvellous  deed,  and  through  great 
 folly  and  evilness  of  disposition  have  not  accepted  the 
 faith  in  consequence  of  them,  make  their  sin  difficult  of 
 removal,  and  it  is  really  hard  to  escape  from  the  con- 
 demnation which  such  conduct  incurs.  Therefore  it  is 
 not  hard  to  understand  the  meaning  of  this  as  regards 
 bodily  blindness  and  restoration  to  sight :  and  when  we 
 pass  to  that  which  is  to  be  understood  by  analogy,  receiv- 
 ing our  impressions  from  the  argument  itself,  we  shall 
 again  repeat  the  same  signification  :  that  the  man  who 
 does  not  understand  may  claim  his  jDardon  with  excellent 
 reason  from  the  judge,  but  he  who  is  keen  of  intellect 
 and  understands  his  duty,  and  then,  having  indulged  his 
 debasing  inclination  in  the  baser  principles  of  his  mind, 
 and  given  himself  to  the  sway  of  pleasures  and  not  of 
 duty,  shall  shamelessly  claim  compassion, — the  request 
 for  which  he  ought  to  be  punished  shall  in  no  wise  be 
 granted,  and  he  will  very  justly  perish  for  having  kept  in 
 himself  a  sin  without  excuse.  For  instance  Our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  signifies  exactly  the  same  thing  in  the  Gos- 
 
 S.  Luke  pels,  saying:  He  that  knew  Ms  lord's  will,  and  did  it  7iot, 
 shall  he  beaten  ivith  many  stripes.  For  the  charge  against 
 him  that  knew  not  is  merely  that  of  ignorance ;  but 
 against  him  that  understood  and  yet  inconsiderately  re- 
 fused to  act,  the  charge  is  that  of  overweening  presump- 
 tion. Observe  again  how  guardedly  accurate  was  the 
 language  of  the  Saviour  on  this  occasion  also;  for  He 
 does  not  say  plainly,  "  Ye  see,^'  but  He  says  :  Ye  say,  We 
 see.  For  it  would  of  course  have  been  very  much  beside 
 the  mark,  to  ascribe  understanding  to  those  who  possessed 
 a  mind  so  blind  and  emptied  of  light  as  to  dare  to  say 
 
 Supra      concerning   Him :    We  know   that   this  Man  is  a  sinner. 
 
 ver.  24. 
 
 Self-condemned  therefore  are  the  Jews,  who  affirm  of 
 themselves  that  they  see,  but  do  not  act  at  all  as  they 
 ought ;  aye,  most  emphatically  self-condemned,  for  they 
 know  the  will  of  the  Lord,  but  are  so  self-conceited  that 
 they  thus  resist  even  His  mightiest  miracles. 
 
Connection  of  clt.  x.  1-5  iviih  ch.  ix.  63 
 
 Chap.  X.  1     Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  yon.  He  that  entereth  not  Chap.  1. 
 1)1/  the  door  into  the  fold  of  the  sheep,  but  cUmbeth  up  some 
 
 2  other  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber.     But  he  that 
 
 3  entereth  in  by  the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep.      To 
 him  the  porter  openeth  ;  and  the  sheep  hear  his  voice  :  and  he 
 
 4  calleth  his  oivn  sheep  by  name,  and  leadeth  them  out.      When 
 he  hath  put  forth  all  his  own,  he  goeth  before  them,  and  the 
 
 5  sheep  folloiv  him  :  for  they  hiow  his  voice.     Jnd  a  stranger 
 will  they  not  follow,  but  loill  flee  from  him  :  for  they  know 
 
 not  the  voice  of  strangers. 
 
 Very  probably  it  may  seem  to  those  who  listen  care- 
 lessly tbat  tlie  language  of  the  parable  before  us  is  not 
 introduced  very  appositely :  because  after  a  discussion 
 on  blindness  and  recovery  of  sight,  we  straightway  come 
 upon  statements  abou.t  sheep,  and  a  fold,  and  a  door. 
 Bnt  he  in  whom  dwells  a  wise  mind,  which  hastens  more 
 diligently  to  compare  the  ideas,  will  perceive  here  also 
 that  the  argument  proceeds  so  to  speak  straight  forward, 
 and  swerves  not  at  all  from  what  is  right  and  fitting. 
 And  here  I  will  once  more  repeat  what  I  have  said  many 
 times  before.  It  was  the  custom  of  the  Saviour  Christ, 
 when  any  came  unto  Him,  to  reply  not  merely  to  the 
 words  which  they  expressed  through  their  voice,  but  to 
 speak  with  reference  to  their  inward  thoughts  also,  since 
 He  sees  both  heart  and  reins ;  for  to  Sim  all  things  are  Heb.  iv. 
 naked  and  laid  open,  and  there  is  no  creature  that  is  not 
 manifest  in  His  sight.  Wherefore  also  He  saith  to  one  of 
 the  saints  :    Who  is  this  that  hideth  counsel  from  Me,  and  Job.    _ 
 
 XXXVIH 
 
 hath  words  in  his  heart,  and  thinheth  to  conceal  them  from  2.  {\jXX) 
 Me  ?  When  therefore  the  unholy  company  of  Pharisees 
 craftily  asked,  as  we  said  just  now,  if  they  were  blind 
 also,  in  order  that  if  he  said  truly  what  they  were,  namely 
 blind,  he  might  again  be  accused  as  one  who  reviled  the 
 magistrates  and  spoke  evil  of  those  whose  lot  it  was  to 
 rule  the  people,  (for  they  prided  themselves  inordinately 
 upon  this) ;  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  fighting  in  this  case 
 again  with  their  inward  thought,  necessarily  and  profit- 
 ably introduces  the  parable,  implying  (somewhat  obscurely 
 
64  Christ  is  the  Door  and  the  Porter. 
 
 Book  6.  and  as  it  were  in  riddles)  that  on  account  of  their  arro- 
 gant selfishness  they  would  not  be  firmly  maintained  in  the 
 leadership,  and  that  the  dignity  would  not  be  confirmed 
 to  such  as  insulted  in  their  pride  God  the  Giver  of  it; 
 and  teaching  that  this  dignity  would  only  belong  to  those 
 who  should  be  called  by  Him  to  the  leadership  of  the 
 people.  Therefore  He  says  that  Himself  is  the  Boor 
 introducing  of  His  own  will  to  the  leadership  of  His 
 rational  flocks  the  man  who  is  prudent  and  God-loving. 
 But  him  who  thinks  himself  able  to  take  by  violence  and 
 tyranny  the  honour  that  is  not  given  to  him,  He  calls  a 
 thief  and  a  robber,  climbing  up  some  other  way.  Such  were 
 some  concerning  whom  He  speaks  perhaps  by  one  of  the 
 Hosea  Prophets;  Theij  reigned  as  kings,  and  not  by  Me;  they 
 Isa.'xxx.  '^'uled,  and  not  by  My  Spirit.  And  He  intimates  by  the 
 1-  words  before  us,  that  if  they  would  take  pleasure  in  being 
 
 rulers  of  the  people  they  must  believe  and  must  receive 
 through  Him  the  Divine  call  to  undertake  this  dignity,  in 
 order  that  they  might  have  their  rule  unshaken  and  well 
 established;  which  of  course  was  the  case  with  the  holy 
 Apostles,  and  with  the  Teachers  of  the  holy  Churches 
 after  them  ;  to  whom  also  the  porter  openeth.  That  is, 
 either  the  Angel  who  is  appointed  to  preside  over  the 
 chui'ches  and  to  assist  those  whose  lot  is  to  minister  in 
 holy  things  for  the  good  of  the  people,  or  else  the  Saviour 
 Himself,  Who  is  at  the  same  time  both  the  Door  and  the 
 Lord  of  the  Door.  At  all  events.  He  very  well  asserts 
 that  the  flock  of  sheep  rightly  obey  and  yield  to  the  voice 
 of  the  shepherd,  but  very  quickly  turn  away  from  the 
 voice  of  strangers ;  so  that  thou  mayest  understand  a  true 
 matter  by  extending  the  application  of  the  argument  to 
 something  more  general.  For  in  the  churches  we  teach 
 by  bringing-  forward  our  doctrines  from  the  inspired 
 Scripture,  and  setting  forth  the  Evangelic  and  Apostolic 
 Word  as  a  sort  of  spiritual  nourishment.  And  they  who 
 believe  in  Christ  and  are  conspicuous  for  unperverted 
 faith,  are  obedient  listeners  to  such  teaching;  but  they 
 turn  away  from  the  voices  of  falsifiers,  and  avoid  them  as 
 
Parable  means  the  same  as  proverb.  65 
 
 a  deadly  evil.  But  then,  some  one  will  say,  what  is  herein  Chap.  i. 
 intimated  to  the  Pharisees  ?  Gathering  it  up  into  a  short 
 and  summary  explanation  I  will  tell  thee  this  again.  He 
 shows  Himself  therefore  as  Lord  of  the  fold,  and  Boor 
 and  Porter,  that  they  may  accurately  learn  that  they  will 
 not  have  their  position  of  leadership  confirmed  to  them, 
 unless  they  come  to  it  through  Him  and  thus  possess  the 
 God-given  honour.  And  by  adding  that  the  sheep  obey 
 their  own  shepherds,  but  run  away  from  strangers,  He 
 again  skilfully  hints  that  the  Pharisees  would  never  be 
 leaders  of  those  that  should  become  believers  in  Him,  but 
 that  His  sheep  would  refuse  their  insti'uction  and  attach 
 themselves  to  the  shepherds  appointed  by  Him. 
 
 6     This  jiarahle  [or  proverK\  spake  Jesus  unto  them :    but  they 
 understood  not  what  things  they  were  ivhich  He  spake  unto 
 them. 
 
 Simple  is  the  language  of  the  saints,  and  far  removed 
 from  the  elaborateness  of  the  Greeks :  for  Ood  cJiose  the  i  Cor.  i. 
 foolish  things  of  the  ivorld,  according  to  the  word  of  Paul, 
 that  He  miglit  ind  to  shame  them  that  are  ivise.  He  used 
 therefore  the  name  of  ^proverb,  for  thus  he  designates  the  ^irapoiixla 
 parable,  perhaps  because  the  distinction  of  the  two  words 
 was  always  somewhat  confused,  and  the  signification  is 
 understood  equally  well  whether  both  or  either  be  used. 
 Yet  this  we  do  say,  that  the  inspired  Evangelist  marvels 
 much  at  the  Jews'  want  of  understanding.  For  as  the 
 experience  of  events  itself  bears  witness,  they  have  a 
 mind  like  to  rocks  or  to  iron,  persistently  refusing  to 
 accept  any  profitable  instruction  of  any  sort.  Wherefore 
 it  was  said  to  them  by  the  voice  of  Joel  the  Prophet : 
 Rend  your  hearts  and  not  your  garments.  Joel  ii. 
 
 And  again,  the  writer  of  the  Book  seems  to  me  not  ' 
 inconsiderately  to  have  said :  This  'parable  spake  Jesus 
 unto  them  :  but  they  understood  not,  he  says,  wJiat  things 
 they  were  ivhich  He  spake  unto  them;  and  he  utters  this 
 with  no  little  emphasis.  For  it  is  just  the  same  as  if  he 
 said  plainly :   So  far  are  the  Pharisees  from  being  able  to 
 
 VOL.   II.  F 
 
6Q  Meaning  of  '  the  Door  of  the  sheep.' 
 
 Book  6  understand  any  necessary  matter,  althougli  absurdly  wise 
 *  ■  '  in  their  own  conceits,  that  they  understood  not  this 
 parable,  so  clear  to  see,  and  so  transparent,  in  which  there 
 is  nothing  hard  to  lay  hold  of,  or  tortuous  to  follow,  or 
 difficult  to  comprehend.  And  with  propriety  he  mocks 
 at  the  ill  counsel  of  the  Jews,  since  Christ  appeared  of 
 no  account  to  them,  although  He  taught  what  was  higher 
 than  the  Law,  and  exhibited  a  system  of  instruction  much 
 more  pleasing  than  that  of  Moses. 
 
 7     Jesus  therefore  said  unto  them,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  am 
 the  Door  of  the  sheep. 
 
 He  most  thoroughly  knew,  being  by  nature  God,  and 
 beholding  that  which  lies  in  the  depth,  that  the  Pharisees 
 understood  none  of  His  sayings,  although  accustomed  to 
 pride  themselves  greatly  on  their  learning  in  the  Law, 
 and  excessively  supercilious  in  thinking  themselves  wise. 
 Therefore  He  gives  them  a  very  clear  explanation,  and 
 winding  up  as  it  were  the  long  thread  of  the  argument. 
 He  tells  them  in  few  words  the  main  scope  of  the  parable. 
 For  being  naturally  good.  He  leads  on  towards  a  clear 
 comprehension  those  even  who  do  not  deserve  it,  that 
 perhaps  by  some  method  the  light  may  reach  them.  And 
 He  distinctly  says  that  Himself  is  the  Door  of  the  sheep, 
 teaching  something  which  is  generally  acknowledged ;  for 
 only  through  faith  in  Him  are  we  admitted  into  relation- 
 ship with  God,  and  He  Himself  is  a  witness  to  this,  say- 
 
 Inf.  xiv.  ing :  No  one  conieth  unto  the  Father,  but  by  Me.  Either 
 therefore  He  wishes  to  signify  something  of  this  sort,  or, 
 as  is  more  suitable  to  the  questions  we  are  considering 
 He  once  more  makes  it  clear  that  we  come  to  the  rule 
 and  leadership  of  rational  flocks  through  Him,  according 
 
 Heb.  V.  to  what  is  said  by  Paul :  For  no  man  taketh  the  honour 
 unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God.     For  instance, 
 
 6  oi/e'S€j|6  no  one  of  the  holy  Prophets  ^consecrated  himself;  no, 
 nor  even  will  the  great  and  shining  company  of  the  Apos- 
 tles be  found  to  have  been  self-called  to  this  offi^ce.  For 
 they  were  consecrated  through  the  will  of  Christ,  Who 
 
Lawful  and  unlawful  leadership.  67 
 
 called  them  to  the  apostleship  by  name,  and  individually,  Chap.  i. 
 as  He  says  in  the  parable  before  us.     For  we  know  how 
 in  the  Gospel  according  to  Matthew  the  names  of  the 
 Apostles  are  set  down  in  order,  and  immediately  follow- 
 ing is  the  manner  of  their  public  proclamation  :  for.  These  S.  Matt. 
 twelve,  he  says,  the  Saviour  consecrated ;   whom  also  lie  S.  Luke 
 named  Apostles.     Seeing  therefore  that  the  foolish  Phari- 
 sees wished  to  be  rulers,  and  were  immoderately  boastful 
 of  the  name  and  character  of  leadership,  He  profitably 
 teaches  that  Himself  is  the  bestower  of  leadership  upon 
 men  and  mighty  to  conduct  them  to  it  without  difiiculty. 
 For  being  the  Door  of  the  sacred  and  Divine  fold,  He  both 
 will  admit  him  who  is  fit,  and  also  will  block  the  entrance 
 against  him  who  is  not. 
 
 8     All  that  came  are  thieves  and  robbers :  but  the  sheep  did  not 
 
 hear  them. 
 
 Practising  all  kinds  of  enchantment  upon  the  obstinate 
 mind  of  the  Pharisees,  and  trying  to  turn  them  to  sound 
 reason.  He  attempts  to  show  them  that  it  is  a  bootless 
 and  perilous  thing  to  dare  to  act  as  leaders,  without  the 
 election  from  above  or  the  Divine  counsel,  but  thinking 
 that  rule  may  be  obtained  by  human  folly,  although  the 
 Bestower  of  it  may  be  unwilling.  Wherefore,  having  plainly 
 said  that  Himself  is  the  Door,  which  signifies  the  only 
 means  of  admitting  such  as  are  fit  to  the  leadership.  He 
 straightway  brings  forward  the  attempts  of  those  who 
 lived  in  earlier  times,  so  that,  beholding  delineated  as  in  a 
 picture  the  result  to  which  such  action  leads,  they  might 
 then  clearly  understand  that  the  ability  to  govern  and 
 lead  flocks  of  people  comes  only  through  grace  given 
 from  above,  and  not  from  ambitious  endeavours.  There- 
 fore here  also  his  speech  is  profitable,  bringing  to  mind 
 the  history  of  those  who  lived  in  earlier  times  :  All  that 
 came  are  thieves  and  robbers  :  but  the  sheep  did  not  hear 
 them.  For  certain  men  came  forward  publicly,  pretending 
 to  have  the  ofiice  of  good  shepherds ;  but  since  there  was 
 none  who  committed  the  leadership  unto  them,  and  who 
 
 P  2 
 
68  Limitatmis  of  the  luord  "  All." 
 
 Book  6.  could  persuade  those  wliom  they  ought  to  have  ruled  to 
 obey  them,  the  multitude  of  the  sheep  ran  away  from 
 them. 
 
 But  by  no  means  must  we  suspect,  because  He  said  :  All, 
 that  the  apostleship  of  the  holy  Prophets  is  set  at  naught 
 by  Our  Saviour  Christ ;  for  the  saying  is  not  against  them, 
 but  against  others.  For  since  His  object  was  to  speak 
 about  false  shepherds  and  such  as  climbed  up  some  other 
 way  into  the  fold  of  the  sheep,  of  necessity  the  language 
 was  used  with  respect  to  those  who  had  been  clearly  signi- 
 fied beforehand  :  He  says  :  All,  but  we  will  in  no  wise  think 
 that  the  persons  of  the  holy  Prophets  are  hereby  renounced ; 
 for  how  could  they  be  renounced  by  Him  Who  established 
 the  truth  of  their  plain  declarations  regarding  His  own 
 
 Hos.  xii.  coming ;  Who  saith  :  I  have  multiplied  visions,  and  used 
 similitiides  hy  the  ministry  of  the  'prophets ;  Who  consecrated 
 
 Jer.  i.  7.   Moses,  and  said  unto  Jeremiah  :   Say  not,  I  am  too  young  : 
 
 for  thou  shalt  go  to  all  that  I  shall  send  thee,  and  whatsoever  I 
 
 command  thee  thou  shalt  speah ;  and  to  the  blessed  Ezekiel : 
 
 ?';1^-^ii-\  Soil  of  man,  I  will  send  thee  to  the  house  of  Israel,  ivho  are 
 3.  (LXX)  7 .  ,  J  > 
 
 provoking  Me  bitterly  ?    The  scope  of  the  language  therefore 
 
 is  not  directed  against  the  company  of  the  holy  Prophets, 
 but  looks  rather  to  such  as  at  any  time  pretended  to  pro- 
 phesy in  Judaea,  stating  falsely  that  they  came  from  Grod, 
 and  persuading  the  people  not  to  obey  those  who  were 
 in  truth  God's  prophets,  but  to  join  in  undertakings  and 
 opinions   devised   by  themselves ;    concerning  whom   the 
 Lord  Grod,  the  Sovereign  of  all.  Himself  somewhere  says 
 Jer.  xxiii.  again  :  I  have  not  sent  these  prophets,  yet  they  ran  :  I  have 
 not  spoken  to  them,  yet   they  prophesied.     And  unto   the 
 lb.  xiv.     blessed  Jeremiah  :   The  ptrophets  prophesy  lies  in  My  name  : 
 I  sent  them  not,  neither  did  I  speah  unto  them,  neither  did 
 I  command  them  :  for  they  prophesy  unto  you  visions  and 
 lb.  xxvii.  divinations  and  prophecies  out  of  their  own  hearts.     If  they 
 (xxxiv.      be  prophets,  and  if  the  word  of  the  Lord  be  with  them,  let 
 Ib.S?  ^^'^"^  ^'^"^^  More  Me.     What  hath  the  chaff  to  do  with  the 
 28.  wheat  ?   For  the  word  that  truly  is  from  God  has  the  power 
 
 Ps.  civ.     of  nourishing  greatly,  and  strengthens  magi's  heart,  as  it  is 
 
 15. 
 
T'wo  explanations  of  "  Thieves  and  robbers."  69 
 
 written,  but  tliat  of  the  unholy  false  prophets  and  false  Chap.  i. 
 teachers,  being  thoroughly  clean-threshed  and  chaff-like, 
 conveys  no  profit  to  the  hearers.  When  therefore  He 
 names  those  who  preceded  His  coming  thieves  and  robbers, 
 He  signifies  either  the  lying  and  deceiving  multitude  of 
 whom  we  have  just  spoken,  or  thou  mayest  apply  the 
 force  of  the  words  to  those  also  who  are  mentioned  in 
 the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  For  the  rulers  of  the  Jews  hav- 
 ing on  one  occasion  gathered  the  holy  Apostles  together, 
 and  brought  them  into  their  own  most  lawless  council- 
 chamber,  were  taking  counsel  to  banish  them  from  Jeru- 
 salem, and  to  force  them  to  be  continually  facing  extreme 
 dangers;    but   Gamaliel  reminded  them   of  certain   false 
 
 teachers  in  the  following  words  : — Ye  men  of  Israel,  take  Acts  v. 
 
 .  ./  ^  35—37, 
 
 heed  to  yourselves  as  touching  these  men,  what  ye  are  about 
 
 to  do.  For  before  these  days  rose  up  Theudas,  giving  him- 
 self out  to  be  some  great  one;  to  tvhom  a  number  of  men, 
 about  four  hundred,  joined  themselves  :  ivho  tvas  slain ;  and 
 all,  as  many  as  obeyed  him,  were  dispersed,  and  came  to 
 naught.  After  this  man  rose  up  Judas  of  Galilee  in  the  days 
 of  the  enrolment,  and  drew  away  some  of  the  people  after 
 him  :  he  also  perished ;  and  all  who  obeyed  him  were  scattered 
 abroad.  From  these  considerations  then  thou  seest  clearly 
 and  indisputably  that  Christ^s  words  do  not  refer  to  the 
 holy  Prophets,  but  to  those  of  the  opposite  description, 
 in  order  that  even  against  their  will  He  might  persuade 
 the  Pharisees  not  to  seek  in  their  own  foolish  notions  a 
 pretext  for  rashly  making  themselves  guides,  when  God 
 was  not  willing  for  them  to  be  at  the  head  of  the  people, 
 but  in  all  things  to  subject  their  authority  to  the  Divine 
 approbation;  and  to  hasten  to  enter  by  the  real  Door 
 rather  than  to  endeavour  to  climb  up  by  some  other  way 
 into  the  sheepfold  after  the  manner  of  plunderers. 
 
 9     I  am  the  Door  :  bi/  Me  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall  he  saved, 
 and  shall  go  in  and  go  out,  and  shall  find  pasture. 
 
 After  His  usual  manner.  He  moulds  the   form  of  His 
 speech  to  a  spiritual  application  as  though  it  arose  natu- 
 
70      Difference  bchveen  '  climbing  over'  and  '  entering.' 
 
 Book  6.  rally  from  the  course  of  His  story,  and  seems  to  treat 
 things  which  are  simple  to  look  at  and  contain  nothing 
 difficult  of  comprehension,  as  images  of  things  more  ob- 
 scure. For  the  thieves.  He  saith,  and  robbers,  violently 
 breaking  into  the  enclosures  of  the  sheep,  do  not  enter  by 
 the  door,  but  leap  in  by  some  other  way,  and  by  getting 
 over  the  wall  of  the  fold  put  themselves  in  danger.  For 
 perhaps,  or  rather  very  probably,  one  who  is  robbing  in 
 this  way  and  rashly  practising  villainy  may  be  detected 
 and  caught ;  but  they  who  enter  by  the  door  itself,  efiect 
 an  entrance  without  risk,  being  manifestly  not  mean  in 
 conduct,  nor  yet  unknown  to  the  lord  of  the  sheep.  For 
 he  who  standeth  at  the  doors  openeth  to  them  and  they 
 run  in :  moreover,  saith  He,  such  as  these  shall  be  to- 
 gether with  the  sheep  in  great  security,  having  effected 
 an  entrance  very  lawfully  as  it  were  and  without  guile, 
 and  without  incurring  any  suspicion  of  being  robbers. 
 This  therefore  is  the  part  of  the  story  which  is  typical ; 
 and  passing  over  to  what  is  thereby  intimated  for  our 
 spiritual  profit,  we  say  this,  that  they  who  without  the 
 Divine  sanction  and  will  proceed  to  take  the  leadership  of 
 the  people,  as  though  altogether  refusing  the  entrance  by 
 the  Door,  will  perhaps  also  perish,  doing  violence  to  the 
 Divine  decree,  at  least  by  the  motive  of  their  endeavours. 
 But  they  who  are  allotted  a  God-given  leadership,  and 
 come  to  it  by  Christ,  with  great  security  and  grace  they 
 will  govern  the  most  sacred  fold,  escaping  so  entirely  from 
 the  anger  which  falls  on  the  others  that  they  even  receive 
 honour  for  their  work  :  they  will  obtain  crowns  from  above 
 such  as  they  do  not  yet  dare  to  hope  for;  because  their 
 aim  is  not  at  all  in  any  way  to  grieve  their  flocks,  but 
 rather  to  benefit  them :  they  will  do  things  well-pleasing 
 to  the  Lord  of  the  flock,  and  love  by  all  means  to  keep 
 safe  those  who  belong  to  Him.  By  these  words  also  the 
 Lord  greatly  troubles  the  obstinate  Pharisees,  saying  that 
 they  will  certainly  not  be  kept  safe,  but  will  utterly  fall 
 from  the  leadership  in  which  they  now  are;  and  very 
 justly,  since  they  suppose  they  will  possess  it  firmly,  not 
 
The  Pharisees  reject  Christ's  pleading.  71 
 
 by  God's  approval,  but  by  their  own  folly.  But  herein  I  Chap.  i. 
 cannot  help  admiring  the  incomparable  love  for  men  shown  ^'  ^'  ' 
 by  the  Saviour.  For  the  Lord  is  really  compassionate  and  Ps.  cxi.  4. 
 merciful,  offering  to  all  a  way' of  salvation,  and  in  divers 
 manners  inviting  to  it  even  the  very  obstinate  and  har- 
 dened. And  I  will  take  the  proof  of  my  assertion  once 
 more  from  the  thing  itself.  For  when  He  fails,  either  by 
 marvellous  deeds  or  by  the  longing  which  yearns  and 
 hopes  for  the  glory  which  shall  be  hereafter,  to  persuade 
 the  Pharisees  to  receive  His  teaching ;  He  sternly  proceeds 
 to  that,  by  which  it  was  likely  they  would  be  especially 
 troubled,  so  that  henceforth  they  might  look  upon  obedi- 
 ence as  an  inevitable  necessity.  For  knowing  them  to  be 
 attached  to  the  glory  of  being  leaders,  and  to  eagerly 
 reckon  upon  no  ordinary  gain  from  thence.  He  says  they 
 will  be  deprived  of  it,  and  will  be  utterly  despoiled  of 
 that  which  was  so  highly  valued,  and  which  was  then  in 
 their  possession;  unless  they  will  yield  themselves  to 
 willingly  listen  to  Him,  and  seek  pardon  at  His  hands. 
 
 10     llie  thief  cometh  not,  but  that  he  may  steal,  and  kill,  and 
 destroy :  I  came  that  they  tnay  have  life,  and  may  have  it 
 abundantly. 
 
 While  Our  Saviour  Christ  was  saying  He  Himself  was 
 the  Door,  and  teaching  that  it  was  His  both  to  admit 
 those  whom  He  would  and  to  keep  outside  him  who  is 
 unfit  and  quite  useless  for  shepherd's  work;  and  more- 
 over, in  addition  to  this,  had  denounced  as  thieves  and 
 robbers  those  who  were  self-appointed  to  an  honour  not 
 given  them  from  above;  the  wretched  Pharisees  again 
 were  taking  counsel,  deliberating  Who  this  Man  was  that 
 shewed  so  much  boldness,  and  considering  whether  He 
 ought  not  Himself  perhaps  to  be  numbered  among  those 
 whose  coming  He  reproved  :  for  they  thought  that  He  too 
 was  a  false  shepherd  and  a  false  teacher,  as  merely  self- 
 consecrated  by  His  own  determination;  not  that  being 
 God  He  had  been  made  Man,  according  to  the  ancient 
 declaration  of  the  inspired  Scripture.     And  it  is  indeed 
 
72  Characteristics  of  the  thief. 
 
 Book  6.  probable  that  even  when  they  had  gathered  a  true  know- 
 ledge of  Him,  they  rejected  it  as  something  which  was 
 intolerable  to  their  unbelief,  and  refused  to  consider  any- 
 thing which  was  not  in  harmony  with  their  own  pleasure 
 and  their  own  dear  delight ;  and  this  was  to  be  leaders  of 
 the  people  and  to  be  spoken  of  accordingly.  When  there- 
 fore He  knew  that  such  were  their  thoughts  and  that  they 
 so  whispered  one  to  another.  He  did  not  wait  for  them  to 
 express  these  ideas  more  openly,  but  answered  them  as 
 was  fitting,  and  declares  that  the  question  ought  to  be 
 decided  by  testing  their  actions,  as  to  who  was  the  shep- 
 herd, and  who  was  the  thief;  saying  that  it  would  be  by 
 no  means  difiicult  to  thus  discriminate,  if  any  one  would 
 consider  the  object  and  behaviour  of  each.  For  the  thief 
 Cometh,  He  says,  for  the  destruction  of  the  sheep,  since  the 
 desire  of  taking  plunder  undoubtedly  leads  to  this  issue ; 
 but  the  really  good  shepherd  will  come  without  bringing 
 any  harm  into  the  sheepfold,  but  rather  will  work  for  their 
 advantage,  and  whatever  he  may  understand  to  be  for 
 their  greatest  good,  that  he  will  zealously  labour  for. 
 
 Therefore  let  us  now  pass  as  from  another  image  to  the 
 truer  matter  to  which  the  force  of  the  words  applies,  and 
 let  us  again  consider  the  Pharisees,  how  they  at  that  time 
 were  acting  like  false  shepherds  and  false  teachers  towards 
 such  as  were  cheated  by  them ;  and  then  let  us  consider 
 what  Christ  came  to  give,  and  what  happiness  He  came  to 
 bring  us.  They  certainly  never  scrupled  to  speak  falsely, 
 and  feigning  themselves  to  be  sent  from  God,  they  pro- 
 Jer.  xxiii.  phesied  (according  to  that  which  is  written)  out  of  their  own 
 16-  hearts,  and  not  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord;    and  be- 
 
 Acts  V.     sides  these,  that  Theudas  also,  and  Judas  of  Galilee,  draw- 
 ^^-  ing  away  people  after  them,  were  destroyed  together  with 
 
 those  who  had  been  led  to  join  them  :  but  Our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ  came  to  bestow  upon  us  eternal  life,  out  of  the  love 
 which  He  had  towards  us.  And  their  aims  being  so  oppo- 
 site, and  the  manner  of  their  coming  so  different,  how 
 can  it  be  explained  except  that  their  dispositions  and 
 offices  were  of  opposite  character  ?     Therefore  by  the  test 
 
Two  kinds  of  future  Ufe.  73 
 
 of  tlieir  behaviour  in  office  we  ought  to  discern,  He  says,  Chap.  i. 
 on  the  one  hand  what  they  were,  and  on  the  other  what 
 He  was.  For  thus  it  was  possible  perhaps  to  persuade 
 the  rulers  not  to  think  unreasonably  of  Him  any  longer  by 
 supposing  Him  to  be  one  of  the  false  shepherds,  or  one 
 of  those  who  climb  up  some  other  way  into  the  sheepfold  : 
 but  that  rather  Christ,  the  Door  and  the  Porter  and  the 
 Shepherd,  had  come,  not  only  that  the  sheep  may  have 
 Ufe,  saith  He,  but  also  something  ^  more ;  for  besides  i\xe  i TTipmiv 
 restoration  to  life  of  those  who  believe  in  Him,  there  is 
 also  the  certain  hope  of  being  blessed  with  all  good  things. 
 And  probably  the  word  more  refers  also  to  this  life, 
 meaning  what  is  more  abundant  or  more  honourable,  and 
 implying  the  most  perfect  participation  of  the  Spirit,  al- 
 though very  secretly.  For  the  restoration  to  life  is  common 
 to  both  saints  and  sinners,  to  both  Greeks  and  Jews,  as 
 well  as  ourselves,  for:  The  dead  shall  arise,  and  they  that  Isa.xxvi. 
 are  in  the  tombs  shall  awake,  and  they  that  are  in  the  earth  (LxX) 
 shall  rejoice,  according  to  the  sure  promise  of  the  Saviour. 
 But  the  participation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  thus  common 
 to  all,  being  the  more  than  life,  as  it  were  something  be- 
 yond that  which  is  common  to  all ;  and  will  be  bestowed 
 only  upon  those  who  are  justified  by  faith  in  Christ :  and 
 the  Divine  Paul  also  will  prove  this  to  us,  saying  :  Behold,,  i  cor.  xv. 
 I  tell  you  a  mystery  :  We  shall  all  sleep,  hut  ive  shall  not  all  ^^'  ^^' 
 he  changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the 
 last  trump  :  for  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  dead  shall 
 he  raised  incorruptible,  and  ive  shall  be  changed.  For  in- 
 deed all  shall  rise  from  the  dead,  because  this  is  granted 
 to  all  nature,  through  the  grace  of  the  Resurrection ;  and 
 in  One,  that  is,  Christ,  Who  was  the  first  and  foremost  to 
 break  down  the  dominion  of  death  and  attain  eternal  life, 
 the  common  lot  of  humanity  was  changed  and  made  in- 
 corruptible, even  as  also  in  one,  that  is,  the  first  Adam,  it 
 was  condemned  to  death  and  corruption.  But  there  will 
 be  at  that  time  an  important  difference  among  those  who 
 ai-e  raised,  and  very  widely  distinct  will  be  their  destiny. 
 Fur  those  who  have  gone  to  their  rest  with  faith  in  Christ, 
 
■  74  Christ  proclaims  His  own  character. 
 
 Book  6.  and  wlio  have  received  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
 
 C.  X    11  .  .  .  ...  . 
 
 appointed  time  of  their  bodily  life,  will  obtain  the  most 
 perfect  grace,  and  will  be  changed  to  the  glory  which  shall 
 be  given  from  God.  But  those  who  have  not  believed  the 
 Son,  and  have  deemed  such  an  excellent  reward  of  no 
 account,  shall  be  once  more  condemned  by  His  voice,  and, 
 sharing  with  the  rest  in  nothing  save  in  the  restoration  to 
 life,  shall  pay  the  penalty  of  such  prolonged  unbelief.  For 
 they  shall  depart  down  into  Hades  to  be  punished,  and 
 S.  Matt,  shall  feel  unavailing  remorse.  For,  saith  He,  there  shall 
 be  the  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 
 
 11/  am  the  Good  Shepherd. 
 
 Having  previously  well  and  clearly  shown  how  grie- 
 vously those  who  lived  in  earlier  times  suffered  from  the 
 hypocrisy  of  the  false  prophets  and  false  shepherds,  and 
 having  made  manifest  the  advantages  to  be  brought  about 
 by  His  own  coming;  having  now  also  shewn  His  own 
 superiority  by  comparing  the  future  destinies  of  the 
 sheep,  and  being  crowned  as  Conqueror  by  the  votes  of 
 truth ;  He  appropriately  utters  the  words,  I  am  the  Good 
 Shepherd.  '  Certainly  therefore,'  He  says,  '  your  plans 
 against  Me  will  be  vain,  since  without  being  able  to 
 complain  that  I  wish  in  any  thing  to  damage  the  interests 
 of  the  sheep,  ye  hesitate  not  to  number  Me  with  those 
 who  are  wont  to  do  this,  and  Him  Who  is  truly  good  ye 
 call  evil,  losing  through  your  self-regard  the  ability  to 
 judge  each  matter  fairly  according  to  the  injunction  of 
 the  lawgiver.'  Therefore  He  rebukes  the  rulers  as  unjust, 
 as  quite  regardless  of  the  words  of  Moses,  as  ignorant  of 
 the  object  of  His  coming,  so  that  henceforth  the  prophet 
 Isaiah  may  be  acknowledged  to  speak  truly  concerning 
 Isa. V. 20.  them,  for  he  says:  Woe  unto  them  that  call  evil  good,  and 
 good  evil;  that  call  sweet  bitter,  and  bitter  siveet ;  that  put 
 darkness  for  light,  and  light  for  darkness.  For  indeed  will 
 they  not  be  found  to  do  this,  who  treat  the  True  Light,  that 
 is.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  darkness,  by  scrupling  not 
 to  reckon  our  Good  Shepherd  as  one  of  the  falsely-named 
 
Impious  behaviour  of  the  Pharisees.  75    ' 
 
 sTieplierds,  or  perhaps  daring  to  esteem  Him  even  less  Chap.  i. 
 honourable  than  they  ?  For  such  as  professed  themselves  '  ' 
 utterers  of  the  Divine  Word,  and  exercised  themselves 
 under  the  guise  of  prophecy  in  robbing  the  understanding 
 of  the  common  people  and  in  cunningly  stealing  them 
 from  the  way  of  truth,  and  led  their  followers  astray  to  do 
 their  own  pleasure  instead  of  God's, — such  as  these  were 
 held  in  high  esteem  by  those  who  seemed  to  be  in  power 
 at  that  time.  Certainly  Shemaiah  the  Salamite  opposed 
 his  own  falsehood  to  God's  words,  and  made  himself  bold 
 against  the  reputation  of  Jeremiah ;  for  the  latter  was  in 
 bonds,  and  the  former  had  honour  from  Zedekiah  as  a 
 reward  for  his  lies.  And  now  the  wretched  Pharisees 
 going  far  beyond  similar  impiety,  and  characterised  by 
 more  daring  insolence,  do  not  assign  to  Christ  even  the 
 position  allowed  to  false  teachers.  For  indeed  what  did 
 they  actually  say  to  some  who  were  listening  with  great 
 
 pleasure  to  His  discourse  ?     He  hath  a  devil,  and  is  mad  :  Inf-  ver. 
 
 ,  .  .  20. 
 
 why  hear  ye  Him  ?  Wherefore  Himself  also  says  concern- 
 ing them,  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  :  Woe  unto  them !  for  Hos.  vii. 
 they  have  fled  from  Me;  wretched  are  they,  for  they  have 
 been  impious  towards  Me :  though  I  have  redeemed  them, 
 yet  they  have  spoken  lies  against  Me.  And  again  :  Their  lb.  16. 
 rulers  shall  fall  by  the  sword  for  the  rage  of  their  tongue. 
 For  are  they  not  worthy  of  every  punishment,  who  fool- 
 ishly whet  their  tongue  to  such  a  sharpness  as  to  dare  to 
 say  against  Christ  such  things  as  are  not  becoming  in  any 
 way  for  us,  but  only  for  those  who  hold  similar  opinions, 
 either  to  receive  within  the  ears  or  heedlessly  to  repeat  ? 
 
 12  The  Good  Shepherd  layeth  down  His  life  for  the  sheep.  He 
 that  is  a  hireling,  and  not  a  shepherd,  whose  own  the  sheep 
 are  not,  heholdeth  the  wolf  coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep, 
 and  flee th,  and  the  ivolf  snatcheth  them,  and  scattereth  them  : 
 
 13  he  fleeth  iecause  he  is  a  hireling,  and  careth  not  for  the 
 
 sheep. 
 
 Having  made  a  skilful  comparison  between  the  prating 
 speeches  and  lawless  daring  of  some  and  the  splendour  of 
 
76  Christ  has  been  a  Good  Shepherd, 
 
 Book  6.  His  owu  works,  and  having  characterised  and  described 
 X  12  13 
 
 "'     '  the  former  as  thieves  and  robbers  and  climbers  into  the 
 
 sheepfold  by  some  other  way,  and  Himself  as  the  really 
 Good  Shepherd;  He  now  passes  on  to  speak  of  the  rulers 
 of  the  Jews  themselves,  and  shews  His  own  leadership  to 
 be  better  than  that  of  the  Pharisees.  And  the  demon- 
 stration of  this  again  He  makes  most  evident  to  them  by 
 means  of  a  comparison.  For  He  sets  in  contrast  as  it 
 were  with  their  heedlessness  and  indifference  His  own 
 watchfulness  and  love ;  and  again  accuses  them  of  caring 
 nothing  for  the  flock,  whereas  He  says  His  care  for  it 
 was  so  intense  that  He  despised  even  life,  which  to  all  is 
 so  dear.  And  He  explains  the  proper  method  of  testing  a 
 good  shepherd,  for  He  teaches  that  in  a  struggle  for  the 
 
 8  awrnpia  8  salvation  of  the  flock  such  a  one  ought  not  to  hesitate  to 
 give  up  even  life  itself  freely,  a  condition  which  was  of 
 course  fulfilled  by  Christ.  For  man,  having  yielded  to  an 
 inclination  for  sin,  at  once  wandered  away  from  love  to 
 Grod.  On  this  account  he  was  banished  from  the  sacred 
 and  Divine  fold,  I  mean  the  precincts  of  Paradise;  and 
 having  been  weakened  by  this  calamity,  he  became  the 
 prey  of  really  bitter  and  implacable  wolves,  the  devil  who 
 had  beguiled  him  to  sin,  and  death  which  had  been  ger- 
 minated from  sin.  But  when  Chi'ist  was  announced  as  the 
 Good  Shepherd  over  all,  in  the  struggle  with  this  pair  of 
 wild  and  terrible  beasts.  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us.  He 
 endured  the  cross  for  our  sakes  that  by  death  He  might 
 destroy  death,  and  was  condemned  for  our  sakes  that  He 
 might  deliver  all  men  from  condemnation  for  sin,  abolish- 
 
 Col.  ii.  ing  the  tyranny  of  sin  by  means  of  faith,  and  nailing  to  His 
 cross  the  bond  that  was  against  us,  as  it  is  written.    Accord- 
 
 Ps.  xlix.   ingly^  the  father  of  sin  used  to  put  us  in  Hades  like  sheep, 
 
 15'lxX)'  delivering  us  over  to  death  as  our  shepherd,  according  to 
 what  is  said  in  the  Psalms  :  but  the  really  Good  Shepherd 
 died  for  our  sakes,  that  He  might  take  us  out  of  the  dark 
 pit  of  death  and  prepare  to  enfold  us  among  the  companies 
 of  heaven,  and  give  unto  us  mansions  above,  even  with  the 
 Father,  instead  of  dens  situate  in  the  depths  of  the  abyss  or 
 
The  Pharisees  were  bad  shepherds.  77 
 
 tlie  recesses  of  tlie  sea.  Wherefore  also  He  somewhere  Chap.  i. 
 says  to  us  :  Fear  not,  little  flock ;  for  it  is  your  Father's  good  g'  j  V'  * 
 pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom.  These  words  apply  to  ^"-  ^2. 
 the  sheep  tended  by  Christ :  but  let  us  now  consider  the 
 state  of  the  flocks  of  those  others.  Surely,  by  him  who 
 looks  carefully  and  fairly  into  their  condition,  those  others 
 will  be  detected  as  nothing  else  than  hirelings  and  false 
 shepherds  and  wretches  and  betrayers  and  cowards,  who 
 have  never  taken  any  thought  for  the  benefit  of  the  sheep, 
 but  eagerly  grasp  on  every  side  at  whatever  seems  pleas- 
 ing in  any  way  to  themselves  individually.  For  they  were 
 hirelings,  according  to  the  Saviour's  words,  whose  own  the 
 sheep  were  not.  No :  the  sheep  were  Christ's,  Who  hired 
 those  men  from  the  beginning,  and  appointed  the  priests 
 to  the  highest  honours  and  headships  over  the  people  of 
 the  Jews  :  but  they,  [dishonouring]  so  dignified  [a  posi- 
 tion], and  altogether  neglecting  the  sheepfold,  betrayed 
 the  sheep  to  the  wolf,  and  we  will  briefly  explain  how  they 
 did  it.  In  earlier  times  the  numerous  people  of  the  Jews 
 acknowledged  God  only  for  their  king  :  to  Him  they  paid 
 the  half-shekel,  to  Him  they  ofl'ered  sacrifices  and  brought  S.Matt. 
 the  observance  of  the  Law  as  a  sort  of  tribute.  But  there  ^^"'  ' 
 came  upon  them  like  some  savage  wolf  a  man  of  foreign 
 race,  imposing  on  them  the  name  and  the  reality  of  slaverv, 
 and  laying  on  them  the  yoke  of  a  human  sovereignty,  com- 
 pelling them  somehow  to  adopt  a  strange  and  unwonted 
 manner  of  life,  demanding  tribute,  plundering  the  kingdom 
 of  God.  For  it  was  of  course  necessary  for  them  when  re- 
 duced to  such  distress  to  submit  to  the  enactments  of  their 
 conqueror.  The  foreigner  came,  overthrowing  the  rule 
 which  is  from  God,  that  is,  the  tribe  ordained  to  minister 
 in  holy  things,  to  whom  judgment  and  the  magistracy  were 
 committed  by  God ;  changing  everything  and  exercising 
 oppression;  causing  his  own  image  to  be  struck  on  the 
 coins,  and  practising  all  manner  of  arrogance.  Against 
 such  intolerable  insolence  the  shepherds  did  not  show 
 vigilance.  They  saw  the  v;olf  coming,  and  abandoned  the 
 flock,  and  fled,  for  the  sheep  were  not  their  own ;  they  did 
 
78  Effect  of  had  shepherds  on  the  flock. 
 
 Book  6.  not  Call  upon  Him  Who  was  able  to  help,  Who  delivered 
 ^'^'  '  them  out  of  the  hands  of  the  people  of  Babylon,  and  turned 
 Isa.  away  the  Assyrians,  Who  slew  by  the  hand  of  an  angel  a 
 
 se.'^^'  hundred  and  eiijhty  five  thousand  of  the  foreigners.  And 
 that  the  people  of  Israel  were  in  no  small  degree  injured 
 and  demoralised  by  the  acceptance  of  the  rule  of  the  aliens, 
 I  mean  under  those  of  foreign  race,  thou  mayest  learn 
 from  the  actual  result.  For  at  one  time  Pilate  rebuked 
 the  unlawful  boldness  of  the  Jews,  because  they  bade  him 
 Inf.  xix.  crucify  the  Lord,  and  when  he  publicly  said:  Shalll  crucify 
 your  King  ?  they  then  actually  at  once  threw  aside  their 
 servitude  under  God,  and  burst  asunder  the  bonds  of  their 
 old  allegiance,  and  proceeded  to  subject  themselves  as  it 
 lb.  were  to  a  new  yoke,  exclaiming  without  more  ado :   We 
 
 have  no  king  but  Caesar.  And  these  things,  both  what 
 the  people  did  and  what  they  cried  out,  appeared  to  their 
 leaders  to  be  right  and  proper;  certainly  therefore  we 
 must  ascribe  to  them  the  authorship  of  all  the  people's 
 misfortunes.  So  they  are  condemned,  and  very  reasonably, 
 as  betrayers  of  the  sheep,  as  wretches  and  cowards  and 
 most  certainly  sfond  of  fighting,  even  refusing  altogether 
 to  protect  and  defend  the  sheep  placed  in  their  charge. 
 Jer.  X.  21.  Wherefore  also  God  reproves  them,  saying  :  For  the  shep- 
 herds became  brutish,  and  did  not  seek  the  Lord;  therefore 
 none  of  the  flock  had  understanding,  and  they  were  scattered. 
 From  the  events  themselves  therefore  it  is  made  manifest 
 that  Christ  is  a  really  Good  Shepherd  of  sheep,  but  that 
 the  others  are  corrupters  rather  than  good  [shepherds] 
 and  are  altogether  to  be  excluded  from  any  praise  for  sin- 
 cerity. 
 
 14     /  am  the  Good  Shepherd. 
 
 Again  He  exults  in  having  gained  the  victory  and  ob- 
 tained the  suffrages  [of  His  hearers  to  the  effect]  that  He 
 ought  to  be  acknowledged  as  ruler  of  the  Jews,  suffrages 
 not  expressed  by  the  open  testimony  of  any,  but  arising 
 from  the  investigation  of  facts  which  has  just  been  under- 
 
 s  Either  oii  should  be  inserted  in  the  text,  or  <pi\6fxaxoi  is  ironical. 
 
Christ's  words  recall  EzehieVs.  79 
 
 taken.     For  I'ust  as  after  He  contrasted  His  own  works  Chap.  l. 
 
 ex   14 
 
 with  the  villainies  brought  about  by  the  false-prophets, 
 and  shewed  the  result  of  His  doings  to  be  better  than  that 
 of  their  falsehood  :  for  He  says  that  they  came,  unbidden, 
 merely  to  steal  and  to  kill  and  to  destroy,  to  tell  lies  and 
 to  say  things  unlawful;  but  that  He  Himself  was  come 
 that  the  sheep  might  have  not  life  merely,  but  also  some- 
 thing more ;  beautifully  and  rightly  He  exclaimed  :  I  am 
 the  Good  Shepherd  :  so  also  here,  after  characterising  the 
 really  good  shepherd  as  one  who  is  ready  to  die  on  behalf 
 of  the  sheep,  and  willing  to  lay  down  his  life  for  them, 
 whereas  the  hireling,  even  the  foreign  ruler,  is  a  wretch 
 and  a  coward  and  worthy  of  all  such  names  previously 
 given  him ;  since  He  knows  that  He  Himself  is  going  to 
 lay  down  His  life  for  the  sheep,  with  good  reason  He  again 
 cries  aloud  :  I  am  the  Good  Sheplierd.  For  He  Who  in  all  Col.  i. 
 things  hath  the  pre-eminence  must  of  course  be  superior  to 
 all,  so  that  the  Psalmist  once  more  may  appear  truthful, 
 when  he  says  somewhere  unto  Him :  That  Thou  mightest  y^'}^'  ^• 
 he  justified  in  Thy  ivords  and  victorious  when  Thou  art  LXX.) 
 judged. 
 
 And  besides  what  has  been  said,  this  other  matter  also 
 deserves  consideration.  For  my  own  part  I  think  that 
 teaching  intended  to  be  of  great  benefit  to  the  people  of 
 the  Jews  was  urged  upon  them  by  the  Lord,  not  merely 
 by  His  own  words,  but  also  the  utterances  of  the  Prophets, 
 to  persuade  them  to  a  willingness  to  think  according  to 
 right  reason,  and  to  know  of  a  certainty  that  He  is  the  Good 
 Shepherd  and  the  others  are  not  so.  And  whence  ?  Surely 
 it  would  not  be  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  even  if  they 
 were  not  persuaded  by  words  of  His,  yet  at  any  rate  they 
 would  not  be  unwilling  to  yield  to  those  of  their  own  Pro- 
 phets. He  accordingly  says  :  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd, 
 bringing  to  their  remembrance  as  it  were  the  words  spoken 
 by  the  voice  of  Ezekiel  and  recalling  them  to  the  minds  of 
 the  Jews.  For  thus  speaks  the  Prophet  concerning  Christ 
 and  those  whose  lot  it  was  to  rule  the  flock  of  the  Jews  :  Ezek, 
 
 Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  :   0  shepherds  of  Israel,  do  shep-  e. 
 
 (LXX.) 
 
80  Prophecy  foretold  the  Pharisees'  fate. 
 
 Book  6.  herds  feed  themselves?  do  not  shepherds  feed  their  flocks? 
 Behold,  ye  consume  the  milJc,  and  clothe  yourselves  with  the 
 ivool,  and  ye  slay  them  that  are  fat;  hut  ye  feed  not  My  sheep. 
 The  diseased  ye  have  not  strengthened,  neither  have  ye  re- 
 freshed the  sick,  neither  have  ye  hound  up  the  hroken,  neither 
 have  ye  turned  hack  the  strayed,  neither  have  ye  sought  the 
 lost ;  hut  ye  have  killed  even  the  strong  with  hardships.  And 
 My  sheep  were  scattered  hecause  there  were  no  shepherds,  and 
 they  hecame  tneat  to  all  the  heasts  of  the  field  :  and  My  sheep 
 were  scattered  on  every  mountain,  and  upon  every  high  hill, 
 and  over  the  face  of  all  the  earth ;  and  there  ivas  none  who 
 sought  them  or  turned  them  hack.  For  the  one  aim  of  tlie 
 rulers  of  the  Jews  was  to  look  only  for  their  own  gain,  and 
 to  make  money  out  of  the  offerings  of  their  subjects,  and 
 to  collect  tributes,  and  to  impose  burdens  over  and  above 
 the  law,  but  certainly  not  to  take  any  account  of  any- 
 thing which  was  likely  to  benefit  or  able  to  keep  in  safety 
 the  people  in  their  charge.  Wherefore  again  the  really  ex- 
 cellent Shepherd  speaks  concerning  them  in  these  words : 
 
 Ezek.        Thus  saith  the  Lord  God  :  Behold,  I  am  aqainst  the  shep- 
 
 XXXIV.    10.  .  .         ^  7-7  7  • 
 
 herds,  and  T will  reqidremy  sheep  ai  their  hands,  andltvill 
 cause  them  to  cease  from  feeding  My  sheep;  neither  shall 
 the  shepherds  feed  themselves  any  more :  and  I  ivill  deliver 
 My  sheep  out  of  their  mouth,  and  they  shall  no  longer 
 lb.  23-27.  he  unto  them  for  meat.  And  again,  after  other  words : 
 Aiid  I  ivill  set  up  One  Shepherd  over  them,  and  He  shall 
 feed  them,  even  My  Servant  David ;  and  He  shall  he  their 
 Shepherd,  and  I  the  Lord  will  he  their  God,  and  David  shall 
 he  a  Prince  among  them  :  *J  the  Lord  have  spoken  it.  And 
 I  will  make  with  David  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  Twill  cause 
 the  evil  heasts  to  disappear  out  of  the  land ;  and  they  shall 
 dwell  in  the  ivilderness  and  sleep  in  the  luoods.  And  I  will 
 set  them  round  ahout  My  hill,  and  I  will  give  you  rain, 
 even  the  rain  of  hlessing,  and  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  yield 
 their  fruit,  and  the  earth  shall  yield  her  increase.  Surely 
 in  these  words  God  very  well  and  distinctly  declares  that 
 tbe  unholy  multitude  of  the  Pharisees  shall  be  removed 
 from  the  leadership  of  the  Jews,  and  manifestly  announces 
 
The  blessedness  of  Christ's  flock.  81 
 
 tliat  after  them  shall  be  set  over  the  rational  flocks  of  Chap.  i. 
 believers  He  Who  is  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  j^'   *  -  ' 
 flesh,  even   Christ.     For  by  Him  God  hath  concluded  a  3. 
 covenant  of  peace,  namely,  the  Evangelic  and  Divine  pro- 
 clamation, which  leads  us  to  reconciliation  with  God,  and 
 wins  the  kingdom  of  heaven.     Likewise  also  through  Him 
 comes  the  rain  of  blessing,  that  is,  the  first-fruits  of  the 
 Spirit,  making  as  it  were  a  fruitful  land  of  the  soul  in 
 which  it  dwells.     And  since  the  Pharisees  caused  no  small 
 grief  to  their  sheep,  in  no  wise  feeding  them,  but  rather 
 suffering  them  to  be  in  many  ways   tormented,  whereas 
 Christ  saved  His  sheep  and  was  shown  to  be  a  giver  and 
 promoter  of  blessings  from  above.  He  appears  to  be  right 
 in  this  which  He  says  of  Himself:  I  am  the  Good  Shep- 
 herd. 
 
 And  let  no  one  find  it  a  stumbling-block,  I  pray  you, 
 that  God  the  Father  called  Him  Who  was  made  Man  of 
 the  seed  of  David  a  servant,  although  He  is  by  Nature  God 
 and  Very  Son ;  but  let  it  rather  be  understood,  that  He 
 has  humbled  Himself,  talcing  the  form  of  a  servant.  He  is  Phil.  ii. 
 therefore  called  by  God  the  Father  by  a  name  suitable  to  ' 
 His  assumed  form. 
 
 1 5     And  I  know  Mine  own,  and  Mine  ow7i  know  Me,  even  as  the 
 Father  knoweth  Me,  and  I  know  the  Father. 
 
 Without  sufficient  thought  any  one  might  say  that  by 
 these  words  the  Lord  wished  to  signify  nothing  more  than 
 this : — that  He  would  be  well-known  to  His  own  people, 
 and  would  freely  bestow  knowledge  concerning  Himself 
 upon  those  who  believe  on  Him ;  and  also  that  He  would 
 recognize  His  own  people,  manifestly  implying  that  the 
 recognition  would  not  be  without  profit  to  those  whose 
 lot  it  might  be  to  experience  it.  For  what  shall  we  say 
 is  better  than  being  known  by  God  ?  But  since  what  is 
 here  expressed  somehow  claims  for  itself  a  keener  scrutiny, 
 especially  because  He  added  :  As  the  Father  hioweth  Me 
 and  I  Jcnoiv  the  Father ;  come  and  let  us  proceed  towards 
 such  an  understanding  of  the  words  before  us.     For  I  do 
 
 VOL.  II.  G 
 
82  "  Knowledge  "  is  not  mere  "  acquaintance/' 
 
 Book  G.  not  think  tliat  any  living  being  who  has  a  sound  mind  will 
 say  that  he  has  power  to  be  able  to  attain  to  such  know- 
 ledge concerning  Christ  as  that  which  we  may  suppose 
 God  the  Father  has  concerning  Him.  For  the  Father 
 9  yivvr)ixa  alouc  knows  His  own  ^  Offspring,  and  is  known  by  His 
 s.  Matt,  own  Offspring  alone.  For  no  one  Jcnoweth  the  Son,  save 
 the  Father ;  nor  again  doth  any  Imoiv  what  the  Father  is, 
 save  the  Son,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Saviour  Him- 
 self.    For  that  the  Father  is  God  and  the  Son  likewise  is 
 
 ''^'ZS^*  ^*  Very  God,  we  both  know  and  have  believed :  but  what 
 
 p.  678.  . 
 
 their  ineffable  Nature  is  in  its  Essence  is  utterly  incompre- 
 hensible to  us  and  to  all  other  rational  creatures.  How 
 then  shall  we  know  the  Son  in  like  measure  as  the  Father 
 doth  ?  For  we  must  consider  in  what  sense  He  declares 
 that  He  will  recognize  us  and  be  recognized  by  us,  as  He 
 knoweth  the  Father  and  the  Father  Him. 
 
 Therefore  we  must  also  investigate  what  meaning  we 
 shall  consistently  attach  to  the  words  so  as  not  to  be 
 out  of  harmony  with  the  context ;  this  we  must  seek  for. 
 For  my  part,  I  will  not  conceal  that  which  comes  into  my 
 
 cf.Vol. I,  mind;  nevertheless  let  it  be  accepted  [only]  by  such  as 
 
 677^   '      are  willing.     For  I  think  that  in  these  words  He  means 
 
 ^yvwffis  by  "^knowledge^'  not  simply  "^acquaintance,"  but  rather 
 '''^'^  employs  this  word  to  signify  "  friendly  relationship,"  either 
 by  kinship  and  nature,  or  as  it  were  in  the  participation 
 of  grace  and  honour.  In  this  way  it  is  customary  for  the 
 children  of  the  Greeks  to  say  they  "  know"  not  only  those 
 who  are  of  more  distant  family  relationship,  but  also 
 even  their  actual  brothers.  And  that  the  Divine  Scripture 
 too  speaks  of  friendly  relationship  as  knowledge,  we  shall 
 perceive  from  what  follows.  For  Christ  somewhere  says 
 concerning  those  who  were  not  at  all  in  friendly  relation- 
 
 S.Matt.    ship  with  Him  :  Many  ivill  say  to  Me  in  that  day,  namely, 
 
 '    '    ■  in  the  Day  of  judgment.  Lord,  Lord,  did  we  not  hy  Thy 
 
 Name  do  many  mighty  ivorJcs,  and  cast  out  devils  ?    Then 
 
 will  I  prof  ess  unto  them,  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Ineverlcneio 
 
 you.    Again  if  "knowledge"  means  simply  "acquaintance," 
 
 Heb.  iv.    how  can  He  Who  has  all  things  nailed  and  laid  open  before 
 
 I 
 
hut  implies  a  loving  intimacy.  83 
 
 nis  eyes,  as  it  is  written,  Who  even  knows  all  things  before  Chap.  i. 
 they  be, — how  can  He  be  without  knowledge  of  any  living  Hist."  Sus. 
 beings  ?  It  is  therefore  quite  unintelligible,  or  rather  it  ' 
 is  positively  impious,  to  suspect  that  the  Lord  is  without 
 knowledge  of  any ;  and  we  will  rather  think  that  He  means 
 to  speak  of  them  as  brought  into  no  friendly  relationship 
 or  communion  with  Him.  As  though  He  says :  "  I  do  not 
 know  you  to  have  been  lovers  of  virtue,  or  to  have  honoured 
 My  word,  or  to  have  joined  yourselves  unto  Me  by  good 
 works."  Conformably  with  this  thou  wilt  also  understand 
 what  is  spoken  with  regard  to  the  all-wise  Moses,  when 
 God  says  to  him  :  I  know  thee  above  all  [other  men],  and  ^^^^:  ,„ 
 thou  hast  found  grace  in  My  sight ;  which  signifies  :  "  Thou,  (LXX) 
 more  than  any  other  man,  hast  been  brought  into  friendly 
 relationship  with  Me,  and  hast  obtained  much  grace.'* 
 And  when  we  say  this,  we  do  not  take  away  the  significa- 
 tion of  "  acquaintance"  from  the  word  "  knowledge,"  but 
 simply  attach  a  more  suitable  meaning  in  harmony  with 
 our  ideas  on  the  subject.  Accordingly,  when  He  says : 
 I  know  Mine,  and  am  known  by  Mine,  even  as  the  Father 
 knoweth  Me,  and  I  know  the  Father ;  it  is  equivalent  to 
 saying  :  "  I  shall  enter  into  friendly  relationship  with  My 
 sheep,  and  My  sheep  shall  be  brought  into  friendly  rela- 
 tionship with  Me,  according  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
 Father  is  intimate  with  Me,  and  again  I  also  am  intimate 
 with  the  Father."  For  just  as  Grod  the  Father  knows  His 
 own  Son  and  the  Fruit  of  His  Substance,  by  reason  of 
 being  really  His  Parent ;  and  again,  the  Son  knows  the 
 Father,  holding  Him  as  God  in  truth,  inasmuch  as  He  is 
 Begotten  of  Him  :  in  the  same  way,  we  also,  being  brought 
 into  friendly  relationship  with  Him,  are  called  His  kindred 
 and  are  spoken  of  as  children,  according  to  that  which  was 
 said  by  Him  :  Behold,  I  and  the  children  whom  God  hath  Isa-  viii. 
 given  Me.  And  we  both  are  and  are  called  the  kindred  in 
 truth  of  the  Son,  and  through  Him  of  the  Father;  because 
 the  Only-Begotten,  being  God  of  God,  was  made  Man, 
 assuming  the  same  nature  as  ours,  although  separate  from 
 all  sin.     Else  how  are  we  the  offsprinq  of  God,  and  in  what  Acts  xvH. 
 
 Q  2  ^^>  ^'^- 
 
84  Christ  "  hiows  "  all  men, 
 
 Book  6.  way  partalcers  of  the  Divine  Nature  ?    For  not  in  the  mere 
 
 2  s.  Pet.    ^^^^  °^  Christ  to  receive  us  into  friendly  relationship  have 
 i.  4.  we  our  full  measure  of  boasting,  but  the  power  of  the  thing 
 
 itself  is  realised  as  true  by  all  of  us.  For  the  Word  of 
 God  is  a  Divine  Nature  even  Avhen  in  the  flesh,  and  we  are 
 His  kindred,  notwithstanding  that  He  is  by  Nature  God, 
 because  of  His  taking  the  same  flesh  as  ours.  Therefore 
 the  manner  of  the  friendly  relationship  is  similar.  For  as 
 He  is  closely  related  to  the  Father,  and  through  the  same- 
 ness of  their  Nature  the  Father  is  closely  related  to  Him ; 
 so  also  are  we  to  Him  and  He  to  us,  in  so  far  as  He  was 
 made  Man.     And  through  Him  as  through  a  Mediator  are 
 
 3  /.fWpio//  we  joined  with  the  Father.     For  Christ  is  a  sort  of  ^  link 
 
 connecting  the  Supreme  Godhead  with  manhood,  being 
 both  in  the  same  Person,  and  as  it  were  combining  in 
 Himself  these  natures  which  are  so  difl"erent :  and  on  the 
 one  hand,  as  He  is  by  Nature  God,  He  is  joined  with  God 
 the  Father ;  whereas  on  the  other  hand,  as  He  is  in  truth 
 a  Man,  He  is  joined  with  men. 
 
 But  perhaps  some  one  will  say,  "  Dost  thou  not  see,  O 
 fellow,  to  what  a  perilous  hazard  thy  argument  is  leading 
 thee  ?  For  if  in  so  far  as  He  became  Man  we  shall  think 
 that  He  knows  His  own,  that  is,  comes  into  friendly 
 relationship  with  His  sheep;  who  remains  outside  the 
 fold  ?  For  they  will  be  all  together  in  friendly  relationship, 
 because  they  are  men  just  as  He  is  Man.  Why  then  does 
 He  any  longer  use  the  superfluous  word  '  Mine  ? '  And 
 what  is  the  peculiar  mark  of  those  that  are  really  His  ? 
 For  if  all  are  in  friendly  relationship  from  the  above-men- 
 tioned cause,  what  greater  advantage  will  those  who  know 
 Him  intimately  have  ?  " 
 
 We  say  in  reply,  that  the  manner  of  the  friendly  rela- 
 tionship is  common  to  all,  both  to  those  who  have  known 
 Him  and  to  those  who  have  not  known  Him ;  for  He 
 became  Man,  not  showing  favour  to  some  and  not  to 
 others,  out  of  partiality,  but  pitying  our  fallen  nature  in 
 its  entirety.  Yet  the  manner  of  the  friendly  relationship 
 will  avail    nothing    for    those  who   are  insolent  through 
 
 1 
 I 
 
hut  not  all  in  equal  degree.  85 
 
 unbelief,  but   rather  will   be  allotted  as  a  distinguishing  Chap.  i. 
 reward  to  those  who  love  Him.     For  just  as  the  doctrine  ^'^'     ' 
 of   the    resurrection    extends    to    all    men,    through    the  Vol.  I. 
 Resurrection  of  the   Saviour,  Who  causes  to   rise  with  4n,     ' 
 Himself  the  nature  of  man  in  its  entirety,  yet  it  will  ^^  ^^'^^ 
 profit  nothing  those  who  love  sin,  (for  they  will  go  down 
 into  Hades,  receiving  restoration  to  life   only  that  they 
 may  be  punished  as  they  deserve) ;  nevertheless  it  will  be 
 of  great  profit  to  those  who  have  practised  the  more  ex- 
 cellent way  of  life,  (for  they  will  receive  the  resurrection 
 to  the  participation  of  the  good  things  which  pass  under- 
 standing) :  in  just  the  same  way  I  think  the  doctrine  of 
 the  friendly  relationship  applies  to  all  men,  both  bad  and 
 good,  yet  is  not  the  same  thing  to  all ;  but  while  to  those 
 who  believe  on  Him  it  is  the  means  of  true  kinship  and 
 of  the  blessings  consequent  upon  that,  to  those  who  are 
 not  such  it  is  an  aggravation  of  their  ingratitude  and  un- 
 holiness.     Such  is  our  opinion  on  this  subject,  but  let  any 
 one  who  can  do  so  think  out  the  more  perfect  meaning. 
 
 Now  however  we  must  notice  at  the  same  time  how 
 true  and  carefully  accurate  the  language  is,  for  Christ  is 
 not  found  to  treat  subjects  in  inconsistent  and  varying 
 ways,  but  to  put  every  separate  thing  in  its  own  and  most 
 suitable  place.  For  He  did  not  say :  ''  Mine  know  Me 
 and  I  know  Mine,"  but  He  introduces  in  the  first  place 
 Himself  as  knowing  His  own  sheep,  then  afterwards  He 
 says  that  He  shall  be  known  by  them.  And  if  knowledge 
 be  taken  in  the  sense  of  acquaintance,  as  we  were  saying 
 at  the  beginning  it  might  be,  thou  wilt  understand  some- 
 thing like  this :  "  We  did  not  first  know  Him,  but  He 
 first  knew  us.^'  For  instance,  Paul  when  writing  to  some 
 of  the  Gentiles  says  something  of  this  sort,  as  follows  : — 
 Wherefoj'e  rememher,  ye,  the  Gentiles  in  the  flesh,  who  are  Eph.  ii. 
 called  Uncircumcision  by  that  which  is  called  Circumcision,  ^'■~^^' 
 in  the  flesh,  made  by  hands ;  that  ye  were  at  that  time 
 separate  from  Christ,  alienated  from  the  commonwealth  of 
 Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  covenants  of  the  promise, 
 having  no  hope  and  loithout  God  in  the  ivorld.     But  now  in 
 
86  Glirlst  luillingly  died  for  His  sheep. 
 
 Book  6.  Christ  Jesus  ye  that  once  luere  far  off  are  made  nigh  in  the 
 blood  of  Christ.  For  out  of  His  unbounded  kindness 
 Christ  introduced  Himself  to  the  Gentiles,  and  knew  them 
 
 Supra       before  that  He  was  known  by  them.     And  if  knowledge 
 
 be  understood   as   friendship  and  relationship,  again  we 
 
 say  likewise  :    "  It  was  not  we  who   began  this  state  of 
 
 things,  but  the  Only-Begotten  Son  of  God.-"     For  we  did 
 
 not  lay  hold  of  the  Godhead  which  is  above  our  nature, 
 
 Heb.  ii,    but  He  Who  is  in  His  Nature  God  tooJc  hold  of  the  seed  of 
 16.  . 
 
 Abraham,  as  Paul  says,  and  became  Man,  so  that  being 
 
 lb.  17.  made  like  imto  His  brethren  in  all  things,  except  sin,  He 
 migbt  receive  into  friendly  relationship  him  who  of  him- 
 self had  not  this  privilege,  that  is,  man.  Therefore,  as  a 
 matter  of  course,  He  says  that  He  first  knew  us,  then 
 afterwards  that  we  knew  Him. 
 
 And  I  lay  down  My  life  for  the  sheep. 
 
 Thus  He  was  prepared  on  behalf  of  those  who  were 
 now  His  friends  and  relations  to  afford  protection  in  every 
 way,  and  He  promises  even  willingly  to  incur  peril,  giving 
 a  proof  in  fact  by  taking  this  upon  Himself  that  He  really 
 is  the  Good  Shepherd.  For  some,  abandoning  the  sheep 
 to  the  wolves,  were  well  designated  on  that  account  as 
 wretches  and  hirelings  :  but  since  He  knew  that  He  must 
 strive  on  their  behalf  so  vigorously  as  not  even  to  shrink 
 from  death,  He  might  with  good  reason  be  deemed  a  Good 
 Shepherd.  And  by  saying :  I  lay  down  My  life  for  the 
 sheep,  because  /  am  the  Good  Shepherd,  He  covertly  re- 
 bukes the  Pharisees,  and  gives  them  perhaps  to  understand 
 that  one  day  they  would  act  thus  franticly,  and  reach  such 
 a  pitch  of  madness  against  Him,  as  to  compass  the  death 
 of  One  Who  by  no  means  deserved  this,  but  rather  was 
 worthy  of  all  praise  and  admiration,  both  because  of  the 
 deeds  which  He  wrought  and  on  account  of  His  excellent 
 skill  in  the  duties  of  a  shepherd. 
 
 Nevertheless  we  must  remark  that  Christ  did  not  unwil- 
 lingly endure  death  on  our  behalf  and  for  our  sakes,  but  is 
 
 seen  to  go  towards  it  voluntarily,  although  very  easily  able 
 \ 
 
His  "sheep"  include  the  Gentiles.  87 
 
 to  escape  tlie  suffering,  if  He  willed  not  to  suffer.     There-  Chap.  i. 
 fore  we  shall  see,  in  His  willingness  even  to  suffer  for  us, 
 the  excellency  of  His  love  towards  us  and  the  immensity 
 of  His  kindness. 
 
 16     J7id  other  sheep  I  have,  ivhich  are  not  of  this  fold :  them 
 also  I  mnst  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  My  voice ;  and  they 
 shall  become  one  flock,  one  shepherd. 
 
 In  divers  manners  He  rattles  His  blows  around  the 
 *  lawless  Pharisees ;  for  that  they  would  almost  iramedi-  4  Sra/cTos 
 ately  be  thrust  out  from  the  charge  of  the  sheep  and  that 
 in  their  stead  He  Himself  would  govern  and  lead  them. 
 He  intimates  by  many  sayings.  And  He  throws  out  hints 
 that,  having  joined  the  flocks  of  the  Gentiles  to  the  better 
 disposed  of  Israel,  He  will  rule  not  merely  the  flock  of 
 the  Jews,  but  will  at  once  extend  the  light  of  His  own 
 glory  over  the  whole  earth,  and  call  the  nations  in  every 
 quarter  to  the  knowledge  of  God;  not  suffering  Himself 
 to  be  known  in  Judaea  only,  as  was  the  case  in  early  cf.  Ps.  , 
 times,  but  rather  in  every  country  under  heaven  giving 
 the  information  which  leads  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  true 
 knowledge  of  God.  And  that  Christ  was  appointed  to  be 
 a  Guide  of  the  Gentiles  unto  piety,  any  one  may  learn, 
 and  very  easily ;  for  the  inspired  Scripture  is  full  of  testi- 
 monies to  this,  and  perhaps  it  would  not  be  wrong  to  pass 
 it  over  altogether,  leaving  it  to  the  more  studious  to  seek 
 out  such  passages ;  but  nevertheless  I  will  adduce  two  or 
 three  sentences  from  the  Prophets  concerning  this,  before 
 I  pass  on  to  what  follows.  Well  then,  God  the  Father 
 somewhere  says  with  regard  to  Christ :  Behold,  I  have  given  jsg,.  iv.  4. 
 JUm  for  a  witness  to  tlie  Gentiles,  a  leader  and  commander 
 to  the  Gentiles.  For  Christ  bore  witness  to  the  Gentiles, 
 giving  them  instruction  unto  salvation,  and  frankly  telling 
 them  the  things  whereby  they  must  be  saved.  And  the 
 Divine  Psalmist,  as  if  calling  those  in  all  quarters  into  one 
 joyous  company,  and  bidding  all  under  the  sun  to  gather 
 themselves  together  to  a  heavenly  feast  says  :   0  clap  your  Ps.  xlvii. 
 
88  Tlie  call  of  the  Gentiles  had  been  foretold. 
 
 Book  6.  hands,  all  ye  Gentiles;  shout  unto  God  ivith  the  voice  of 
 exidtation.  But  if  it  may  seem  good  to  any  one  to  inquire 
 into  tlie  cause  of  such  a  glorious  and  noble  act  of  praise, 
 Ps.  xlvii,  ]2e  will  find  it  clearly  expressed :  For  God  is  the  king  of 
 all  the  earth  :  sing  ye  praises  ivith  understanding  :  God 
 reigneth  over  all  the  Gentiles.  And  somewhere  also  he  has 
 introduced  the  Lord  Himself  announcing  in  His  own 
 words  the  Evangelic  Proclamation  to  all  the  Gentiles  to- 
 gether ;  for  in  the  eight  and  fortieth  Psalm  He  says : 
 Ps.  xlix.  JJ^ear  this,  all  ye  Gentiles  ;  give  ear,  all  ye  inhabitants  of 
 (xlviii.  the  world,  both  the  low-born  and  the  nobles,  rich  and  'poor  to- 
 LXX)  gether.  My  mouth  shall  speak  ofrvisdom,  and  the  meditation 
 of  my  heart  shall  be  of  understanding.  For  how  shall  any 
 one  mention  any  thing  wiser  than  the  Gospel  precepts,  or 
 what  shall  we  find  so  full  of  hidden  understanding  as  the 
 instruction  which  comes  through  Christ  ?  Therefore,  for 
 our  explanation  must  revert  to  what  we  began  with.  He 
 clearly  foretells  that  the  multitude  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
 be  united  into  one  flock  with  the  obedient  of  Israel.  But 
 "  For  what  reason,"  some  one  who  is  more  keenly  search- 
 ing into  the  signification  of  this  passage  may  say,  ''  does 
 the  Saviour,  when  addressing  the  rulers  of  the  Jews,  and 
 speaking  to  men  whose  hearts  burned  with  hatred  and 
 envy,  reveal  mysteries  ?  For  tell  me  why  such  men 
 should  be  informed  that  He  would  rule  the  Gentiles,  and 
 that  He  would  gather  into  His  own  folds  the  sheep  from 
 beyond  the  limits  of  Judaea  ?  "  "What  then  shall  we  say 
 to  this,  and  how  shall  we  explain  it  ?  Not  as  to  friends 
 does  He  impart  mysteries  [to  these  men],  but  neither 
 does  He  deem  the  explanation  of  these  matters  useless  to 
 them  :  on  the  other  hand,  He  thus  speaks  because  He 
 knew  it  would  profit  them  as  much  as  anything  He  could 
 doj  for  this  was  His  object,  although  the  mind  of  His 
 hearers,  being  quite  obstinate  and  not  yielding  to  obe- 
 dience, remained  inflexible.  And  because  He  was  aware 
 that  they  knew  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  announce- 
 ments of  the  Holy  Prophets,  and  in  the  Prophets  the 
 statements  are  frequent  and  abundant  that  Christ  was  to 
 
Christ  replies  to  His  enemies'  thoughts.  89 
 
 convert  the  Grentiles  also  to  the  knowledo;e  of  God:  on  this  Chap.  i. 
 
 .  c.  X.  17. 
 
 account  He  set  this  matter  before  them  as  a  most  manifest 
 
 sign  that  He  was    clearly  the  One  fore-announced.     He 
 
 publicly  declared  that  He  would  call  even  those  sheep  who 
 
 were  not  of  the  Jewish  fold,  in  order  (as  we  said  just  now) 
 
 that  they  might  believe  Him  to  be  really  the  One  Whom 
 
 the  company  of  the  holy  men  had  foretold. 
 
 1 7     Therefore  doth  the  Father  love  Me,  because  I  lay  down  My 
 life,  that  I  may  take  it  again. 
 
 He  replies  oftentimes  not  only  to  the  words  uttered  at  the 
 time  with  the  tongue,  but  to  the  reasonings  in  the  depth 
 [of  the  heart]  ;  for  being  Very  God,  He  has  a  clear  know- 
 ledge of  all  things.  Accordingly,  when  the  unholy  Jews 
 mocked  at  His  words,  especially  because  He  promised  that 
 He  would  struggle  on  behalf  of  His  own  sheep  to  such  a 
 degree  and  so  very  earnestly  that  He  was  actually  ready 
 even  to  die  for  them,  thinking  that  He  now  talked  foolishly 
 and  deeming  Him  mad ;  forcibly  now  at  length  He  shows 
 those  who  were  mockers,  because  of  the  ignorance  and  at 
 the  same  time  the  unbounded  impiety  that  was  in  them, 
 that  they  are  guilty  both  in  words  and  in  deeds  of  dis- 
 honouring that  which  God  the  Father  recognises  as  worthy 
 of  great  honour.  For  the  Father  loveth  Me,  He  says,  for 
 this  very  thing  that  you  through  your  great  lack  of  under- 
 standing so  utterly  despise.  Are  ye  not  therefore  arrogant 
 and  chargeable  with  gross  impiety,  when  ye  say  that  is  a 
 fit  object  for  mockery  which  to  God  is  most  acceptable 
 and  well-pleasing  ?  And  somehow  also  He  gives  them  to 
 understand  from  these  words,  that  they  were  greatly 
 hated  by  God.  For  if  God  loves  the  One  Who  lays  down 
 His  life  for  the  sheep  of  the  fold  entrusted  to  His  care,  it 
 is  of  course  necessary  to  suppose  that  He  holds  in  detesta- 
 tion the  one  who  heholdeth  the  wolf  coming  and  leavetli  the 
 herd  [a  prey]  to  the  prowling  and  ravenous  beast,  and 
 tux-neth  to  flight;  just  what  Christ  had  convicted  those, 
 whose  lot  it  was  then  to  rule  the  people  or  flock  of  the 
 Jews,  of  doing.     At  the  same  time  therefore  He  reproves 
 
90  The  Father  always  loved  the  Son, 
 
 Book  6.  them  both  as  hated  by  God  and  as  being  ungodly,  because 
 they  did  not  shrink  from  laughing  at  what  God  honoured 
 most  highly.  Moreover,  Christ  declares  that  He  was 
 loved  by  God  the  Father,  not  merely  because  He  lays 
 down  His  life,  but  because  He  lays  it  down  that  He  may 
 also  tal-e  it  again  :  for  of  course  it  is  in  this  point  especially 
 that  the  greatness  of  the  benefits  He  wrought  for  us  ap- 
 pears conspicuous.  For  if  He  had  only  died,  and  had  not 
 risen  again,  what  would  have  been  the  advantage  ?  And 
 how  would  He  appear  to  have  benefitted  our  nature,  if 
 He  had  remained  amongst  us,  dead,  under  the  bonds  of 
 death,  and  subjected  to  consequent  corruption  in  the  same 
 way  as  others  ?  But  since  He  laid  it  down  that  He  might 
 also  take  it  again,  He  in  this  way  saved  our  nature  per- 
 fectly, bringing  to  naught  the  power  of  death;  and  He 
 will  display  us  as  a  new  creation. 
 
 Accordingly,  the  Son  is  beloved  by  God  the  Father; 
 not  as  though  He  would  have  remained  without  that  love, 
 had  not  His  work  for  us  been  done ;  for  He  was  always 
 and  at  all  times  beloved.  And  we  will  proceed  towards 
 the  comprehension  of  what  is  here  said.  The  qualities 
 which  nq,turally  are  inherent  in  any  thing,  or  which  hap- 
 pen to  be  possessed  by  it,  are  most  strikingly  manifested 
 at  any  particular  time  when  they  are  exhibited  with  special 
 intensity.  For  example,  fire  naturally  has  in  itself  its  own 
 heat,  but  when  it  displays  it  upon  pieces  of  wood,  then 
 especially  we  recognise  what  force  and  what  power  there 
 is  in  it.  Similarly,  the  man  who  has  acquired  a  knowledge 
 perhaps  of  grammar  or  of  some  other  such  science,  would 
 not  be  admired  for  it,  I  suppose,  if  he  remained  silent,  but 
 rather  when  he  has  exhibited  to  the  appreciation  of  others 
 the  excellence  of  the  knowledge  he  possesses.  In  like 
 manner  therefore  the  Divine  and  ineffable  Nature,  when 
 it  strongly  exhibits  any  of  Its  own  inherent  qualities,  or 
 any  of  the  attributes  naturally  belonging  to  It ;  at  such  a 
 time  It  also  is  by  Itself  most  strikingly  manifested,  and  so 
 is  seen  by  us.     For  instance.  Wisdom  saith  in  the  Book  of 
 
 Prov.viii.  Proverbs  :  I  it  was  in  Whom  He  rejoiced,  and  daihi  I  was 
 30,31.  ■'  '' 
 
hid  especially  for  redeeming  men.  91 
 
 deligJited,  [being']  always  in  His  presence  ;  when  He  was  de-  Chap.  1. 
 liglited  at  having  finished  the  ivorld,  and  was  taking  delight 
 in  the  sons  of  men  :  although  joy  always  belongs  to  God, 
 and  His  gladness  is  without  end.  Surely  nothing  what- 
 ever grieves  Him  Who  possesses  authority  over  all ;  yet 
 He  rejoices  in  His  own  Wisdom  at  having  finished  the 
 world.  For  when  He  beholds  the  energy  of  His  own 
 Wisdom  exhibited  in  His  work,  then  most  especially  He 
 thought  that  He  must  more  abundantly  rejoice.  In  this 
 way  therefore  we  will  understand  what  is  said  in  this 
 place.  For  God  the  Father  being  love,  according  to  the  i  S.  John 
 language  of  John,  and  not  simply  good  but  rather  goodness 
 itself,  when  He  saw  His  own  Son  laying  down  His  life 
 for  us  through  His  love  towards  us,  and  His  surpassing 
 goodness  keeping  unaltered  the  exact  characteristics  of 
 His  own  Nature,  reasonably  loved  Him;  not  bestowing 
 His  love  upon  Him  as  a  sort  of  reward  for  the  things  that 
 had  been  done  for  us,  but,  as  we  have  said,  beholding  in 
 His  Son  that  which  was  true  to  His  own  Essence,  and 
 being  drawn  to  love  Him  as  if  by  certain  necessary  and 
 irresistible  impulses  of  nature.  Therefore,  just  as  even 
 among  ourselves,  if  any  one  beholds  perchance  in  his  own 
 child  the  image  of  his  own  form  exactly  represented,  he  is 
 drawn  to  an  intensity  of  love  whensoever  he  looks  at  him  : 
 after  this  manner  I  think  God  the  Father  is  said  to  love 
 His  own  Son,  Who  for  us  lays  down  His  own  life,  and 
 takes  it  again.  For  it  is  a  work  of  love  to  have  chosen 
 even  to  suffer,  and  to  suffer  ignominiously,  for  the  salva- 
 tion of  some ;  and  not  to  die  only,  but  also  to  take  again 
 the  life  that  was  laid  down,  in  order  to  destroy  death  and 
 to  take  away  sorrow  from  [the  thought  of]  corruption. 
 Therefore,  being  alway  beloved  by  reason  of  His  Nature, 
 He  will  be  understood  to  have  been  beloved  also  on 
 account  of  His  love  towards  us,  causing  thereby  gladness 
 of  heart  to  His  Father  :  since  He  in  that  very  thing  was 
 enabled  to  see  the  Image  of  His  own  Nature  shining  forth 
 quite  unclouded  and  unadulterated. 
 
[OUR  FATHER  AMONG  THE   SAINTS 
 
 CYRIL 
 
 Archbishop  of  Alexandria 
 
 ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCOEDING   TO   JOHN.] 
 
 THE  FRAGMENTS  WHICH   ARE  EXTANT  OF 
 
 BOOK   VII. 
 
 X.  1 8.     No  man  taketh  it  from  Me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of  Myself. 
 I  have  power  to  lay  it  down,  and  I  have  power  to  take  it 
 again. 
 
 In  this  place  He  teaches  that  He  is  not  only  a  Good 
 Shepherd  enduring  peril  for  the  sake  of  His  flock,  but 
 also  in  His  Nature  God.  Therefore  He  would  not  have 
 suffered  death,  had  He  not  been  willing,  through  His 
 possessing  the  very  God-befitting  power  of  undertaking 
 this  work,  so  very  advantageous  to  us.  And  the  structure 
 of  the  discourse  taught  the  Jews  this  also,  that  they  were 
 never  going  to  prevail  against  Him  unless  He  was  willing. 
 And  not  only  as  regards  laying  down  life  did  He  say :  I 
 have  power ;  but  this  expression  :  I  have  power,  He  used 
 with  regard  to  both  His  Death  and  His  Resurrection,  in 
 order  that  the  action  of  might  and  energy  might  not 
 appear  to  be  that  of  another,  as  though  it  were  a  con- 
 cession granted  to  Him  as  to  a  minister  and  servant  in 
 office;  but  in  order  that  He  might  display  as  a  fruit  of 
 His  own  Nature  the  power  to  exercise  authority  over  the 
 very  bonds  of  death,  and  easily  to  modify  the  natures  of 
 things  in  whatever  way  He  wished,  which  is  realiy  a 
 characteristic  of  Him  Who  is  by  Nature  God.  This  then 
 He  wishes  to  show  by  saying:  I  have  power  to  lay  down 
 
The  Father  and  the  Son  have  one  Will.  93 
 
 My   life,   and  I  have  power   to   talce  it    again :    because,  c  x.  18. 
 neither  commanded  as  a  servant  or  a  minister,  nor  even 
 as  it  were  from  necessity,  nor  being  violently  compelled 
 by  any,  but  willingly.  He  came  to  do  this. 
 
 This  commandment  received  I  from.  My  Father. 
 
 For  lest  any  one  should  say  that  against  the  will  of  the 
 Son  the  Father  is  not  able  to  take  away  His  life,  and 
 hence  introduce  discord  and  variance  into  the  One  God- 
 head of  the  Father  and  the  Son;  by  these  words  which 
 He  says :  I  received  commandment,  He  shows  that  the 
 Father  also  agrees  and  consents  to  this,  and  professes 
 that  They  come  forward  to  it  as  with  one  accord,  although 
 He  is  the  Will  of  the  Father.  And  this  will  be  found 
 consistent  also  with  His  Incarnation.  By  saying  that  He 
 received  in  the  way  of  a  commandment  that  which  seemed 
 right  in  the  eyes  of  His  Father,  He  being  by  Nature  God 
 does  not  make  Himself  inferior  to  the  Father,  but  observes 
 what  befits  His  participation  of  man's  nature.  Again,  He 
 puts  us  in  mind  that  He  is  Himself  the  Prophet  concern- 
 ing Whom  the  Father  said  :  lie  shall  speah  according  as  I  Deut. 
 shall  command  Him;  speaking  of  the  common  Will  of 
 both  Father  and  Son  as  received  like  a  commandment. 
 This  He  spake  to  the  Jews  lest  they  should  think  that 
 He  said  things  contrary  to  the  ordinances  of  the  Father. 
 And  if  the  Father  named  His  own  Consubstantial  Son  a 
 Prophet,  be  not  troubled ;  for  when  He  became  Man,  then 
 also  the  name  of  Prophet  was  suitable  to  Him,  then  also 
 we  may  say  that  commandments  were  given  to  Him  by 
 the  Father  agreeably  to  His  human  nature.  But  one  who 
 receives  commandments  is  not  for  that  reason  inferior  or 
 unlike  in  essence  or  nature  to  one  who  gives  command- 
 ments, inasmuch  as  men  give  commandments  to  men, 
 and  angels  to  angels,  and  we  do  not  for  that  reason  say 
 that  those  who  are  commanded  are  of  different  nature  or 
 inferior.  Therefore  the  Son  is  not  inferior  to  the  Father, 
 although  He  became  Man,  in  order  that  He  might  become 
 a  Pattern  of  all  virtue  for  us.     By  this  means   He  also 
 
94  Huw  Christ  "  receives  a  commandment 
 
 Book  7.  teaclies  us  tliat  we  ouglit  to  obey  our  parents  in  all  things, 
 
 ~'y',  j  although  we  are   equal   to  them  as   regards   our  nature. 
 
 p.  391.      And  in  some  places  when  it  is  said  by  the  Father :  "  I 
 
 will  command,"  the  meaning  is :  "I  will  deal  fitly  with/' 
 
 Isa.  xiii.    as  when  He  said  :  And  I  will  command  the  ivhole  wm'ld  for 
 11.  .        .  .      . 
 
 their  evil  deeds,  and  the  ungodly  for  their  sins.     Moreover 
 
 there  are  times  when  the  Son  speaks  with  helpful  condes- 
 cension, so  that  we  may  as  far  as  is  possible  get  an  under- 
 
 1  \6yia  standing  of  the  ineffable  ^  oracles :  yet  His  having  said : 
 I  received  a  commandment,  does  not  make  One  Who  is  in 
 His  Nature  God  cease  to  be  God.  Either  therefore  say 
 He  is  God  and  ascribe  to  Him  all  that  properly  befits  the 
 Godhead,  or  say  plainly  He  is  a  creature.  For  the  fact  of 
 having  received  a  commandment  does  not  strip  any  one  of 
 the  qualities  which  naturally  belong  to  him.  But  since 
 the  Son  speaks  whatever  the  Father  commands  Him,  and 
 
 Inf.  ver.  jJe  says  :  I  and  the  Father  are  One,  thou  art  obliged  to 
 say,  either  that  the  Father  commanded  the  Son  to  tell 
 the  truth,  or  to  tell  a  lie.     For  what  the  Son  hath  received 
 
 Inf.  xii.  commandment  to  speak,  He  speaketh ;  for  He  saith  :  The 
 Father  which  sent  Me,  He  hath  given  Me  a  commandment, 
 ivhat  I  should  say,  and  ivhat  I  should  speak.    And  although 
 
 Inf.  xiv.  He  also  said  :  My  Father  is  greater  than  I,  that  is  nothing 
 to  the  contrary.  For  in  so  far  as  He  is  in  His  Nature 
 God,  He  is  equal  to  the  Father ;  but  in  so  far  as  He  be- 
 came Man  and  humbled  Himself,  He  in  accordance  with 
 this  speaks  words  which  befit  His  Humanity.  Neverthe- 
 less, as  the  name  of  commandment  is  something  external 
 to  the  essence  of  a  person,  it  could  not  be  made  an  ob- 
 jection to  His  Essence.  For  it  is  not  in  the  Father's 
 giving  Him  commandment  that  the  Son  has  His  Being, 
 nor  could  this  ever  be  made  the  limit  of  His  Essence. 
 The  Son,  therefore,  as  being  the  Counsel  and  Wisdom  of 
 the  Father,  knows  what  is  fittingly  determined  by  Him ; 
 and  if  He  receives  it  as  a  commandment,  do  not  marvel. 
 For  by  human  modes  of  expression  He  signifies  things 
 beyond  expression,  and  things  unspeakable  by  our  voices 
 are  brought  down  to  the  mode  of  expression  usual  amongst 
 
 49. 
 
 28. 
 
A  division  among  the  Pharisees.  95 
 
 us,  so  tliat  we  may  be  enabled  to  understand  them.     Ac-  x.i9— 21. 
 cordingly  let  us  blame,  not  tbe  inconsistency  of  the  matter, 
 but  the  weakness  of  the  words,  which  cannot  reach  to  the 
 full  expression  and  accurate  interpretation  of  the  matters, 
 as  they  ought. 
 
 19  There  arose  a   d'wision  again   among  the  Jews   because  of 
 
 20  those  words.     And  many  of  them  said.  He  hath  a  devil  and 
 
 21  is  mad :  why  hear  ye  Him  ?     Others  said.  These  are  not  the 
 sayings  of  one  possessed  with  a  devil.     Can  a  devil  open  the 
 
 eyes  of  the  blind? 
 
 The  words  of  the  Saviour  go  down  into  the  hearts  of 
 His  heai'ers,  and  those  whom  they  find  gentle  and  yielding 
 they  immediately  mould  and  transform  to  a  good  condition, 
 but  those  whom  they  find  hard  they  recoil  from  or  in  some 
 manner  turn  away  from.  So  that  he  who  has  his  mind 
 somewhat  prepared  for  fair  reason  will  gladly  receive  the 
 saving  words,  but  he  who  is  not  so  will  not.  Something 
 of  this  sort  was  what  happened  to  the  people  of  the  Jews 
 to  experience.  For  when  they  had  heard  the  Saviour^s 
 words,  they  are  divided  into  two  parties,  and  those  who 
 are  more  amenable  to  reason  now  incline  towards  the  first 
 principle  of  salvation,  but  the  hard  of  heart  become  worse 
 than  they  were  at  first.  And  the  inspired  Evangelist 
 seems  to  be  struck  with  astonishment  as  to  how  it  hap- 
 pened that  the  people  of  the  Jews  were  divided  on  account 
 of  these  words.  For  I  think  it  is  very  evident  that  from 
 surprise  at  the  hardness  of  those  who  did  not  believe  he 
 says  :  There  arose  a  division  because  of  these  words ;  by 
 means  of  which,  he  seems  to  imply,  the  Jews  ought  to 
 have  been  ^  fully  persuaded  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ.  2  aKpi^ws 
 So  wonderful  were  the  words  of  the  Saviour.  But  when 
 even  these  words  were  spoken,  by  which  it  was  fair  to  ex- 
 pect that  even  the  very  hard  to  catch  would  be  ensnared 
 into  conviction,  there  arose  a  division  among  them.  He 
 marvels  much  therefore  that  they  had  given  themselves 
 over. in  an  unholy  manner  to  a  shameless  disregard  of 
 evidence.     For  I  suppose  it  was  just  to  accuse  them  in 
 
96  Christ  is  blamed  for  spealdng  like  God. 
 
 Book  7.  proportion  as  it  was  reasonable  to  marvel  at  the  words  of 
 
 X.19 21 
 
 "  Our   Saviour.     He   certainly   spake   God-befitting   words 
 
 and  such  as  went  beyond  man ;  and  the  magnificence  and 
 God-befitting  boldness  of  His  superhuman  words  drive  the 
 multitude  to  intemperate  folly.  And  since  it  was  usual 
 for  those  who  were  in  truth  possessed  with  devils  to  speak 
 evil  very  readily,  being  of  course  easily  provoked  to  rage 
 and  outside  the  pale  of  all  intelligence,  and  since  they 
 thought  that  the  Lord  was  a  mere  man,  not  understanding 
 that  He  was  in  His  Nature  God;  for  these  reasons  they 
 said  He  had  a  devil,  as  one  who  blasphemed  so  intemper- 
 ately.  Because  they  heard  Him  say  such  things  as  it 
 befitted  only  God  to  say.  Looking  upon  Him  as  one  like 
 ourselves,  and  not  yet  knowing  Who  He  was  by  Nature, 
 they  considered  Him  to  speak  evil  when  He  spake  in  any 
 way  that  befitted  God.  Therefore,  agreeably  to  His  In- 
 carnation and  condescendingly,  because  of  the  infirmity  of 
 His  hearers,  He  also  often  employs  our  manner  of  speech. 
 The  people  of  the  Jews  therefore  are  divided  :  and  some, 
 understanding  nothing  whatever  of  the  mysteries  concern- 
 ing Him,  are  insolent  in  an  unholy  manner;  but  others, 
 who  are  more  reasonable  in  their  habit  of  mind,  do  not 
 condemn  Him  rashly,  but  ruminate  on  His  words,  and 
 carefully  test  them,  and  begin  to  perceive  the  sweetness 
 in  them.  And  in  this  way  they  arrive  at  a  most  praise- 
 worthy discernment,  and  do  not  attribute  to  the  babblings 
 of  a  demoniac  words  so  sober  and  full  of  the  highest  wis- 
 dom. For  it  is  the  custom  of  those  [demons]  when  they 
 are  driving  men  mad,  to  speak  beside  the  mark.  The 
 Pharisees  therefore  were  more  like  demoniacs,  who  called 
 by  this  name  One  Who  was  free  of  all  disease;  and  did 
 not  notice  that  they  were  proclaiming  the  disease  which 
 was  in  themselves,  and  were  doing  no  other  than  explain- 
 ing in  their  folly  the  very  evil  that  possessed  themselves. 
 And  for  my  part  I  think  that  they  speak  with  the  highest 
 degree  of  evil  craftiness,  when  they  say  the  Lord  is  de- 
 Sup,  ver.  moniac.  For  since  He  charged  them  with  being  wretched 
 ~   ■     and  hireling  shepherds,  who  abandoned  their  sheep  to  the 
 
Uncertainty  as  to  "Dedication"  commemorated.       97 
 
 wolf,  and  cared  altogether  so  little  for  their  flock ;  being  x.  22, 23. 
 in  no  small  alarm  lest  perhaps  the  people,  understanding 
 what  was  said,  should  now  refuse  any  longer  to  be  shep- 
 herded by  them,  and  follow  the  instruction  given  by  Christ; 
 on  this  account,  trying  to  cheat  the  understanding  of  the 
 common  people,  they  say  :  He  hath  a  devil ;  why  hear  ye 
 Him  ?  But  these  words  too,  the  words  of  those  men  who 
 spake  with  evil  craft,  had  the  opposite  result  to  that  which 
 they  intended.  And  the  others,  judging  from  the  quality 
 of  the  words,  discern  that  the  words  of  the  Lord  are  with- 
 out blame,  not  such  as  would  be  those  of  one  possessed 
 with  a  devil :  moreover,  the  miracles,  says  one,  offer  an 
 irresistible  testimony.  For  although  you  find  fault  with 
 His  words  as  not  blamelessly  spoken,  yet  it  is  impossible 
 that  any  one  can  at  the  same  time  be  possessed  with  a 
 devil  and  do  such  works  as  only  God  is  able  to  do.  There- 
 fore, fair  judges  recognised  Him  from  His  works  and  also 
 from  admiration  of  the  words  which  He  spake. 
 
 22  Atid  it  was  the  feast  of  the  dedication  at  Jerusalem,  and  it 
 
 23  was  winter  ;  and  Jesus  was  ivalking  in  the  temple  in  Solo- 
 
 mon''s  porch. 
 
 But  the  Lord  was  not  present  at  the  feasts  as  one  Who 
 would  share  the  feasting,  for  how  could  He  ?  He  Who 
 said  :  /  hate,  I  reject  your  feast  days  :  but  in  order  that  Amos  v. 
 He  might  speak  His  most  profitable  words  in  the  presence 
 of  many  people,  showing  Himself  openly  to  the  Jews,  and 
 to  mingle  Himself  with  them  without  being  sought.  And 
 we  must  suppose  that  the  feast  of  the  dedication  here 
 signifies  either  the  chief  feast  [called  by  this  name],  in 
 memory  of  that  when  Solomon  performed  the  dedication ; 
 or  [the  other],  when  Zorobabel  at  a  later  time,  together 
 with  Jeshua,  rebuilt  the  temple,  after  the  return  from 
 Babylon.  And  as  it  was  winter  and  rainy  weather  at 
 this  time,  probably  all  the  people  flocked  to  the  porch. 
 Therefore  Christ  also  went  there,  in  order  that  He  might 
 make  Himself  known  to  all  who  were  willing  to  see  Him, 
 
 VOL.  II.  H 
 
98  Hoiu  Jesus  proclaimed  Himself  Clirist. 
 
 Book  7.  and  distribute  blessings  to  them.  For  those  who  saw 
 Him  were  provoked  to  ask  somewhat  of  Him^  because  at 
 holidays  more  than  at  other  times  men  are  naturally  given 
 to  stir  up  anxiously  such  arguments. 
 
 24     The  Jews  therefore  came  round  ahont  Him,  and  said  nnto 
 Him,  How  long  dost  Thou  hold  us  in  suspense  ?     If  Thou 
 art  the  Christ,  tell  tis  plainly. 
 
 The  envy  which  embitters  them  takes  away  all  keen- 
 ness to  perceive  what  might  lead  to  faith,  but  the  greatness 
 of  the  works  He  performed  forces  them  to  admiration. 
 Nevertheless  they  find  fault  with  His  words,  and  say  that 
 the  obscurity  of  His  teaching  stood  in  the  way  of  their 
 being  able  to  understand  what  they  ought  to  learn.  They 
 accordingly  request  Him  to  speak  more  clearly,  although 
 they  had  often  heard  Him  and  had  received  a  long  in- 
 struction on  this  point.  For  though  He  did  not  say 
 distinctly :  "  I  am  the  Christ/'  yet  He  brought  forward  in 
 His  public  teaching  many  statements  of  the  honourable 
 names  which  naturally  belonged  to  Him,  at  one  time 
 Supra  saying:  I  ayn  the  Light  of  the  world;  and  again  at.  other 
 Infra  xi.   times  :  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life  ;  I  am  the  Way  ; 
 
 25  d  <> 
 
 Infra  xiv.  -^  (^'^^  t^^&  Door ;  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd.     Surely  by  these 
 
 Supra      names  which  He  gives  Himself,  He  signifies  that  He  is 
 
 yer  9.       the  Christ.     For  the  Scripture  is  wont  by  such  honourable 
 lb.  11.  .  . 
 
 names  to  decorate  the  Christ,  although  the  Jews  required 
 
 Him  to  call  Himself  plainly  by  that  title.  Yet  it  would 
 perhaps  have  been  in  vain  and  not  very  easy  of  acceptance 
 to  say  in  simple  words  :  "  I  am  the  Christ,''  unless  actions 
 followed  for  proof,  by  which  it  might  have  been  reasonably 
 believed  that  He  was  the  Christ.  And  it  is  beyond  com- 
 parison better  that  He  should  be  recognised  as  the  Christ, 
 not  from  the  words  which  He  said,  but  from  the  attributes 
 which  naturally  belong  to  Him,  and  from  which  the  Divine 
 Scriptures  concerning  Him  foretell  and  declare  that  He 
 would  be  manifestly  known.  Which  things  the  Jews  in 
 their  littleness  of  soul  not  understanding,  they  say  :  How 
 
Se  appeals  to  the  testimony  of  His  works.  99 
 
 long  dost  Thou  hold  us  in  suspense  ?    For  it  is  usual  for  x.  25-28. 
 those  who  are  contemptuous  to  speak  thus. 
 
 25  Jesns  answered  them,  I  told  you,  and  ye  believe  not :   the 
 works  that  I  do  in  My  Father''s  name,  these  bear  witness 
 
 of  Me. 
 
 Even  Christ  therefore  considered  it  superfluous  to  say 
 the  same  things  over  again  to  those  who  had  often  heard 
 them  and  had  not  been  persuaded  by  them.  For  every 
 one's  nature  ought  to  be  estimated  from  the  quality  of  his 
 works,  and  we  ought  by  no  means  to  look  [solely]  at  his 
 words. .  And  He  says  of  Himself  that  He  accomplishes 
 His  works  in  His  Father's  Name,  not  enjoying  the  use  of 
 power  from  above  in  the  manner  of  an  ordinary  saint, 
 nor  accusing  Himself  of  want  of  power,  being  God  of  God, 
 Consubstantial  with  the  Father,  the  Power  of  the  Father ; 
 but  as  ascribing  to  the  Divine  Glory  the  Power  of  His 
 performances.  He  says  that  He  does  His  works  in  His 
 Father's  Name.  Yet  He  also  gives  the  honour  to  the 
 Father,  lest  He  might  give  the  Jews  a  pretext  for  attack- 
 ing Him.  Moreover  He  also  thought  it  fitting  not  to 
 overpass  the  limit  of  the  form  of  a  servant,  although  He 
 was  God  and  Lord.  And  by  saying  that  in  His  Father's 
 Name  He  did  His  luorks.  He  teaches  that  the  Jews  blas- 
 phemed when  they  said  that  He  cast  out  devils  hy  Beelzebub,  s.  Luke 
 And  since  the  Father  does  the  marvellous  deeds,  not  be-  ^^' 
 cause  He  is  a  Father,  but  because  He  is  in  His  Nature 
 God ;  so  the  Son  also,  not  because  He  is  a  Son,  but  as  God 
 of  God,  is  able  Himself  to  do  the  works  of  the  Father : 
 wherefore  suitably  to  His  Nature  He  said  He  did  His 
 tvorks  171  His  Father's  Name. 
 
 26  But  ye  believe    Me  riot,  because  ye  are  not  of  My  sheep. 
 
 27  But  as  I  said  unto  you,  My  sheep  hear  My  voice,  and  I  know 
 
 28  them  and  they  follow  Me :    and  I  give  unto  them  eternal 
 
 life,  and  they  shall  never  perish. 
 
 A  willing  readiness  to  obey  characterises  the  sheep  of 
 Christ,  as  disobedience  marks  those  that  are  not  His.  For 
 thus  we  understand   the  word  "  hear/'  as  equivalent  to 
 
 h2 
 
100  The  blessedness  of  Christ's  obedient  sheep. 
 
 Book  7.  "  obey,"  namely,  the  words  that  are  spoken  :  and  they 
 Cf  Sup  '  ^^^  ^^'^^  hear  God  are  known  by  Him,  and  "  known " 
 p.  82.  signifies  "  brought  into  friendly  relationship  :  "  for  no  one 
 is  altogether  unknown  by  God.  When  therefore  He  saith : 
 I  hnow  Mine,  He  saith  this  :  "  I  will  receive  them  and 
 bring  them  into  friendly  relationship  both  mystically  and 
 firmly.  And  any  one  might  say  that,  inasmuch  as  He  has 
 become  Man,  He  brought  all  men  into  friendly  relation- 
 ship by  being  of  the  same  race ;  so  that  we  are  all  united 
 to  Christ  in  a  mystical  relationship,  inasmuch  as  He  has 
 become  Man :  but  they  are  alienated  from  Him,  who  do 
 not  preserve  the  correspondent  image  of  His  holiness. 
 For  in  this  way  also  the  Jews,  who  are  united  in  a  family 
 relationship  with  Abraham  the  faithful,  because  they  were 
 unbelieving,  were  deprived  of  that  kinship  with  him  on 
 account  of  the  dissimilarity  of  character.  And  He  saith  : 
 Ayid  My  sheep  folloiu  Me ;  for  they  who  are  obedient  and 
 follow,  by  a  certain  God-given  grace,  in  the  footsteps  of 
 Christ,  no  longer  serving  the  shadows  of  the  Law,  but 
 the  commandments  of  Christ,  and  giving  heed  to  His 
 words,  through  grace  shall  rise  to  His  honourable  Name, 
 S.  Mat.  V.  and  be  called  sons  of  God.  For  when  Chinst  ascends  into 
 the  heavens,  they  also  shall  follow  Him.  And  He  says 
 that  He  gives  to  those  that  follow  Him  as  a  recompense 
 and  reward,  eternal  life  and  exemption  from  death,  or 
 corruption,  and  from  the  torments  that  will  be  brought 
 upon  the  transgressors  by  the  Judge.  And  by  the  fact  of 
 His  giving  life.  He  shews  that  He  is  in  His  Nature  Life, 
 and  that  He  furnishes  this  from  Himself  and  not  as  re- 
 ceiving it  from  another.  And  we  understand  by  eternal 
 life,  not  [only]  the  length  of  days  which  all,  both  good 
 and  bad,  are  going  to  enjoy  after  the  resurrection,  but 
 also  the  spending  it  in  bliss. 
 
 It  is  possible  also  to  understand  by  "  life  "  the  mystical 
 
 blessing  by  which   Christ  implants   in   us   His   own  life 
 
 through  the  participation  of  His  own  Flesh  by  the  faith- 
 
 Supravi.  f^l,  according  to  that  which  is  written  :  He  that  eateth  My 
 
 ^^'  Flesh  and  drinketh  My  Blood  hath  eternal  life. 
 
Scriptural  language  often  metaphorical.  101 
 
 29  And  no  one  shall  snatch  them  out  of  My  hand.     My  Father,  x.  29, 30. 
 Which  hath  given  them  unto  Me,  is  greater  than  all ;  and 
 
 30  no  one  is  able  to  snatch  them  out  of  My  Father^s  hand.  I  and 
 
 My  Father  are  One. 
 
 The  faithful  also  have  the  succour  of  Christ,  the  devil 
 not  being  able  to  snatch  them  ;  and  they  who  have  an 
 endless  enjoyment  of  good  things,  remain  in  it,  no  one 
 henceforth  snatching  them  away  from  the  bliss  that  is 
 given  to  them  into  punishment  or  torments.  For  it  is 
 not  possible  that  they  who  are  in  Christ's  hand  should  be 
 snatched  away  to  be  punished,  because  of  Christ's  great 
 might;  for  "  the  hand,"  in  the  Divine  Scripture,  signifies 
 "  the  power  :  "  it  cannot  be  doubted  therefore  that  the 
 hand  of  Christ  is  unconquerable  and  mighty  to  all  things. 
 But  when  He  saw  the  Jews  mocking  at  Him  as  being  a 
 mere  man,  not  understanding  that  He  Who  to  sight  and 
 touch  was  Man  was  in  His  Nature  God,  to  persuade  them 
 that  He  is  the  power  of  the  Father,  He  saith  :  No  one  shall 
 snatch  them  from  My  Father's  hand,  that  is,  from  Mine. 
 For  He  says  that  Himself  is  the  all-powerful  Right  Hand 
 of  the  Father,  forasmuch  as  by  Him  the  Father  effecteth 
 all  things,  even  as  by  our  hand  the  things  are  effected 
 which  we  do.  For  in  many  places  of  the  Scripture,  Christ 
 is  named  the  Hand  and  Right  Hand  of  the  Father,  which 
 signifies  the  Power;  and  the  all-producing  energy  and 
 might  of  God  is  named  simply  His  hand.  For  in  some 
 way  the  language  used  concerning  God  is  always  superior 
 to  bodily  representation.  And  the  Father  is  said  to  give 
 to  the  Son,  not  as  to  one  who  had  not  alway  creation 
 under  His  hand,  but  as  to  Him  Who  is  in  His  Nature 
 Life ;  bringing  us  who  are  in  need  of  life  to  the  Son,  that 
 we  may  be  made  alive  through  Him  Who  is  in  His  Nature 
 Life,  and  has  it  of  His  own.  But  also,  inasmuch  as  He 
 has  become  Man,  it  is  suitable  for  Him  to  ask  and  to  re- 
 ceive from  the  Father  things  which  He  already  had  as 
 being  in  His  Nature  God. 
 
 For  Christ,  having  admitted  what  pertained  to  His 
 humanity,    recurs   to    His    God-befitting    dignity,  taking 
 
102        Distinction  of  Persons,  yet  Oneness  of  Deity. 
 
 Book  7.  pleasure  in  the  advantages  of  His  Nature  for  the  profit  of 
 the  faithful  and  for  the  sake  of  sound  faith,  which  is,  never 
 at  all  to  suspect  that  the  Son  is  inferior  to  the  Father. 
 For  thus  He  is  shewn  to  be  the  undamaged  Image  of  the 
 Father,  preserving  in  Himself  whole  and  sound  the  Very- 
 Impress  of  the  Father.  And  we  say  the  Son  and  the 
 Father  are  One,  not  blending  their  Individualities  by  the 
 use  of  that  number,  as  do  some  who  say  that  the  Father 
 and  the  Son  are  the  same  [Person],  but  believing  the 
 Father  by  Himself  and  the  Son  by  Himself  to  personally 
 subsist;  and  collecting  the  two  into  One  Sameness  of 
 Essence,  also  knowing  them  to  possess  one  might,  so  that 
 it  is  seen  without  variation  now  in  One  and  now  in  the 
 Other. 
 
 I  and  the  Father  are  One.  By  the  word  "  One"  He  sig- 
 nifies the  Sameness  of  their  Essence :  and  by  the  word 
 ''are'^  He  severs  into  two  that  which  is  understood,  and 
 again  binds  them  up  into  One  Godhead. 
 
 But  this  also  we  must  understand,  in  opposition  to  the 
 Arians,  that  in  His  saying  :  I  and  the  Father  are  One, 
 there  is  signified,  not  the  proof  of  sameness  of  will,  but 
 the  Oneness  of  their  Essence.  For  indeed  the  Jews  un- 
 derstood that  in  saying  this,  He  said  that  Himself  was 
 God  and  equal  to  the  Father;  and  Christ  did  not  deny 
 that  He  had  said  this  as  they  understood  it. 
 
 31      The  Jews  therefore  took  up  stones  again  to  stone  Him. 
 
 For  not  refraining  themselves  from  Him,  when  He  said 
 that  Himself  was  One  with  the  Father,  they  rush  to  kill 
 Him ;  although  each  of  the  works  wrought  by  Him  pro- 
 claimed that  He  was  in  His  Nature  God.  And  not  only 
 now,  but  on  other  occasions  also  when  they  took  up  stones 
 to  kill  Him,  they  stood  motionless  through  the  power  of 
 Christ :  so  that  it  became  evident  from  this  also,  that  He 
 would  not  sufier  except  He  was  willing.  Moreover  in  His 
 gentleness  Christ  checked  their  unreasonable  impulse,  say- 
 ing not :  "  For  which  of  the  words  that  I  said,  are  ye 
 fengry  ?"  but:  "For  which  of  the  luorhs  that  I  did?"  For 
 
The  Pharisees  accuse  Christ  ofhlasphemy.  103 
 
 if  I  had  not  done.  He  says,  many  God-befitting  works  c.  x.  33, 
 which  shew  that  I  am  in  My  Nature  God,  ye  might  be 
 reasonably  angry  with  Me  now,  hearing  Me  say  that  I  and  Supra 
 the  Father  are  One.  But  I  should  not  have  said  this,  had 
 I  not  shewn  it  by  all  things  that  I  did.  And  He  speaks 
 of  the  works  as  from  the  Father,  not  from  Himself,  shewing 
 this  modesty  for  our  profit,  so  that  we  may  not  boast  when 
 we  receive  anything  from  God.  And  He  says  the  works 
 were  shown  from  the  Father,  not  to  indicate  that  the  power 
 exhibited  in  them  was  other  than  His  own,  but  to  teach 
 that  they  were  the  works  of  the  whole  Godhead.  And  we 
 understand  One  Godhead  in  Father  and  Son  and  Holy 
 Spirit.  For  whatsoever  the  Father  does,  this  is  accom- 
 plished by  the  Son  in  the  Spirit ;  and  again,  what  the  Son 
 does,  this  the  Father  is  said  to  do  in  the  Spirit.  Where- 
 fore also  Christ  saith  :  I  do  nothing  of  Myself,  hut  the  Father  Supra 
 
 abiding  in  Me,  He  doeth  the  works.  Inf]  xiv. 
 
 10.' 
 33     For  a  good  work  ive  stone  Thee  not,  but  for  Itlasphemy. 
 
 Having  a  zeal  for  God,  hut  not  according  to  knowledge, -r^q^^-x,. 
 they  became   angry   when   they  heard   Christ   saying :  I  gupj.^ 
 and  the  Father  are  One.      For  what  was  the  impediment  ver.  30. 
 to  His  being  One  with  the  Father,  if  they  believed  that 
 He  was  God  by  Nature  ?    Wherefore  also  they  attempt  to 
 stone  Him,  and  in  self-defence  giving  the  reason  why 
 they  did  so,  they  say :  "  We  stone  Thee,  not  on  account  of 
 the  good  works  which  Thou  didst,  hut  because  Thou  hlas- 
 phemest."     They  were  the  blasphemers,  on  the  contrary, 
 because  they  wished  to  stone  One  Who  was  truly  God,  not 
 knowing  that  Jesus  was  destined  to  come,  not  in  the  un- 
 disguised Godhead,  but  Incarnate  of  the  Seed  of  David ; 
 [and  thus]  they  speak  of  His  true  confession  as  blasphemy. 
 
 /  said,  Ye  are  gods,  Sfc.  3j,  ,(,„ 
 
 Since  therefore  the  Father  called  certain  men  gods, 
 and  of  necessity  the  honourable  name  was  something  ex- 
 ternal, super-added  to  them,  for  He  Who  is  God  by  Nature 
 is  One  only;  lest  Jesus  also  should  be  deemed  to  be  one 
 
104  Argument  based  on  Ps.  Ixxxii.  6. 
 
 Book  7.  of  that  class — clotlied  in  tlie  glory  of  the  Godhead^  not  as 
 essentially  His  own,  but  rather  as  something  external, 
 super-added  to  Himself,  in  the  same  way  as  was  the  case 
 with  those  others — He  as  a  matter  of  necessity  clearly  dis- 
 tinguishes Himself  from  them.  For  He  shews  that  He 
 differed  so  far  from  their  poverty,  that  when  He  was  in 
 them,  [then  only,  and]  on  that  very  account  they  were 
 called  gods  :  because  He  is  the  Word  of  God  the  Father. 
 And  if  tJie  Word,  being  in  them,  was  in  any  cases  sufficient 
 to  make  those  who  were  really  [only]  men  shine  with  the 
 honour  of  the  Godhead  ;  how  could  He  be  anything  else 
 than  God  by  Nature,  Who  bestowed  freely  even  upon  those 
 others  His  splendour  in  this  way  ? 
 
 Now  convicting  the  Jews,  that  not  because  He  said : 
 I  and  the  Father  are  One,  they  were  stoning  Him,  but 
 without  reason ;  He  says  :  "  If,  because  I  said  I  was  God, 
 1  seem  to  blaspheme ;  why,  when  the  Father  said  by  the 
 Law  to  certain  men :  Ye  are  gods,  did  ye  not  judge  that 
 to  be  blasphemy  ?  "  And  this  He  says,  not  as  instigating 
 them  to  say  anything  against  the  Father,  but  to  convict 
 them  of  being  ignorant  of  the  Law  and  the  inspired  Scrip- 
 tures. And  seeing  that  the  difference  between  those  who 
 were  called  gods  and  Him  Who  is  in  His  Nature  God 
 is  great,  through  the  words  which  He  uses.  He  teaches 
 
 Supra i.l.  us  the  distinction;  for  if  the  men  unto  whom  the  Word 
 of  God  came  were  called  gods,  and  were  illumined  with 
 the  honour  of  the  Godhead,  by  admitting  and  receiving 
 the  Word  of  God  into  their  soul,  how  could  He  through 
 Whom  they  became  gods,  be  other  than  in  His  Nature 
 God  ?  For  the  Word  was  God,  according  to  the  language 
 of  John,  Who  also  bestowed  this  illumination  on  the 
 others.  For  if  the  Word  of  God  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
 leads  up  to  superhuman  grace,  and  adorns  with  a  Divine 
 honour  those  in  whom  He  may  be.  Why,  saith  He,  say  ye 
 that  I  blaspheme  when  I  call  Myself  Son  of  God  and  God  ? 
 Although  by  the  works  I  have  done  from  Him  I  am  borne 
 witness  to  as  in  My  Nature  God.  For  having  sanctified 
 Me  He  sent  Me  into  the  world  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the 
 
Limited  cwpacity  of  human  language.  105 
 
 world ;  and  it  is  tlie  attribute  only  of  One  in  His  Nature   c.  x.  33. 
 God,  to  be  able  to  save  men  from  the  devil  and  from  sin 
 and  from  corruption. 
 
 But  perhaps  when  the  Divine  Scripture  saith  that  the 
 Son  was  sent  from  the  Father,  the  heretic  straightway 
 deems  the  expression  a  support  to  his  own  error,  and  will 
 say  in  all  probability :  "  Ye  who  refuse  to  speak  of  the 
 Son  as  inferior  to  the  Father,  do  ye  not  see  that  He  was 
 sent  from  Him,  as  from  a  superior  and  a  greater  one  ?  " 
 What  then  shall  we  say  ?  Surely,  that  the  mention  of  His 
 being  sent  is  particularly  suitable  to  the  measure  of  His 
 ^  self-humiliation ;  for  thou  hearest  that  Paul,  uniting  Both,  ^  Kevucns 
 then  says  that  the  Son  was  sent  from  the  Father,  when  Gal.iv. 
 He  was  also  made  of  a  woman  and  under  the  Law  as  a  Man 
 amongst  us,  although  being  Lawgiver  and  Lord.  And  if 
 the  Son  be  understood  as  made  in  the  form  of  a  servant, 
 then  said  to  be  sent  from  the  Father,  He  suffers  no 
 damage  whatever,  with  regard  to  His  being  also  Consub- 
 stantial  with  Him  and  Coequal  in  glory  and  in  no  respect 
 at  all  falling  short.  For  the  expressions  used  among 
 ourselves,  if  they  are  applied  to  God,  do  not  admit  of 
 being  accurately  tested;  and  I  say  that  we  ought  not 
 to  understand  them  just  exactly  as  they  are  usually 
 understood  among  ourselves,  but  as  far  as  may  be  suitable 
 to  the  Divine  and  Supreme  Nature  itself.  For  what  [else 
 could  happen],  unless  the  tongue  of  man  possessed  words 
 competent  to  suffice  for  setting  forth  the  Divine  glory  ? 
 Accordingly  it  is  absurd  that  the  preeminence  of  the  glory 
 which  is  highest  of  all  should  suffer  injury  through  the 
 weakness  of  the  human  tongue  and  its  poverty  of  expres- 
 sion. Remember  that  which  Solomon  says:  The  glory  o/prov. 
 the  Lord  maheth  language  ohscure.  For  when  we  waste  rLXX) 
 our  labour  in  trying  to  express   accurately  the   glory  of 
 
 the  Lord,  we  are  like  to  those  who  wish  to  measure  the  Isa.  xl. 
 
 ...  12. 
 
 heavens  by  a  span.  Therefore  when  anything  is  said  con- 
 cerning God  in  words  generally  applied  to  men,  it  must  be 
 understood  in  a  manner  befitting  God.  Else  what  wilt 
 thou  do  when  thou  hearest  David  singing  in  his  psalm : 
 
106  Divine  tilings  transcend  human  words. 
 
 Book  7.  0  Thou  that  sittest  upon  the  Cherubim,  shew  Thyself;  stir 
 
 Fs  ix    '  ^'i^  ^^y  strength  and  come  to  save  us  ?    For  how  does  the 
 
 1,  2.        Incorporeal  sit  ?    And  where  does  He  call  upon  the  God 
 
 of  the  universe  to   come  to  for  us,  the  God  Who  saith 
 
 Jer.  xxiii.  by  the  Prophets :  Do  not  I  Jill  heaven  and  earth,  saith  the 
 
 Lord  ?    Where  therefor-e  should  He  come  to  for  us,  when 
 
 He    filleth  all    things  ?    Again,  it   is  written  that    some 
 
 Gen.  xi.    were  building  a  tower  to  reach  unto  heaven,  and  the  Lord 
 
 '   '   '     came  down  to  see  the  city  and  the  tower ;  and  the  Lord  said, 
 
 Come  and  let  Us  go  down  and  there  confound  their  tongues. 
 
 Where  did  the  Lord  go  down  ?     Or  in  what  manner  doth 
 
 the  Holy  Trinity  urge  Itself  on  to  the  descent  ?    And 
 
 how,  tell  me,  did  the  Saviour  Himself  also  promise  to 
 
 send  to  us  the  Paraclete  from  heaven  ?    For  where  or 
 
 Wis.  i.7,  whence  is  That  Which  filleth  all  things   sent?    For  the 
 
 Spirit  of  the  Lord  filleth  the  ivorld,  as  it  is  written. 
 
 Therefore  the  expressions  ordinarily  used  of  ourselves 
 signify  things  above  us,  if  tbey  are  spoken  concerning 
 God.  Dost  thou  wish  to  understand  any  of  those  things 
 so  difficult  of  comprehension  ?  Then  thy  mind  proves  too 
 weak  to  grasp  them,  and  dost  thou  perceive  that  it  is  so  ? 
 Be  not  provoked  to  anger,  0  man,  but  confess  the  weak- 
 Ecclus.  ness  of  thy  nature,  and  remember  him  that  said  :  Seek  not 
 "^*'  '  out  the  things  that  are  above  thy  strength.  When  thou  di- 
 rectest  thy  bodily  eye  to  the  orb  of  the  sun,  immediately 
 thou  turnest  it  away  again,  ovei'come  by  the  sudden  influx 
 IS.  Tim.  of  the  light.  Know  therefore  that  the  Divine  Nature  also 
 dwells  in  unappi'oachable  light;  unapproachable,  that  is, 
 by  the  understandings  of  those  who  over-busily  look  into 
 it.  Therefore  also  when  things  concerning  God  are  ex- 
 pressed in  language  ordinarily  used  of  men,  we  ought  not 
 to  think  of  anything  base,  but  to  remember  that  the 
 wealth  of  the  Divine  Glory  is  being  mirrored  in  the 
 poverty  of  human  expression.  For  what  if  the  Son  is  sent 
 from  the  Father  ?  Shall  He  then  on  this  account  be  in- 
 ferior ?  But  when  from  the  solar  body  its  light  is  sent 
 forth,  is  that  of  a  diSerent  nature  from  it  and  inferior  to 
 it  ?     Is  it  not  foolish  merely  to  suppose  such  a  thing  for 
 
Various  meanings  of  the  word  'sanctify.'  107 
 
 a  moment  ?     Therefore  the  Son^  being  the  Light  of  the  x.  37, 38. 
 Father,  is  sent  to  us,  as  we  may  say,  from  a  Sun  that 
 darteth  forth  Its  Beam ;  which  indeed  David  also  entreats 
 may  take  place,  saying :   0  send  out  Thy  Light  and  Thy  Ps.  xliii. 
 Truth.     And  if  it  is  a  glory  to  the  Father  to  have  the 
 Light,  how  dost  thou  call  that  in  which  He  is  glorified 
 inferior  to  Him  ?     And  the  Son   Himself  also  says  con- 
 cerning  Himself:    Whom  the  Father  sanctified  and  sent. 
 Now  the  word  ^^  sanctified  ^^  is  used  in  the  Scripture  in 
 many  senses.     For  it  is  said  that  anything  dedicated  to  Cf.  Supra 
 God   is  sanctified.     For   instance  He  said   unto  Moses  :  pp.  '41b, 
 Sanctify  unto   Me  all   the  firstborn.     And    again,  that  is  Exod. 
 sanctified  which  is  prepared  by  God  for  the  execution  of  ^"*  ^• 
 any  of  His  designs,  for  He  speaks  thus  concerning  Cyrus 
 and  the  Modes,  when  He  determined  that  they  should 
 make  war  against  the  city  of  the  Babylonians  :   The  mighty  Isa.  xiii. 
 ones  are  come  to  fulfil  Mine  anger,  being  both  joyous  and  (lxX) 
 proud ;  they  have  been  sanctified,  and  I  lead  them.     And 
 again,  that  is  sanctified  which  is  made  to  participate  of  the 
 Holy   Spirit.     Therefore  the   Son  saith  that  Himself  is 
 sanctified  by  the  Father,  as  having  been  prepared  by  Him 
 for  the  restitution  of  the  life  of  the  world,  and  for  the 
 destruction  of  those  who  oppose  Him  ;  or  still  further,  in 
 so  far  as  He  was  sent  to  be  slain  for  the  salvation  of  the 
 world ;  for  indeed  those  things  are  called  holy  which  are 
 set  apart  as  an  offering  to  God.     And  we  say  that  He  was 
 sanctified,  even  as  men  like  ourselves  are,  when  He  be- 
 came flesh  :  for  His  Flesh  was  sanctified,  although  it  was 
 not  in  its  nature  holy,  by  being  received  into  union  with 
 the  Word;  and  because  this  is  come  to  pass,  He  is  sanc- 
 tified by  the  Father ;  for  the  Godhead  of  Father  and  Son 
 and  Holy  Spirit  is  One. 
 
 37  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  My  Father,  believe  Me  not.    But  if  I 
 
 38  do,  though  ye  believe  not  Me,  believe  My  works :  that  ye 
 may  know  and  believe  that  the  Father  is  in  Me  and  I  in 
 
 Him. 
 What  He  says  is  this.     Though  it  is  easy  for  any  one 
 to  call  God  Father,  yet  to  demonstrate  the  fact  by  works 
 
108  "  Oiie  God  in  Trinity." 
 
 Book  7.  is  hard  and  impossible  to  a  creature.     By  works  however 
 ^"  ''    ■  of  a  Grod-befitting  character,  He  says,  I  am  seen  to  be 
 equal  to  God  the  Father :  and  there  is  no  defence  for  your 
 unbelief  since  you  have  learnt  that   I   am   equal   to  the 
 Father  by  the  evidence  of  the  God-befitting  works  which 
 I  do,  although  as  regards  the  flesh  I  seemed  to  be  one 
 among  you  like  an  ordinary  man.     Hence  it  is  possible  to 
 Infra  xiv.  perceive  that  I  am  in  the  Father-  and  the  Father  in  Me. 
 ^^'  For  the  sameness  of  their  Essence  makes  the  Father  to  be 
 
 and  to  be  seen  in  the  Son,  and  the  Son  in  the  Father. 
 For  truly  even  among  ourselves  the  essence  of  our  father 
 is  recognised  in  him  that  is  begotten  of  him,  and  in  the 
 Cf.  Supra  parent  again  that    of  the  child.     For  the  delineation  of 
 p.  678.'      their  nature  is  one  in  them  all,  and  they  all  are  by  nature 
 one.     But  when  we  distinguish  ourselves  by  our  bodies, 
 ■    the  many  are  no  longer  one ;  a  distinction   which  cannot 
 be  mentioned  concerning  One  Who  is  God  by  Nature,  for 
 whatever  is  Divine  is  incorporeal,  although  we  conceive 
 of  the  Holy  Trinity  as  in  distinct  Subsistences.     For  the 
 Father  is  the  Father  and  not  the  Son ;  the  Son  again  is 
 the  Son  and  not  the  Father ;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  pecu- 
 liarly   the    Spirit :    although   They  are   not    at    variance, 
 through  Their  fellowship  and  unity  One  with  Another. 
 From  the       The  Holy  Trinity  is  known  in  the  Father  and  in  the 
 ^"^'^      Son  and  in  the  Holy  Spirit.     But  the  designation  of  each 
 one  of  These  Who  have  been  enumerated  denotes  not  a 
 part  of  the  Trinity,  but  the  Whole  of  It;  since  in  truth 
 God  is  undivided  and  simple,  although  distributed  in  These 
 Subsistences. 
 From  the       Therefore,  as  there  is  but  One  Godhead  in  Father  and 
 Son  and  Holy  Spirit,  we  say  that  the  Father  is  seen  in 
 the  Son,  and  the  Son  in  the  Father.     And  it  is  necessary 
 to  know  this  other  point  also,  that  it  is  not  the  wishing 
 the  same  things  as  the  Father,  nor  the  possessing  one  will 
 Inf.  xiv.    with  Him,  that  makes  the  Son  say :  I  am  in  the  Father, 
 Sup  ver.  *^^^^  ^^^^  Father  in  Me,  and  :  I  and  the  Father  are  One ;  but 
 ^^-  because,  being  the  genuine  Offspring  of  the  Essence  of  the 
 
 Father,  He  shews  forth  the  Father  in  Himself,  and  Him- 
 
 1 
 
Baptism  of  Gentiles  typified.  1 09 
 
 self  also  is  shewn  fortli  in  the  Father.  For  He  says  that  x.  40-42. 
 He  wills  and  speaks  and  effects  the  same  things  as  the 
 Father^  and  easily  performs  what  He  wishes,  even  as  the 
 Father  doth,  in  order  that  He  may  be  acknowledged  in 
 all  respects  Consubstantial  with  Him,  and  a  true  Fruit  of 
 His  Essence;  and  not  merely  as  having  a  relative  unity 
 with  Him,  only  in  similarity  of  will  and  the  laws  of  love ; 
 which  unity  we  say  belongs  also  to  His  creatures. 
 
 40  And  He  went  away  again  beyond  Jordan  hito  the  place  where 
 
 41  John  was  baptizing- ;  and  there  He  abode.     And  many  came 
 unto  Him  ;  and  they  said,  John  indeed  did  no  sign :  but  all 
 
 42  things  whatsoever  John  spake  of  this  Man  u)ere  true,     Aiid 
 many  believed  on  Him  there. 
 
 Leaving  Jerusalem,  the  Saviour  seeks  a  refuge  in  a 
 place  possessing  springs  of  water,  that  He  might  signify 
 obscurely  as  in  a  type  how  He  would  leave  Judasa  and  go 
 over  to  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles  which  possesses  the 
 fountains  of  Baptism  :  there  also  many  approach  unto  Him. 
 crossing  through  the  Jordan ;  for  this  is  signified  by  Christ 
 taking  up  His  abode  beyond  Jordan.  They  therefore  hav- 
 ing crossed  the  Jordan  by  Holy  Baptism,  are  brought  unto 
 God  :  for  truly  He  went  across  from  the  synagogue  of  the 
 Jews  unto  the  Gentiles  :  and  then  many  came  unto  Him 
 and  believed  the  words  spoken  by  the  saints  concerning 
 Him.  And  they  believe  on  Him  there,  where  the  springs 
 of  water  are,  where  we  are  taught  the  mystery  of  Christ. 
 For  Christ  was  not  in  the  streams  before  the  Jordan,  but 
 somewhere  beyond;  and  He  came  and  abode,  continuing 
 constantly  in  the  Church  of  the  Gentiles.  And  we  honour 
 John,  not  as  having  performed  any  God-befitting  work, 
 but  as  having  borne  true  witness  concerning  Christ.  For 
 Christ  was  more  wonderful,  not  only  than  John,  but  than 
 every  saint ;  for  whereas  they  were  Prophets,  He  was  the 
 wonder-working  God.  And  we  must  notice  that  the  words 
 of  John  and  of  the  other  Prophets  are  a  way  [to  lead  us] 
 to  believe  Christ. 
 
110  Love  and  faith  of  the  sisters. 
 
 Book  7.    Chap.  xi.  1.     Now  a  certain  man  was  sick,  Lazartcs  of  Bethany, 
 c.xi.   -  .  2       qJ-  ff^g  village  of  Mary  and  her  sister  Martha.     And  it  was 
 that  Mary  which  anointed  the  Lord  with  ointment,  and  wiped 
 His  feet  with  her  hair,  whose  brother  Lazarus  was  sick. 
 
 With  a  purpose  does  the  Evangelist  make  mention  of 
 the  names  of  the  women,  showing  that  they  were  distin- 
 Infra  ver.  guished  for  their  piety.  Wherefore  also  the  Lord  loved 
 them.  And  of  the  many  things  which  probably  had  been 
 done  for  the  Lord  by  Mary,  he  mentions  the  ointment,  not 
 at  haphazard,  but  to  shew  that  Mary  had  such  thirst  after 
 Christ  that  she  wiped  His  feet  ivith  her  own  hair,  seeking 
 to  fasten  to  herself  more  really  the  spiritual  blessing  which 
 comes  from  His  holy  Flesh ;  for  indeed  she  appears  often 
 with  much  warmth  of  attachment  to  have  sat  close  to 
 Christ  without  being  distracted  by  interruption,  and  to 
 have  been  drawn  into  friendly  relationship  with  Him. 
 
 3       His  sisters  therefore  sent  unto  Him,  saying.  Lord,  behold,  he 
 whom  Thou  lovest  is  sick. 
 
 The  women  send  to  the  Lord,  ever  wishing  to  have  Him 
 near  them,  but  on  this  occasion  sending  under  a  fair  pre- 
 text on  account  of  him  who  was  sick.  For  they  believed 
 that  if  Christ  would  only  appear  the  sufferer  would  be  set 
 free  from  his  disease.  And  they  gently  remind  Him  of 
 the  love  which  He  had  for  the  sick  man,  drawing  Him 
 thither  especially  by  this  means ;  for  they  knew  that  He 
 took  thought  for  this  man.  And  He  was  able,  even  though 
 absent,  to  heal  him,  as  being  God  and  tending  all  things ; 
 nevertheless,  they  thought  that  if  He  were  present.  He 
 would  put  forth  His  hand  and  awaken  him.  Not  even 
 they  possessed  as  yet  the  perfection  of  faith,  wherefore 
 also  they  are  troubled,  as  it  seems  probable,  with  the 
 thought  that  Lazarus  would  not  have  been  ill  at  all,  had 
 not  Christ  neglected  him  :  for,  say  they,  since  such  as  are 
 beloved  by  God  possess  all  good  things,  why  is  he  whom 
 Thou  lovest,  sick  ?  Or  perhaps  they  even  say :  Great  is 
 the  audacity  of  the  sickness,  because  it  dared  to  attack 
 such  as  are  beloved  by  God.     And  it  may  be  too  that  they 
 
Christ  foreknew  the  result.  Ill 
 
 seem  to  say  sometliing  of  this  sort.  Since  Thou  lovest  c  xi.  4-G. 
 and  healest  even  Thine  enemies,  much  rather  oughtest 
 Thou  to  confer  such  benefits  on  them  that  love  Thee.  For 
 Thou  art  able  to  do  all  things  by  merely  Thy  Will.  There- 
 fore their  language  is  full  of  faith  and  proves  their  close 
 relationship  to  Christ. 
 
 4       But  when  Jesus  heard  it,  He  said,  This  sickness  is  not  unto 
 death,  but  for  the  glory  of  God,  that  the  Sou  of  God  may  he 
 glorified  thereby. 
 
 The  Lord  now  says  this,  not  that  the  men  may  go  away 
 and  report  it  to  the  sisters  of  Lazarus,  but  as  God  fore- 
 telling what  should  come  to  pass,  because  He  saw  that 
 the  conclusion  of  the  affair  would  be  for  the  glory  of  Ood ; 
 not  that  the  sickness  came  upon  the  man  for  this  reason, 
 that  He  should  he  glorified;  for  it  would  be  silly  to  say 
 this ;  but  since  it  had  come,  He  also  saw  that  it  would 
 result  in  a  wonderful  end.  And  He  says  that  Himself  is 
 in  His  Nature  God,  for  that  which  is  done,  is  done  for  His 
 glory.  For  after  saying  that  the  sickness  was /or  the  glory 
 of  God,  He  added :  That  the  Son  of  God  viay  he  glorified 
 therehy,  speaking  concerning  Himself. 
 
 And  if  He  Himself  said  that  the  sickness  of  Lazarus  was 
 not  unto  death,  and  yet  his  death  took  place,  there  is 
 nothing  to  marvel  at.  For  looking  on  to  the  final  result 
 of  the  affair,  and  seeing  that  He  was  going  to  raise  him  up 
 after  a  little  time,  we  do  not  consider  anything  that  took 
 place  in  the  interval,  but  only  how  the  end  would  result. 
 For  the  Lord  determined  to  set  forth  the  weakness  of 
 death,  and  to  shew  forth  all  that  happened  as  for  the 
 glory  of  God,  that  is,  of  Himself. 
 
 6       When  therefore  He  heard  that  he  was  sick,  He  abode  at  that 
 time  two  days  in  the  place  where  He  was. 
 
 And  He  deferred  His  arrival  in  order  that  He  might 
 not  heal  him  while  sick,  but  raise  him  when  dead ;  which 
 is  a  work  of  greater  power,  so  that  He  would  be  more 
 greatly  glorified. 
 
112  The  disciples  expostulate,  yet  obey. 
 
 Book  7.   7       ^nd  after   this  He  saith   to  His  disciples,  Let  lis  go  into 
 
 xi.  7-10, 
 
 8       Judcea  again,  His  disciples  say  nnto  Him.     Rabbi,  the  Jews 
 were  btit  now  seeking  to  stotie  Thee  ;  and  goest  Tliou  thither 
 again  ? 
 
 Now  when  the  Lord  said  :  Let  us  go  into  Judcea  again, 
 He  seems  almost  to  declare  "  Even  though  the  people 
 there  are  unworthy  of  kindness,  yet  now  that  an  opportu- 
 nity presents  itself  of  conveying  them  some  advantage, 
 let  us  go  back  to  them  ; "  but  the  disciples  in  their  love 
 for  Him  think  it  right  to  try  to  hinder  Him,  and  moreover 
 as  men  they  suppose  that  He  would  be  unwilling  to  put 
 Himself  in  peril  by  going  amongst  the  Jews.  Wherefore 
 also  they  remind  Him  of  the  madness  of  the  Jews  against 
 Him,  all  but  saying :  "  Why  again  dost  Thou  seek  to  be 
 amidst  the  unbelieving  and  ungrateful  people  who  are  not 
 softened  either  by  Thy  words  or  even  by  Thy  works  ? 
 who  even  yet  are  of  murderous  intent  against  Thee,  and 
 wbo  are  boiling  with  passionate  rage  ?  "  Either  then  they 
 say  this,  or  their  language  signifies  that  He  is  leading 
 them  into  evident  danger.  Nevertheless,  they  are  obedient 
 to  their  Teacher,  as  to  One  Who  knows  what  is  best, 
 
 9  Jesus  answered.  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in  the  day  ?    If 
 therefore  a  man  walk  in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not,  because 
 
 10  he  may  see  the  light  of  this  world.     But  if  a  man  walk  in 
 the  night,  he  sttimbleth,  because  the  light  is  not  in  him. 
 
 Perhaps  He  compares  to  the  ever-moving  course  of  the 
 day,  the  easily-swayed  and  novelty-loving  mind  of  men, 
 which  is  not  established  in  one  opinion,  but  vacillates 
 from  one  way  of  thinking  to  another,  just  as  the  day 
 changes  from  one  hour  to  another.  And  thus  also  thou 
 wilt  understand  the  words  :  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  in 
 the  day  ?  That  is,  ''  1,"  says  He,  "  am  the  Day  and  the 
 Light.  Therefore,  just  as  it  is  not  possible  for  the  light 
 of  the  day  to  fail,  without  having  completed  its  appointed 
 time ;  so  it  is  not  among  possibilities  that  the  illumination 
 which  proceeds  from  Me  should  be  shrouded  from  the 
 Jews,  without  having  fully  reached  its  fitting  measure  of 
 
Christ's  presence  gives  light.  113 
 
 philanthropy."  And  He  speaks  of  the  time  of  His  pre-  c.  xi.  il. 
 sence  as  ''day,"  and  of  that  before  it  as  " night  ;'^  as 
 also  when  the  Lord  says  :  We  must  work  the  ivories  of  Him  Supra  ix. 
 that  sent  us,  while  it  is  day.  This  therefore  is  what  He 
 here  says  :  "  It  is  not  now  a  time  for  Me  to  separate  My- 
 self from  the  Jews,  even  though  they  be  unholy,  but  I 
 must  do  all  things  that  pertain  to  their  healing.  For 
 they  must  not  now  be  punished,  by  having  the  Divine 
 grace  (like  the  light  of  the  sun)  withdrawn  from  them. 
 But  just  as  the  light  of  the  day  does  not  fail  until  the 
 twelve  hours  have  been  completed,  so  the  illumination 
 that  proceeds  from  Me  is  not  shrouded  before  the  proper 
 time ;  but  until  I  am  crucified  I  remain  among  the  Jews, 
 sending  forth  unto  them  like  light  the  understanding  of 
 the  knowledge  of  God.  For  since  the  Jews  are  in  the 
 darkness  of  unbelief,  and  so  stumble  at  Me  as  at  a  stone, 
 
 I  must  go  back  to  them  and  enlighten  them,  that  they  may 
 desist  from  their  madness  in  fighting  against  God." 
 
 I I  These  things  spake  He :  mid  after  this  He  saith  unto  them, 
 Our  friend  Lazarus  is  fallen  asleep:  but  I  go,  that  I  may 
 awake  him  out  of  sleep. 
 
 "A  worthy  cause  draws  Me  towards  Jerusalem;"  for 
 
 so  much  is  signified  by  the  words  :   Our  friend  is  fallen 
 
 asleep  ;  "  and  if  we  should  let  it  pass  neglected,  we  should 
 
 incur    the    reputation    of    being    devoid    of    compassion. 
 
 Wherefore  we  must  avoid  the  disgrace  of  such  conduct^ 
 
 and  run  to  the  ^  help  of  our  friend,  despising  the  plots  of  *  (rurripia. 
 
 the  Jews."     And  shewing  His  own  God-befitting  power, 
 
 He  calls  the  departure  of  the  human  soul  from  the  body 
 
 by  the  name  of  sleep,  and  very  rightly :  for  He  does  not 
 
 think  it  proper  to  call  it  death.  Who  created  man  for  im-  Cf.  Wisd. 
 
 mortality,  according  as  it  is  written,  and  made  the  gene-  ^' 
 
 rations   of  the  world   to    be    ^healthful.     Moreover,  the  "^  ffwrrjp- 
 
 language  is  also  true,  because  the  temporary  death  of  our 
 
 body  is  in  the  sight  of  God  really  a  sleep  and  nothing 
 
 different,  brought  to  an  end  by  a  mere  and  single  sign 
 
 from  that  which  is  by  nature  Life,  namely,  Christ.     And 
 VOL.  II.  I 
 
114          The  discijjk's  nmunderstcmd  Christ's  words. 
 
 Book  7.  notice  that  He  did  not  say  :   "  Lazarus  is  dead  and  I  so 
 xi.  12-15.  . 
 
 'to  raise  him  to   life/^  but  says  :    "  He  is  fallen  asleej)," 
 
 avoiding  boastfulness^  for  our  instruction  and  profit ;  for 
 
 [without   some  such  good  reason]    He  would   not  have 
 
 uttered  a  sentence  so  obscure  in  its  hidden  meaning  that 
 
 not  even  the  disciples   themselves  understood  what  was 
 
 said.     For  He  did  not  say:  "J  go  to  quicken  him  into 
 
 life''^  or  "  to  raise  him  up  from  the  dead/'  but  "  that  I  ovaij 
 
 aivake  him  out  of  sleep  ; "  which  was  at  the  time  insufficient 
 
 to  suggest  His  real  meaning. 
 
 1 2  His  disciples  therefore  said,  Lord,  if  he  is  fallen  asleep,  he 
 
 13  will  recover.     Now  Jesus  had  spoken  of  his  death  ;  but  they 
 thought  that  He  spake  of  taking  rest  in  sleep. 
 
 They,  not  understanding  the  force  of  the  words,  thought 
 that  Jesus  spake  of  taking  rest  in  sleep,  which  when  sick 
 men  can  do,  they  generally  experience  refreshment ; 
 wherefore  the  disciples  say :  "  It  is  not  worth  while  to  go 
 and  disturb  Lazarus  from  his  sleep,  for  it  does  not  benefit 
 a  sick  man  to  awake  him  out  of  sleep."  And  this  they 
 said,  wishing  to  hinder  Him  from  the  journey  by  remark- 
 ing that  it  was  not  meet  to  go  into  the  midst  of  those 
 murderers  for  the  sake-  of  doing  something  which  would 
 produce  no  good  result. 
 
 14  Then  Jesus  said  unto  them  plainly,  Lazarus  is  dead.     And 
 
 15  /  am  glad  for  your  sakes  that  1  was  not  there,  to  the  intent 
 ye  may  believe  ;  nevertheless  let  us  go  unto  him. 
 
 The  disciples  therefore  not  understanding  that  He  had 
 called  death  by  the  name  of  sleep,  He  made  His  meaning 
 clearer,  saying  :  He  is  dead.  And  He  says  that  He  is  glad, 
 not  out  of  a  love  of  glory,  because  He  was  going  to  do 
 the  marvellous  deed,  but  because  this  was  going  to  become 
 for  the  disciples  a  ground  of  faith.  And  the  words  :  I  loas 
 01  ot  there,  signify  as  follows  :  ''  If  I  had  been  there,  he  would 
 not  have  died,  because  I  should  have  had  pity  on  him 
 when  he  was  suffering  only  a  little ;  but  now  in  My  ab- 
 sence his  death  has  taken  place,  so  that,  by  raising  him 
 
 J 
 
The  language  of  Thomas  explained.  115 
 
 to  life,  I  shall  bestow  upon  you  much  advantage  through  xi.  16-19. 
 your  faith  in  Me/^  And  Christ  says  this,  not  as  being 
 able  to  do  God-befitting  deeds  only  when  He  was  present ; 
 but  because  if  He  had  been  present,  He  could  not  have 
 neglected  His  friend  until  the  occurrence  of  death.  And 
 He  says  :  Let  us  go  unto  him,  as  unto  a  living  person ;  for 
 the  dead,  inasmuch  as  they  are  destined  to  live,  are  alive 
 unto  Him  as  God. 
 
 16  Thomas  therefore,  who  is  called  Didymus,  said  unto  his  fel- 
 low-disciples, Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with  Him. 
 
 The  language  of  Thomas  has  indeed  zeal,  but  it  also  has 
 timidity ;  it  was  the  outcome  of  devout  feeling,  but  it  was 
 mixed  with  littleness  of  faith.  For  he  does  not  endure 
 being  left  behind,  and  even  tries  to  persuade  the  others 
 to  adopt  the  same  resolution :  nevertheless  he  thinks  that 
 they  are  destined  to  suffer  [death]  at  the  hands  of  the 
 Jews,  even  against  the  will  of  Christ,  by  reason  of  the 
 murderous  passion  of  the  Jews ;  not  looking  at  the  power 
 of  the  Deliverer,  as  he  ought  rather  to  have  done.  And 
 Christ  made  them  timid,  by  enduring  with  patience  be- 
 yond measure  the  sufferings  He  experienced  at  the  hands 
 of  the  Jews.  Thomas  therefore  says  that  they  ought  not 
 to  separate  themselves  from  their  Teacher,  although 
 undoubted  danger  lay  before  them ;  so,  perhaps  with  a 
 gentle  smile.  He  said  :  Let  us  go,  that  is.  Let  us  die.  Or 
 he  speaks  thus :  Of  a  certainty  if  we  go  we  shall  die : 
 nevertheless  let  us  not  refuse  to  suffer,  for  we  ought  not 
 to  be  cowardly  to  such  a  degree ;  because  if  He  raises  the 
 dead,  fear  is  superfluous,  for  we  have  One  Who  is  able  to 
 raise  us  again  after  we  have  fallen. 
 
 17  So  ivhen  Jesus  came  to  Bethany,  He  found  that  he  had  been 
 
 18  in  the  tomb  four  days  already.     Now  Bethany  was  nigh  unto 
 
 19  Jerusalem,  Jifteen  furlongs  off';  and  many  of  the  Jews  had 
 come  to  Martha  and  Mary,  to  console  them  concerning  their 
 
 brother. 
 
 He  mentions  also  the  length  of  days  that  had  intervened 
 after  the  death  of  Lazarus  for  this  reason,  that  the  miracle 
 
 i2 
 
116  The  meeting  of  Martha  and  Jesus. 
 
 Book  7.  may  be  the  more  marvelled  at,  and  lest  any  one  should 
 
 xi.  20-24.  'J 
 
 chance  to  say  that  He  had  come  after  one  day,  and  that 
 Lazarus  was  not  dead,  but  He  had  raised  him  up  from 
 sickness.  And  he  says  that  many  Jews  were  in  Bethany, 
 although  the  place  was  not  a  populous  one,  being  come 
 out  of  Jerusalem ;  for  the  distance  of  road  between  the 
 two  places  was  not  so  great  as  to  hinder  their  sincere 
 friends  from  being  with  Martha  and  Mary.  And  since 
 the  miracle  was  talked  about  by  all  in  Jerusalem  and  the 
 country  round  about,  he  gives  the  reason,  that  as  there 
 were  many  people  there,  the  story  was  naturally  spread 
 abroad  in  all  directions;  some  telling  what  had  been  done 
 from  admiration,  and  others  through  envy,  to  attach  a  false 
 accusation  to  the  miracle  through  their  lying  account  of 
 it. 
 
 20     Martha  therefore,  ichen  she  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming, 
 went  and  met  Him  ;  Imt  Mary  still  sat  in  the  house. 
 
 Perhaps  Martha  was  the  more  eager  to  do  such  things 
 as  might  be  necessary;  wherefore  also  she  first  iveiit  and 
 met  Him  :  but  Mary  was  the  more  intelligent.  Where- 
 fore, as  possessing  a  more  sensitive  soul,  she  remained  at 
 home,  receiving  the  attentions  of  her  consoling  friends ; 
 but  Martha,  as  a  simpler  person,  started  off,  intoxicated 
 indeed  with  her  grief,  but  nevertheless  acting  with  more 
 vigour. 
 
 2  J     Martha  therefore  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been 
 
 22  here,  my  brother  had  not  died.     And  even  noiv  I  know  that, 
 
 23  ivhutsoever  Thou  shalt  ask  of  God,  God  ivill  give  Thee.    Jesus 
 
 24  saith  unto  her.   Thy  brother  shall  rise  again.     Martha  an- 
 swered Him,  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  at  the  last  day. 
 
 What  Martha  says,  amounts  to  this.  "  Not  for  this 
 reason,^'  she  says,  "did  my  brother  die,  because  the  nature 
 of  man  is  subject  to  death;  but  because  Thou  wast  not 
 present,  Who  art  able  by  Thy  word  to  conquer  death." 
 But  in  her  grief,  wandering  beyond  propriety,  she  consi- 
 dered that  the  Lord  was  no  longer  able  to  do  anything, 
 as  the   time  for  help  had  gone  by ;  and  she  thought  that 
 
Explanation  of  Martha'' s  words.  117 
 
 He  had  come,  not  for  the  raising  again  of  Lazarus,  but  xi.  20-24. 
 that  He  might  console  them.     For  softly  and  gently  she 
 reproaches  Him  for  His  tardiness  in  not  immediately  com- 
 ing when  it  would  have  been  possible  for  Him  to  help 
 them,  when  they  sent  saying :  Lord,  behold,  he  whom  Thou  Supra 
 lovest  is  sick.     And  the  words  :   Whatsoever  Thou  shalt  ask 
 of  God  Heiuill  give  Thee,  are  the  words  of  one  who  is  almost 
 afraid  to  ask  plainly  what  she  wishes  ;   nevertheless  she 
 stumbles  concerning  the  truth  in  that  she  speaks  not  as 
 to  God,  but  as  to  one  of  the  saints ;  His  being  seen  in  the 
 flesh  causing  her  to  think  that  whatsoever  He  should  ask 
 as  a  saint,  He  would  receive  from  God ;  not  indeed  know- 
 ing that,  being  in  His  Nature  God  and  the  Power  of  the 
 Father,  He  possesses   irresistible  might   over  all  things. 
 For  if  she  had  known  that  He  was  God,  she  would  not 
 have  said  :  If  Thou  hadst  been  here ;  for  God  is  everywhere. 
 Through  His  aversity  to  arrogance,  however,  the  Lord  did 
 not  say  :  "  I  will  raise  up  thy  brother,"  but :  "  He  shall 
 rise  again/'  all  but  softly  rebuking  her  and  saying:  "He 
 indeed  rises  again  as  thou  wishest,  but  not  as  thou  think- 
 est.    For  if  thou  supposest  that  it  will  be  accomplished  by 
 prayer  and   supplication,  take  upon   thyself  the  part   of 
 prayer,  but  do  not  bid  Me  do  it,  Who  am  a  Wonder-worker, 
 able  by  My  own  Might  to  raise  the  dead."     The  woman 
 having  heard  this  and  being  ashamed  now  to  say  :   "  Raise 
 him  to  life,''  yet  in  some  degree  instigating  Him  to  do 
 the  work  at  once,  seems  somewhat  to  be  saddened  at  the 
 postponement  of  the  time,  saying  :  "  I  know  that  he  shall 
 rise  again  at  the  last  day,  but  I  long  to  see  before  that  time 
 the  resurrection  of  my  brother."     Again  when  the  Lord 
 said  :   Thy  brother  shall  rise  again,  the  woman  all  but  sig- 
 nifies her  agreement  with  this  doctrine,  saying  :  "  I  know 
 that ;  for  I  believe  that  the  dead  will  be  raised,  according 
 as  Thou  didst  teach  :  For  the  hour  cometh,  and  they  shall  Supra  v. 
 come  forth;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  "  ' '*  ' 
 of  life ;  and  they  that  have  done  ill,  unto  the  resurrection  of 
 judgment.     And  likewise  Isaiah  also  in  the  Spirit  said  : 
 The  dead  shall  be  raised  and  they  that  are  in  the  tombs  shall  J^^-  ^^^i- 
 
 (LXX) 
 
118  How  man  may  die,  and  yet  live. 
 
 Book  7.  he  awakened.     For  I  do  not  disbelieve  in  the  doctrine  of 
 '  the  resurrection,  as  the  Sadducees  do." 
 
 25  Jesus  said  unto  her,  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life ;  he 
 
 26  that  helieveth  on  Me  though  he  die,  yet  shall  he  live :  and 
 ivhosoever  liveth  and  helieveth  on  Me,  shall  never  die.     Be- 
 
 27  lievest  thou  this?  She  saith  unto  Him.  Yea,  Lord:  I  have 
 believed  that  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  even  He 
 that  Cometh  into  the  world. 
 
 Assuredly  a  fruit  and  reward  of  faith  in  Christ  is  eternal 
 life,  and  in  no  other  way  does  this  come  to  the  soul  of 
 man.  For  although  we  are  all  raised  to  life  through 
 Christ,  yet  this  [eternal  life  given  to  the  faithful]  is  the 
 true  life,  namely,  to  live  unendingly  in  bliss;  for  to  be 
 restored  to  life  only  for  punishment  differs  nothing  from 
 death.  If  therefore  any  one  notices  that  even  the  saints, 
 who  have  received  promises  of  life,  die ;  this  is  nothing, 
 for  it  is  only  what  naturally  comes  to  pass.  And  until 
 the  proper  time  has  been  reserved  the  display  of  the  grace 
 [of  resurrection] ,  which  is  powerful,  not  partially,  but  ef- 
 fectually, in  the  case  of  all  men,  even  of  those  saints  who 
 have  died  in  time  past  and  are  tasting  death  for  a  short 
 time,  until  the  general  resurrection.  For  then,  together, 
 all  will  enjoy  the  good  things.  And  in  saying :  Though 
 he  die,  yet  shall  he  live,  the  Saviour  did  not  take  away  the 
 death  in  this  present  world  :  but  admits  that  it  has  such 
 might  against  the  faithful  that  it  naturally  happens  to 
 them,  and  no  more ;  because  He  has  reserved  the  grace 
 of  resurrection  until  the  proper  time.  He  certainly  says  : 
 "He  that  helieveth  on  Me  shall  not  be  without  a  participa- 
 tion in  the  death  of  the  flesh  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
 human  nature,  but  nevertheless  he  will  suffer  nothing 
 worthy  of  fear  in  this,  as  God  is  able  easily  to  make  alive 
 whomsoever  He  will."  For  he  that  helieveth  on  Him,  hath 
 in  the  world  to  come  an  endless  life  in  bliss  and  perfect 
 immortality.  Wherefore  let  not  any  of  the  unbelieving 
 mock:  for  Christ  did  not  say  :  "From  this  present  moment 
 he  shall  in  no  wise  see  death,"  but  when  He  said  abso- 
 
Faith  must  he  confessed.  119 
 
 lutely  :  "  He  sliall  nevei'  see  death  in  any  wise,"  He  spake  xi.  25-27. 
 concerning  the  world  to  come,  reserving  the  end  of  the 
 promise  until  then.  And  saying  unto  Martha  :  Believest 
 thou  ?  He  demands  the  confession  of  faith  as  the  parent 
 and  patron  of  the  [eternal]  life ;  and  she  readily  assented 
 and  accurately  confesses :  not  simply  believing  that  He  is 
 a  Christ  and  a  Son  of  God;  for  a  prophet  also  can  be  a 
 Christ,  by  reason  of  being  anointed,  and  the  same  person 
 can  be  understood  to  be  a  son  [of  God]  :  but  using  the 
 definite  article  and  saying :  "  Hie  Christ,  the  Son  of  God," 
 she  confessed  the  Only  and  Preeminent  and  True  Son. 
 Therefore  her  faith  was  on  the  Son,  not  on  a  creature. 
 Believest  thou  hi  this  ? 
 Having  previously  explained  the  force  of  the  mysteiy 
 in  Himself,  and  shown  plainly  that  He  is  by  Nature  Life 
 and  Very  God,  He  demands  assent  to  the  faith,  furnishing 
 '\\\  this  matter  a  model  to  the  Churches.  For  we  ought 
 not  quite  vainly  to  cast  our  words  into  the  air  when  we 
 confess  the  venerable  mystery,  but  to  fix  the  roots  of  the 
 faith  in  heart  and  mind  and  then  to  let  it  bear  fruit  in  our 
 confession ;  and  we  ought  to  believe  without  any  hesitation 
 or  double-mindedness.     For  the  double-minded  man  is  in-  S.  Jas.  i. 
 
 Q 
 
 Solent  and  halting  as  regards  the  faith ;  wherefore  also  he 
 is  unstable  in  all  his  ways.  Nevertheless,  it  is  necessarj'' 
 to  know  that  we  make  the  confession  of  our  faith  unto 
 God,  although  we  are  questioned  by  men,  I  mean  those 
 whose  lot  it  is  to  minister  in  sacred  things,  when  we  say 
 the  "I  believe"  at  the  reception  of  Holy  Baptism.  Cer- 
 tainly therefore  to  speak  falsely  and  to  slip  aside  towards 
 unbelief  is  a  most  aweful  thing ;  lest  we  may  have  as  both 
 Judge  and  Witness  of  our  folly  the  Lord  of  all  Himself, 
 saying :  Even  I  am  a  Witness,  saith  the  Lord.  And  we  Jer,  xxix. 
 must  observe  that,  as  Lazarus  was  lying  dead,  on  his  be-  (xxxvi.23 
 half  in  a  certain  way  the  assent  to  the  faith  is  demanded  ^^^ ) 
 of  the  woman,  that  the  type  in  this  also  may  have  force 
 among  the  Churches ;  for  when  a  newborn  babe  is  brought, 
 either  to  receive  the  chrism  of  the  catechumenate,  or  that 
 of  the  ^  complete-  [Christian]  -condition  at  Holy  Baptism  ^  rfKeiu. 
 
120  Martha  was  sponsor  fur  Lazarus. 
 
 the  person  wlio  brings  it  repeats  aloud  tlie  "  Amen"  on  its 
 belialf.  And  on  behalf  of  those  who  are  assailed  by  ex- 
 treme sickoess,  and  on  that  account  are  going  to  be  bap- 
 tized, certain  persons  make  the  renunciation  [of  Satan] 
 and  the  declaration  of  attachment  [to  Christ],  by  an  act 
 of  charity  lending  as  it  were  their  voices  to  those  who  are 
 disabled  by  sickness  :  a  thing  which  we  see  to  have  been 
 done  in  the  case  of  Lazarus  and  his  sister.  And  Martha 
 wisely  and  prudently  first  sows  the  confession  of  faith,  that 
 afterwards  she  may  reap  the  fruit  of  it. 
 
 28  And  when  she  had  said  this,  she  went  away,  and  called  Mary 
 her  sister  secretly,  saying.  The  Master  is  here,  and  calleth 
 
 29  thee.     And  she,  when  she  heard  it,  arose,  and  went  unto  Him. 
 
 She  ivent  aiuay  to  call  her  sister,  that  she  also  might  share 
 the  happiness  which  arose  from  the  expected  event,  and 
 receive  at  once  in  common  with  herself  the  dead  one  raised 
 again  beyond  all  hope.  For  she  had  heard  the  words  : 
 Thy  brother  shall  rise  again.  And  she  told  the  good  news 
 of  the  coming  of  the  Saviour  to  her  sister  secretly,  because 
 there  were  sitting  by  her  some  of  those  Jews  who  felt  ill- 
 will  towards  Christ  for  His  wondrous  works. 
 
 And  we  shall  not  find  in  the  Gospels  that  Christ  said : 
 "  Call  thy  sister  to  Me ; "  but  Martha  taking  the  undeni- 
 able emergency  of  the  affair  and  the  right  due  to  her  sister 
 of  being  invited  to  come,  as  equivalent  to  an  uttered  com- 
 mand, she  speaks  as  she  does.  And  Mary  readily  ran  to- 
 wards Him,  and  was  willing  to  go  to  meet  Him.  For 
 how  could  she  help  doing  this,  when  she  was  in  such  great 
 grief  at  His  absence,  and  had  such  a  warm  feeling  of  piety 
 and  great  love  towards  Him  ? 
 
 30  Now  Jesus  was  not  yet  come  into  the  village,  but  was  still  in 
 
 31  the  place  where  Martha  met  Him.  The  Jews  then  which  were 
 with  her  hi  the  house,  and  were  comforting  her,  when  they  saw 
 Mary,  that  she  rose  up  quickly  and  weyit  out,  followed  her, 
 
 saying  that  she  was  going  unto  the  tomb  to  weep  there. 
 
 The  Jews  therefore  who  Were  present,  thinking  she  had 
 run  to  the  tomb  to  tear  herself  [in  her  grief],  follow  her; 
 
Ghrisfs  consideration  for  mourners.  121 
 
 doing  this  by  the  will  of  God,  in  ordei'  that  they  might  go  xi.  32-34. 
 in  a  body  to  see  the  marvellous  deed,  even  without  wishing 
 to  do  so.  For  had  this  not  taken  place  by  the  providence 
 of  God,  the  Evangelist  would  not  have  mentioned  it ;  nei- 
 ther would  he  have  written  down  the  concurrent  causes  of 
 each  matter,  had  he  not  been  everywhere  very  zealous  for 
 the  truth.  Therefore  he  stated  the  cause  wherefore  many 
 ran  to  the  tomb,  and  were  found  there,  and  became  be- 
 holders of  the  marvellous  deed,  and  reported  it  to  others. 
 
 32  ,  Mary  therefore,  ichen  she  came  where  Jesus  was,  and  saw 
 Him,  fell  down  at  His  feet,  saying.  Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been 
 here,  my  brother  had  tiot  died. 
 
 Certainly  Mary  says  that  death  had  happened  to  her 
 brother  prematurely  through  the  absence  of  the  Lord,  and 
 says  that  He  had  come  to  the  house,  when  the  time  for 
 healing  had  passed  by  :  and  it  is  possible  also  from  this  to 
 conjecture  that  she  said  this  as  to  God  Himself;  although 
 she  did  not  speak  accurately,  from  thinking  that  He  was 
 not  present  even  though  absent  in  the  body.  But  being 
 more  accurate  and  intelligent  than  Martha,  she  did  not 
 say :  Whatsoever  Thou  shalt  ash  of  God  God  ivill  give  Thee,  Supra 
 Wherefore  to  her  the  Lord  says  nothing,  whereas  to  Mar-  ^^^'  "" 
 tha  He  spake  at  some  length.  And  Mary  intoxicated  with 
 her  grief.  He  does  not  reprove  for  saying  :  ''  If  Thou  hadst 
 been  here  "  to  Him  Who  fills  all  creation ;  doing  this  also 
 for  our  example,  that  we  should  not  reprove  those  who 
 are  in  an  agony  of  mourning :  and  He  condescends  still 
 further,  revealing  His  human  nature,  and  weeps  and  is 
 troubled,  when  He  sees  her  weeping  and  the  Jews  who 
 came  with  her  also  weeping, 
 
 33  When  Jesus  therefore  saw  her  weeping,  and  the  Jews  also 
 weeping  which  came  with  her,  He  groaned  in  the  spirit,  and 
 
 34  was  troubled,  and  said.  Where  have  ye  laid  him  ? 
 
 Now  since  Christ  was  not  only  God  by  Nature,  but 
 also  Man,  He  suffers  in  common  with  the  rest  that  which 
 is  human ;  and  when  grief  begins  somehow  to  be  stirred 
 
122  Christ,  as  man,  groaned  and  was  troubled. 
 
 Book  7.  within  Him,  and  His  Holy  Flesh  now  inclines  to  tears,  He 
 '  does  not  allow  It  to  indulge  in  them  without  restraint,  as 
 is  the  custom  with  us.  But  He  groans  in  the  spirit,  that 
 is,  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  He  reproves  in  some 
 way  His  Own  Flesh :  and  That,  not  being  able  to  endure 
 the  action  of  the  Godhead  united  with  It,  trembles  and 
 presents  the  appearance  of  trouble.  For  this  I  think  to 
 be  the  signification  of  "  He  was  trouhled ;  "  for  how  other- 
 wise could  He  endure  trouble  ?  Shall  that  Nature  which 
 is  ever  undisturbed  and  calm  be  troubled  in  any  way  ? 
 The  flesh  therefore  is  reproved  by  the  Spirit,  being  taught 
 to  feel  things  beyond  its  own  nature.  For  indeed  on  this 
 account  the  Almighty  Word  of  God  was  made  in  Flesh,  or 
 rather  was  made  Flesh,  that  He  might  strengthen  the 
 weaknesses  of  the  flesh  by  the  energies  of  His  own  Spirit, 
 and  withdraw  our  nature  from  too  earthly  feelings,  and 
 transform  it  as  it  were  to  such  feelings  only  as  are  pleasing 
 to  God.  Surely  it  is  an  infirmity  of  human  nature  to  be 
 abjectly  overcome  by  griefs,  but  this  as  well  as  the  rest  is 
 brought  into  subjection,  in  Christ  first,  that  it  may  be  also 
 in  us. 
 
 Or  thus  we  must  understand  the  words :  He  groaned  in 
 the  spirit  andivas  trouhled,  viz: — as  equivalent  to:  "Being 
 moved  to  compassion  by  reason  of  many  weeping.  He  in  a 
 manner  gave  commandment  to  His  own  Spirit  to  overthrow 
 death  before  the  time,  and  to  raise  up  Lazarus."  And  it 
 is  not  as  being  ignorant  that  He  asks  :  Where  have  ye  laid 
 him  ?  For  He  Who  had  known  of  Lazarus'  death  when 
 He  was  in  another  part  of  the  country,  how  could  He  be 
 ignorant  about  the  tomb  ?  But  He  speaks  thus  as  being 
 averse  to  aiTogance :  therefore  He  did  not  say :  *'  Let  us 
 go  to  the  tomb,  for  I  will  awaken  him,"  although  asking 
 the  question  particularly  in  the  way  He  did  has  this  signi- 
 ficance. Moreover  also  by  saying  this.  He  prepared  many 
 to  go  before  Him  that  they  might  shew  Him  that  which 
 He  sought.  With  a  set  purpose  therefore  He  said  this  also, 
 di-awing  by  His  words  many  to  the  place,  and  appears 
 not  to  know,  not  at   all  shrinking  from  the  poverty  of 
 
"Jesus  wept"  hut  not  overmuch.  123 
 
 man\'3  condition,  altliougli  in  His  Nature  God  and  know-  xl.  3f>,  37. 
 ing  all  things,  not  only  those  which  have  been,  but  also  Sus.  42.' 
 those  which  shall  be,  before  their  existence. 
 
 And  the  asking  a  question  therefore  does  not  imply  any 
 ignorance  in  Him  Who  for  our  sakes  was  made  like  unto 
 us,  but  rather  He  is  shown  from  this  to  be  equal  to  the 
 Father ;  for  He  too  asks  a  question  :  Adam,  where  art  Gen.  iii. 
 thou  ?  Christ  also  feigns  ignorance  and  inquires  :  Where 
 have  ye  laid  him  ?  so  that  through  the  inquiry  a  multitude 
 might  be  gathered  together  to  the  manifestation,  and  that 
 by  His  enemies,  rather  than  by  others,  testimony  should 
 be  given  to  the  miracle  of  restoring  to  life  one  who  was 
 already  corrupt. 
 
 36  The  Jeivs  therefore  said.  Behold  hoiv  He  loved  him !   But 
 
 37  some  of  them  said,  Could  not  this  Man,  which  opened  the 
 eyes  of  him  that  was  blind,  have  caused  that  this  man  also 
 
 sho7fld  not  die  P 
 
 Certainly  the  Evangelist,  seeing  the  tearless  Nature 
 weeping,  is  astonished,  although  the  suffering  was  pecu- 
 liar to  the  flesh,  and  not  suitable  to  the  Godhead.  And 
 the  Lord  weeps,  seeing  the  man  made  in  His  own  image 
 marred  by  corruption,  that  He  may  put  an  end  to  our 
 tears.  For  for  this  cause  He  also  died,  even  that  we  may 
 be  delivered  from  death.  And  He  weeps  a  little,  and 
 straightway  checks  His  tears ;  lest  He  might  seem  to  be 
 at  all  cruel  and  inhuman,  and  at  the  same  time  instructing 
 us  not  to  give  way  overmuch  in  grief  for  the  dead.  For 
 it  is  one  thing  to  be  influenced  by  sympathy,  and  another 
 to  be  effeminate  and  unmanly.  For  this  cause  thei'efore 
 He  permitted  His  own  flesh  to  weep  a  little,  although  it 
 was  in  its  nature  tearless  and  incapable  of  any  grief,  so 
 far  as  regards  its  own  nature.  And  even  they  who  hate 
 the  Lord,  admire  His  tears.  For  they  who  follow  philo- 
 sophy to  an  extreme  and  have  a  brilliant  reputation  there- 
 in, shed  tears  with  the  greatest  reluctance,  as  overcoming 
 by  manly  vigour  every  misfortune.  And  the  Jews  thought 
 that  He  wept  on  account  of  the  death  of  Lazarus,  but  He 
 
124;  MaUgniiy  of  the  Pharisees. 
 
 Book  7.  wept  out  of  compassion  for  all  humanity,  not  bewailing 
 '  ■  Lazarus  only,  but  understanding  tliat  which,  happens  to 
 all,  that  the  whole  of  humanity  is  made  subject  to  death, 
 having  justly  fallen  under  so  great  a  penalty.  And  others, 
 being  wounded  by  envy,  said  nothing  good ;  for  in  truth 
 they  did  not  find  fault  with  the  Lord  for  suffering  Lazarus 
 to  die ;  for  this  would  have  been  the  language  of  men  who 
 believed  that  He  was  able  to  stay  death  :  but  they  almost 
 speak  thus  :  ''  Where  is  Thy  might,  O  Wonder-worker  ? 
 For  behold,  even  when  Thou  wert  unwilling,  He  who  was 
 beloved  by  Thee  has  died.  For  that  Thou  didst  love  him 
 is  evident  from  Thy  weeping.  If  therefore  that  which  was 
 done  to  the  blind  man  was  the  work  of  Thy  might.  Thou 
 wouldst  be  able  also  to  stay  death,  which  is  a  similar  deed 
 beyond  the  nature  of  man."  As  malignantly  rejoicing 
 therefore,  because  they  saw  His  glory  in  a  manner  dimi- 
 nished, they  say  this. 
 
 38  Jesus  there/ore  again  groaning  in  Himself  cometh  to   the 
 
 39  to7nb.     Now  it  was  a  cave,  and  a  stone  lay  against  it.     And 
 
 Jesus  saith.  Take  ye  away  the  stone. 
 
 Here  we  understand  the  groaning  as  if  it  were  the  will 
 struggling  with  a  sort  of  movement  according  to  its  power, 
 both  because  He  rather  sternly  reproved  His  grief,  and 
 the  tears  which  were  about  to  be  shed  from  His  grief. 
 For,  as  God,  He  in  the  way  of  a  master  reproves  His  Man- 
 hood, bidding  it  be  manly  in  sorrowful  circumstances ;  or 
 by  His  God-befitting  movement  He  distinctly  lays  it  down 
 that  we  must  hence  forward  overthrow  the  powerful  influ- 
 ence of  death.  And  this  He  makes  manifest  by  His  very 
 own  Flesh,  and  signified  by  the  movement  of  His  Body 
 that  which  was  concealed  within.  And  this  is  shown 
 here  by  the  expression :  "  He  groaned,"  which  means, 
 that  through  the  outward  action  of  His  Body  He  indi- 
 cated His  hidden  commotion. 
 
 And  He  did  not  roll  away  the  stone  Himself  for  these 
 two  reasons  :  first,  to  teach  that  it  was  superfluous  to  work 
 wonders  when  there  was  no  necessity  for  them;  and  se- 
 
Intercessory  'power  of  faith.  125 
 
 condly,  [to  teach]  that  He  Himself  awakes  tlie  dead,  but  c  xi,  40. 
 
 His  angels  will  be  at  hand  to  minister  in  the  event,  whom 
 
 indeed  the  Lord  elsewhere  in  a  parable  calls  reapers.  S.  Matt, 
 
 ^  xiii.  39. 
 
 Martha,  the  sister  of  him  that  was  dead,  saith  unto  Him, 
 
 Lord,  by  this  time  he  stinketh :  for  he  hath  been  dead  four 
 
 days. 
 
 It  is  usual  to  refuse  to  believe  in  the  possibility  of  great 
 deeds,  and  to  be  somewhat  reluctant  to  admire  is  a  feeling 
 which  naturally  is  consequent  upon  things  beyond  our 
 experience.  It  seems  to  me  that  even  the  good  Martha 
 suffered  this ;  for  the  excessive  greatness  of  the  event 
 took  from  her  the  sure  confidence  of  faith,  and  the 
 strangeness  of  the  hope  bewilders  her  proper  reason. 
 And  it  is  nothing  astonishing  if  she  who  had  confessed 
 her  faith  is  again  overtaken  by  littleness  of  faith  through 
 the  excessive  greatness  of  the  marvellous  deed.  And 
 either  solely  out  of  honour  to  Christ  she  said :  By  this 
 time  he  stinketh ;  that  He  might  not  be  disgusted  by  the 
 bad  smell  of  the  corpse  :  or  she  says  this  as  if  from  shame. 
 For  the  relatives  of  the  dead  hasten,  before  the  body  be- 
 comes ill-smelling,  to  bury  it  down  in  the  earth,  out  of 
 consideration  for  the  living,  and  deeming  it  a  dishonour 
 to  the  dead  that  it  should  become  an  object  of  loathing  to 
 any. 
 
 40     Jesus  saith  imto  her.  Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that,  if  thou 
 believedst,  thou  shouldest  see  the  glory  of  God  ? 
 
 A  most  excellent  thing  is  faith,  when  it  is  produced 
 from  an  ardent  mind ;  and  it  has  such  great  power  that 
 not  only  is  the  believer  healed,  but  in  fact  others  also 
 have  been  healed  besides  them  that  believed;  as  the 
 paralytic  let  down  [through  the  tiles]  at  Capernaum,  by 
 the  faith  of  those  who  carried  him ;  and  as  Lazarus,  by 
 that  of  his  sister,  to  whom  the  Lord  said  :  If  thou  helievest, 
 thou  shalt  see  the  glory  of  God;  all  but  saying:  "Since 
 Lazarus,  being  dead,  is  not  able  to  believe,  do  thou  fill  up 
 that  which  is  lacking  of  the  faith  of  him  that  is  dead.'* 
 And  the  form  of  faith  is  twofold :    first,  dogmatic,  con- 
 
126  Chr id  strengthens  Martha's  faith. 
 
 Book  7.  sisting  of  an  assent  of  tlie  soul  to  something,  as  :  He  that 
 Siipraiii".'  heUeveth  on  the  Sou  is  not  judged;  and  secondly,  a  gift  by 
 1  Cor  xii  ^^^®  participation  of  grace  from  Christ :  For  to  one,  He 
 8.9-  says,  is  given  through  the  Spirit  the  ivord  of  wisdom,  and  to 
 another  faith ,  which  is  not  merely  dogmatic,  but  also  capa- 
 ble of  effecting  things  beyond  human  power,  so  as  even  to 
 remove  mountains.  The  faith  of  Martha  however,  by  the 
 feebleness  of  her  reason,  fell  away  into  unbelief.  But  the 
 Lord  does  not  permit  it  to  remain  so :  He  effects  a  speedy 
 remedy  for  the  suffering.  For  He  says  she  must  believe, 
 that  she  may  behold  what  was  beyond  hope.  For  double- 
 mindedness  is  a  great  infirmity  and  deprives  us  of  the 
 gracious  gifts  of  God.  Wherefore,  by  rebuking  her, 
 [Christ]  warned  the  whole  human  race  not  to  be  detected 
 in  the  evil  ways  of  double-mindedness.  And  shunning 
 vainglory,  the  Christ  did  not  say  :  Tliou  shalt  see  My 
 glory,  but :  the  glory  of  God.  And  the  glory  of  God  was 
 the  raising  the  dead.  Surely  therefore  He  Himself  Who 
 Supra  said  :  I  am  the  Resurrection,  is  by  Nature  the  God  Whose 
 glory  He  says  not  long  afterwards  the  woman  should  see, 
 since  Thou  wilt  suppose  that  the  Truth — and  the  Christ 
 is  the  Truth — does  not  lie.  And  it  was  promised  to  her 
 that  her  dead  brother  should  rise  again.  And  Mary, 
 being  more  intelligent,  utters  no  word  of  doubt;  but 
 Martha  was  affected  by  the  disease  of  double-mindedness. 
 
 And  Jesus  lifted  up  His  eyes,  and  said,  Father,  I  thank  Thee 
 42     that  Thou  heardest  Me.     And  I  knew  that  Thou  hearest  Me 
 alwai/s :  but  because  of  the  multitude  which  standeth  by  I 
 said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  Thou  didst  send  Me. 
 
 Of  course  it  is  agreeably  to  His  self-humiliation  as  a 
 Man  that  the  Christ  thus  speaks  in  a  lowly  manner,  not 
 according  to  the  excellency  of  the  Godhead :  and  He 
 offers  His  thanks  to  the  Father  not  on  account  of  Lazarus 
 only,  but  for  the  life  of  all  men.  For  being  good.  He  is 
 of  one  mind  with  the  Father  in  bringing  back  to  life  the 
 nature  of  man  which  had  fallen  into  liability  to  corruption 
 through   its    disobedience;    and  there   is    no    distinction 
 
Christ  siiits  His  behaviour  to  the  occasion.  127 
 
 between  His  goodness  and  that  of  the  Father.  And  just  c.  xi.  42. 
 as  we  ourselves  even  are  persuaded  by  our  own  reasonings 
 to  leave  undone  what  we  had  intended  to  do^  so  also  the 
 Lord^  being  the  Word  and  Counsel  of  the  Father,  has 
 made  the  Father  friendly  to  us.  And  of  course  we  do 
 not  say  that  what  is  Divine  indulges  in  anger,  but  that 
 [God],  being  just  and  good,  knows  when  it  is  the  proper 
 time  to  rebuke,  and  when  it  is  the  proper  time  to  relax. 
 However,  the  Lord  gives  thanks,  and  this  He  does  as  a 
 Pattern  for  us,  honouring  the  Father.  But  when  an 
 equal  ^ives  thanks  to  an  equal,  he  by  no  means  does  this 
 as  a  mark  of  inferiority  of  essence.  And  on  this  account 
 [Jesus]  notifies  that  because  of  the  multitude  He  spake 
 thus,  all  but  saying :  "  I  have  simulated  the  outward 
 appearance  of  prayer,  and  I  gave  thanks,  in  conformity 
 with  My  assumed  condition. ■''  For  I  knew  that  Thou 
 hearest  Me  always.  For  the  one  Nature  of  the  Godhead 
 is  not  disobedient  to  itself,  since  the  Mind  of  the  Trinity, 
 Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  is  One.  Knowing  therefore.  He 
 says,  that  Our  purpose  is  one  and  Our  will  one,  because  of 
 the  multitude  I  spake  thus.  And  the  Christ  thus  speaks 
 because  of  the  Jews,  giving  thanks  to  the  Father  as  if 
 effecting  by  Him  His  God-befitting  deeds,  that  they 
 might  no  more  say  it  was  by  Beelzebub  He  did  signs.  And  S.  Matt. 
 He  also  explains  His  conduct  with  regard  to  the  outward 
 appearance  of  prayer,  that  we  may  not  be  caused  to 
 stumble,  saying :  because  of  the  viultitude  I  did  this. 
 Moreover,  He  says  :  Thou  didst  send  Me,  because  of  the 
 suspicions  of  the  Jews :  for  I  came  not  of  Myself,  as  do 
 the  false  prophets;  but  with  Thy  approbation  and  good 
 will  I  emptied  Myself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  that  I  Phil.ii.7. 
 might  restore  the  life  to  all.  The  manner  of  the  prayer 
 therefore  was  in  agreement  with  His  assumed  condition 
 and  suitable  to  His  outward  appearance  in  the  flesh,  not 
 to  the  excellency  and  incomparable  splendour  of  the 
 Godhead.  For  to  ask  and  to  receive  would  bo  actions 
 altogether  befitting  a  servant  rather  than  a  lord,  and  are 
 usual  with  such  as  are  under  dominion.     Nevertheless, 
 
128  Prayer  is  suitable  to  humanity. 
 
 Book  7.  Christ  does  even  these  things  without  blame ;  for  having 
 accepted  for  Himself  the  condition  of  a  Man,  how  could 
 He  any  longer  decline  the  characteristics  of  humanity  ? 
 
 From  the    IN  THE  SEVENTH  BOOK  OP  THE  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  GOSPEL  OP 
 ^y"^*^'  JOHN,  CYRIL   [writes]   AS  FOLLOWS. 
 
 For  the  Son  is  in  every  respect  perfect  in  Himself,  and 
 in  no  way  does  He  lack  any  single  excellence.     For  He  is 
 begotten  of  the  Essence  of  God  the  Father,  and  is  fall  of 
 power  and  of  God-befitting  glory.     Everything  is  under 
 His  feet  and  there  is  nothing  which  His  power  cannot  ef- 
 Job,  xlii.  feet.     For,  according  to  the  voice  of  the  saint,  He  can  do 
 s'syriac:  everything.     Yet,  although  it  is  ^true  that  everything  is  in 
 ^°°  *      His  possession.  He  asks,  it  is  said,  from  the  Father,  and 
 Ps.  ii.  8.    receives  the  heathen  and  the  uttermost  j^ arts  of  the  earth  as 
 a  glorious  inheritance.     But  it  is  necessary  that  we  should 
 ask  how  He  receives  or  when :  for  this  is  in  truth  fitting 
 and  necessary,  I  mean,  that  we  should  in  such  matters  ask 
 about  the  times,  and  investigate  the  occasions,  and  make 
 a  diligent  inquiry  as  to  their  significations.     When,  there- 
 Phil,  ii.     fore,  He  became  Man ;  when  He  emptied  Himself,  as  it  is 
 written ;  when  He  humbled  Himself  to  the  form  of  those  to 
 whom  it  is  befitting  that  they  should  ask ;  then  it  was  that 
 He  both  did  and  spake  those  things  that  are  befitting  to 
 men,  and  we  are  told  that  they  were  made  perfect  concern- 
 ing Him  from  the  Father.     For  where  did  He  exhibit  the 
 outward  appearance   of  humility,  or  how  did  that  self- 
 emptying  show  itself  victoriously,  except  that  contrary  to 
 His  Majesty  He  endured  something  willingly,  when  for 
 our  sake  He  emptied,  Himself?    For  in  the  same  way  that 
 He  was  weary  from  the  fatigue  of  the  journey,  although 
 He  is  the  Lord  of  Powers  ;  and  as  He  was  in  need  of  food. 
 Supra  vi.  although  He  is  the  Bread  which  came  down  from  heaven, 
 and  giveth  life  to  the  world ;  and  as  He  endured  death  in 
 1  S.  Pet.    the  flesh,  although  it  is  He  in  Whom,  ive  move  and  have  our 
 Acts'xvii.  being ;  so  it  is  said  that  He  asked,  although  He  is  the 
 ^'  Lord  of  all.     That  when  the  Only -Begotten  became  Man, 
 
 He  was  not  then  at  first  called  to  His  kingdom,  we  might 
 
Jesus  prai/rd  for  the  sake  of  others.  129 
 
 easily  sliow.  But  to  dispute  mucli  about  this  would  be  c.xi.42. 
 not  far  removed  from  folly.  Therefore  we  maintain  that 
 what  thou  hast  spoken  of  was  done  rather  for  the  same 
 reason.  Thinkest  thou  that  the  Lord  prayed  for  Lazarus, 
 and  thus  obtained  for  him  life  ?  But  thou  wilt  not  con- 
 tinue to  think  this  at  all,  when  thou  art  reminded  of  the 
 words  that  remain.  For  He  not  only  said  :  Father,  I  thank 
 Thee  that  Thou  heardest  Me;  but  He  added  further:  Be- 
 cause of  the  multitude  which  standeth  around  I  said  it,  that 
 they  may  believe  that  Thou  didst  send  Me.  And  thou  seest 
 here  the  occasion  of  the  prayer  clearly.  For  because  the 
 Jews  were  wicked  and  bold,  so  that  they  made  an  accusa- 
 tion when  the  Lord  was  working  miracles,  and  said  that 
 by  Beelzebub  He  performed  those  God-befitting  deeds ;  S.  Matt, 
 therefore  He  justly  refuted  the  thought  that  was  in  them, 
 and  shewed  that  He  performed  everything  together  with 
 the  Father  as  God,  and  did  not  (like  those  men  the  false 
 prophets)  come  of  His  own  will.  Moreover,  as  regards  His 
 choosing  to  speak  words  which  seemed  not  right  for  God, 
 He  said :  Because  of  the  multitude  which  standeth  around 
 I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  Thou  didst  send  Me. 
 Had  it  not  therefore  been  meet  to  correct  the  notion  of 
 those  standing  around,  in  order  that  it  might  be  understood 
 that  the  miracle,  which  He  received  for  Lazarus'  sake,  was 
 from  above,  and  from  the  Father,  He  would  not  have  said 
 at  all  these  words  :  Father,  I  thank  Thee  that  Thou  heardest 
 Me.  For  He  was  both  the  Will  and  the  Word,  and  the 
 Counsel  of  the  Father  as  regards  all  excellencies.  What 
 counsel  did  He  ask,  or  what  will,  or  what  word,  of  Him 
 Who  begat  Him,  that  He  might  receive  some  works, — 
 when  He  had  the  Father  in  Him  by  Nature,  and  He  was 
 in  the  Father,  because  He  was  of  His  Essence  ?  How  as 
 one  far  removed  did  He  ask  of  the  Father,  or  how  was  He 
 not  able  to  expel  from  a  corpse  sad  death,  Who  even  at 
 the  beginning  formed  man  out  of  inanimate  matter,  and 
 exhibited  him  animated  and  rational  ?  We  will  accept 
 therefore  the  explanation  which  does  not  eiT  in  the  faith, 
 not  of  those  men  who  speak  foolishly,  but  of  the  Scripture 
 
 VOL.  II.  K 
 
130  Wonderful  effect  of  Christ's  command. 
 
 Book  7.  spoken  by  the  Spirit,  in  which  there  is  nothing  crooked 
 '  or  perverse. 
 
 From  the  43     Jiid  when  He  had  thus  spoken,  He  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
 44     Lazarus,  come  forth,     ylnd  he  that  was  dead  came  forth, 
 bound  hand  and  foot  with  grave-clothes  ;  and  his  face  was 
 bound  about  tvith  a  napkin. 
 
 O  the  marvel !  the  ill-smelling  corpse,  even  after  the 
 fourth  day  from  death,  He  brought  forth  out  of  the  tomb ; 
 and  him  that  was  fettered  fast  and  bound  hand  and  foot, 
 He  commanded  to  walk  !  And  immediately,  the  dead 
 man  started  up,  and  the  corpse  began  to  run,  being  deli- 
 vered from  its  corruption  and  losing  its  bad  smell,  and 
 escaping  through  the  gates  of  death^  and  without  any 
 hindrance  to  running  being  caused  by  the  bonds.  And 
 although  deprived  of  sight  by  the  covering  which  was 
 over  his  face,  the  dead  man  runs  without  any  hindrance 
 towards  Him  Who  had  called  him,  and  recognises  the 
 masterful  voice.  For  Christ's  language  was  God-befitting 
 and  His  command  was  kingly,  having  power  to  loose  from 
 death,  and  to  bring  back  from  corruption,  and  to  exhibit 
 energy  beyond  expression.  The  use  of  a  piercing  cry, 
 however,  was  altogether  strange  and  unwonted  in  the 
 Saviour  Christ,  For  instance,  God  the  Father  somewhere 
 Isa.  xlii.  says  concerning  Him  :  He  shall  not  strive  nor  cry  aloud,  and 
 so  on.  For  the  works  of  the  true  Godhead  are  without 
 noise  or  tumult  of  any  kind ;  and  this  was  the  case  with 
 Christ,  for  He  is  in  His  Nature  God  of  God  and  Very  God. 
 So  then  what  do  we  say  when  we  see  that  He  cried  aloud 
 in  an  unusual  manner  ?  For  surely  no  one  will  degrade 
 himself  to  such  a  depth  of  folly  as  to  say  that  Christ  ever 
 went  beyond  what  was  fitting  or  indeed  ever  erred  from 
 absolute  perfection.  How  then  is  it  to  be  explained  ?  Cer- 
 tainly the  cry  has  a  reason  and  a  purport,  which  we  feel  it 
 necessary  to  state.  It  was  for  the  good  of  the  hearers. 
 Christ  wrought  the  miracle  upon  Lazarus  as  a  sort  of  type 
 of  the  general  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  that  which 
 was  fulfilled  in  the  case  of  an  individual  He  set  forth  as  a 
 
The  general  resurrection  typified.  131 
 
 beautiful  imasfe  of  what  will  be  universal  and  common  to  xi.  43-41. 
 the  whole  race.  For  it  is  part  of  our  belief  that  the  Lord 
 will  come,  and  we  hold  that  there  will  be  a  cry  made  by 
 the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  according  to  the  language  of  Paul, 
 proclaiming  the  resurrection  to  those  that  lie  in  the  earth, 
 although  it  is  manifest  that  the  deed  will  be  effected  by 
 the  unspeakable  power  of  the  Almighty  God. 
 
 For  on  this  account  also  the  Law  given  by  Moses,  when 
 laying  down  directions  concerning  the  feast  of  Tabernacles, 
 says:  Celebrate  it  as  a  memorial  of  trumpets.  For  when  Lev. xxiii. 
 human  bodies  are  about  to  be  set  up  again,  as  tabernacles,  (Lxx) 
 and  every  man^s  soul  is  about  to  take  to  itself  its  own 
 bodily  habitation  in  a  way  as  yet  unknown,  the  masterful 
 command  will  be  previously  proclaimed,  and  the  signal  of 
 the  resurrection  will  sound  forth,  even  the  trump  of  God, 
 as  it  is  said.  As  a  type  therefore  of  this,  in  the  case  of 
 Lazarus  Christ  uttered  a  great  and  audible  cry,  not  much 
 heeding  His  usual  habit,  that  He  might  exhibit  the  type 
 of  what  is  to  be  expected  hereafter. 
 
 Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Loose  him  and  let  him  go. 
 
 For  their  good  therefore  He  bade  them  with  their  own 
 hands  to  loose  him,  that  they  might  have  no  opportunity 
 of  misrepresenting  what  had  been  done,  but  might  be 
 -witnesses  of  the  miracle.  And  this  too  is  representative 
 of  the  general  resurrection,  when,  being  loosed  from  sin 
 and  the  corruption  of  death,  every  one  will  be  set  free. 
 For,  falling  into  sin,  we  have  wrapped  the  shame  of  it  like 
 a  veil  about  the  face  of  our  soul,  and  are  fast  bound  by  the 
 cords  of  death.  When  therefore  the  Christ  shall  at  the 
 time  of  the  resurrection  bring  us  out  from  our  tombs  in 
 the  earth,  then  in  very  truth  does  He  loosen  us  from  our 
 former  evils,  and  as  it  were  remove  the  veil  of  shame,  and 
 command  that  we  be  let  go  freely  from  that  time  forward ; 
 not  under  the  dominion  of  sin,  not  subject  to  corruption, 
 or  indeed  any  of  the  other  troubles  that  are  wont  to  cause 
 suffering;  so  that  there  will  be  fulfilled  in  us  that  which 
 
 K  2 
 
132  Inner  meaninej  of  the  miracle. 
 
 Book  7.  was  Said  by  one  of  the  holy  prophets  :  Ye  shall  both  go 
 M&liv.  2.  fo'i'th  and  leaj)  as  calves  let  loose  from  bonds. 
 
 (  XX)  _^jiS.  consider  I  pray  you  the  miracle  as  regards  its  inner 
 meaning.  For  if  our  mind  be  dead  like  Lazarus,  it  be- 
 hoves our  material  flesh  and  our  nobler  soul,  like  Martha 
 and  Mary  [respectively,]  to  approach  the  Christ  vnth  a 
 confession  of  faith,  and  to  entreat  His  help.  Then  He 
 will  stand  by  us,  and  command  the  hardness  that  lies 
 upon  our  *  memory  to  be  taken  away,  and  cry  with  the 
 loud  voice  of  the  Evangelic  trumpet :  "  Come  forth  from 
 the  distractions  of  the  world,^"*  and  loose  the  cords  of  our 
 sins ;  so  that  we  may  be  able  in  full  vigour  to  devote  our- 
 selves to  virtue. 
 
 45  Many  therefore  of  the  Jews,  which  came  to  Mary  and  beheld 
 
 46  that  which  Jesiis  did,  believed  on  Him.     But  some  of  them 
 went  away  to  the  Pharisees,  and  told  them  that  tvhich  Jesus 
 
 had  done. 
 
 Overcome  by  the  miracle  many  believe;  but  others, 
 wounded  with  envy,  deem  the  marvellous  deed  a  fit 
 opportunity  for  carrying  into  effect  the  intentions  of  the 
 envious,  and  reported  to  the  leaders  what  had  taken 
 place;  that  when  those  men  also  were  grieved  at  the 
 works  which  the  Christ  had  wrought,  they  might  have 
 some  consolation  of  their  own  grief  in  the  knowledge  that 
 others  shared  their  feelings  and  were  partakers  of  the 
 same  foolish  grief;  and  that,  as  they  were  unable  them- 
 selves to  injure  Him  Who  had  done  no  wrong,  they  might 
 rouse  to  anger  against  Him  those  who  possessed  more 
 power. 
 
 47  The  chief  priests   therefore  and  the  Pharisees  gathered  a 
 council,  and  said.  What  do  we  ?   for  this  3Ian  doeth  many 
 
 48  signs.     If  we  let  Him   thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe  on 
 Him :  and  the  Romans  will  come  and  take  away  both  our 
 
 place  and  our  nation. 
 
 Of  course  the  Pharisees  also  cease  to  wonder  and  are 
 turned  to  grief,  and  when  they  see  Him   stronger  than 
 
 "  l^yflfJ-V;     There  is  a  play  on  the  word,  which  is  very  similar  to  ixv-qixuov, 
 tomb,  and  i%  in  fact  sometimes  used  in  the  same  sense. 
 
The  propJwcy  oj  Gaiaphas.  13'3" 
 
 death,  tliey  take  counsel  to  kill  Him.  Not  considering  xi.  49-52. 
 His  unspeakable  authority,  but  thinking  of  Him  as  a 
 mere  man,  they  said :  What  do  we  ?  for  this  Man  doeth 
 many  signs.  Although  they  ought  rather  to  have  believed 
 from  this  that  He  was  indeed  the  Christ,  of  Whom  the 
 inspired  Scripture  had  previously  proclaimed  in  many 
 places  that  He  would  be  a  Worker  of  7nany  signs.  But 
 they  actually  allege  it  as  a  reason,  by  which  they  endea- 
 voured to  persuade  the  more  thoughtless  to  kill  Him ; 
 and  they  say  :  If  'ive  leave  Him  thus  alone,  that  is,  if  we 
 allow  Him  to  live  and  to  work  wonders,  we  shall  suffer 
 terrible  things.  For  if  many  believe  in  this  breaker  of 
 the  Law,  all  that  we  have  will  bye  and  bye  go  from  us  ; 
 and  presently,  when  at  length  the  Jews  have  grown  weak, 
 the  Romans  will  attack  us,  and  will  not  permit  us  to  freely 
 practise  the  customs  of  our  fathers,  or  to  rule  our  own 
 people,  or  to  give  judgment;  themselves  rather  giving 
 judgment,  and  we  doing  so  no  longer, 
 
 49  But  a  certain  one  of  them,  Caiaphas,  being  high  priest  that 
 
 50  year,  said  7into  them.  Ye  know  nothing  at  all,  nor  do  ye  take 
 account  that  it  is  expedient  for  us  that  one  man  should  die 
 
 51  for  the  people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not.     Now 
 
 this  he  said  not  of  himself:  but  being  high  priest  that  year, 
 
 52  he  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for  the  nation  ;  and  not 
 for  the  nation  only,  but  that  He  might  also  gather  together 
 
 into  one  the  children  of  God  that  are  scattered  abroad. 
 
 Behold,  the  very  thing  of  which  we  were  speaking,  the 
 very  thing  which  the  Jews  were  secretly  exercising  them- 
 selves to  bring  into  effect,  this  their  high  priest  openly 
 counsels  them  to  do,  even  to  kill  the  Christ ;  saying  that 
 it  would  be /or  the  nation,  although  the  nation  was  unjust. 
 And  he  makes  a  true  statement,  his  words  being  verified 
 not  by  the  perversity  of  the  people,  but  by  the  power  and 
 wisdom  of  God.  For  they,  to  their  own  destruction  put 
 the  Christ  to  death,  but  He,  being  put  to  death  in  the  IS.  Pet. 
 fiesh,  became  for  us  a  source  of  all  good  things.  And  what 
 he  calls  the  destruction  of  the  nation,  namely,  the  being 
 under  the  hand  of  the  Romans  and  losing  the  shadow  of 
 
53. 
 
 134  Hoiv  ice  are  all  children  of  God. 
 
 the  law :  the  very  thing  which  they  were  seeking  to  turn 
 away,  they  actually  suffered.     Prompted  therefore  by  an 
 unlawful  principle,  Caiaphas  said  what  he  did ;  neverthe- 
 less his  language  was  made  to  indicate  something  true,  as 
 being  spoken  by  one  in  the  official  position  of  a  prophet. 
 For  he  proclaims   beforehand   of  what   good  things   the 
 death  of  the  Christ  would  become  the  source,  saying  that 
 which    he    did  not   understand,   and    glorifying   God   (as 
 Balaam  did)  under  constraint,  since  he  was  holding  the 
 prerogative  of  the  priestly  order :  the  prophecy  being  as 
 it  were  given,  not  to  him  personally,  but  to  the  outward 
 representative  of  the  priesthood.     Unless  indeed,  as  may 
 have  been  the  case,  the  words  spoken  by  Caiaphas  were 
 accomplished  and   came  to  pass   afterwards,  without  his 
 having  received  any  prophetic  gift  whatever.     For  it  is 
 probable  that  what  some  people  say,  will  really  happen, 
 although  they  may  say  it  without  certainly  knowing  that 
 it  will  come  to  pass.     Caiaphas  then  said  that  the  death 
 of  Christ  would  be  for  the  Jews  only,  but  the  Evangelist 
 says  that  it  would  be  for  all  mankind.     For  we  are  all 
 called  the  offspring  and  children  of  God  inasmuch  as  He 
 is  the  Father  of  all,  having  by  way  of  creation  begotten 
 as  it  were  and  brought  into  existence   the  things   that 
 were  not.     And  also,  because  we  had  from  the  first  the 
 honour  of  being  made  in  His  image,  and  were   allotted 
 the  supremacy  over  earthly  things,  and  were  accounted 
 worthy  of  the  Divine  covenant,  and  enjoyed  the  life  and 
 bliss  of  Paradise.     But  Satan,  being  unwilling   that  we 
 should   remain   in   that    condition,   scattered    us,   and    in 
 divers  manners  led  man  astray  from  his  nearness  to  God. 
 And  the  Christ  collected  us  all  together  again  and  brought 
 us  through  faith  into  one  fold,  the  Church ;  and  united  us 
 under  one  yoke,  all  being  made  one,  Jews,  Greeks,  Bar- 
 Eph.  ii.     barians,  Scythians ;  and  we  are  fashioned  again  into  one 
 new  man,  and  worship  one  God. 
 
 53     So  from  that  hour  forth  they  took  counsel  together  that  they 
 might  put  Him  to  death. 
 
 For  they  had  the  desire  to  defile  themselves  with  Christ^s 
 
 15 
 
We  need  not  always  rush  into  danger.  135 
 
 Blood,  and  from  the  moment  at  whicli  the  assembly  took  xi.  54-55. 
 placBj  it  received  as  it  were  a  fresh  start,  the  common  con- 
 sent of  all  to  it  being  publicly  acknowledged.  For  the 
 Evangelist  did  not  say  simply:  "From  that  hour  they 
 took  counsel  to  commit  the  murder/'  but :  "  They  took 
 counsel  together;"  that  is  to  say,  the  vei*y  thing  which 
 seemed  desirable  to  each  one  individually  was  pleasing  to 
 them  all  collectively. 
 
 54  Jesus  therefore  walked  no  more  openly  among  the  Jews,  but 
 departed  thence  into  a  city  called  Ephraim  near  to  the 
 wilderness  ;  atid  there  He  tarried  with  His  disciples. 
 
 Here  also  therefore  as  Grod^  to  the  condemnation  of  the 
 Jews,  He  knows  their  secret  design,  although  no  one  re- 
 ported it  to  Him ;  and  withdraws,  not  because  He  was 
 afraid,  but  lest  His  presence  might  seem  to  irritate  those 
 who  were  already  eager  for  His  death.  And  He  also 
 teaches  us  to  retire  from  the  passious  of  those  who  are 
 angry,  and  not  to  thrust  ourselves  into  dangers,  not  even 
 when  they  may  be  for  the  sake  of  truth  :  when  we  are 
 actually  overtaken  by  dangers,  to  stand  firm ;  but  when 
 we  see  them  coming,  to  get  out  of  their  way ;  because  of 
 the  uncertainty  of  the  issue. 
 
 55  Now  the  passover  of  the  Jews  was  at  hand  :  and  many  went 
 up  to  Jerusalem  out  of  the  country  before  the  passover  to 
 purify  themselves. 
 
 Passing  over  everything  else,  the  Evangelist  goes  on  to 
 the  time  of  the  passion.  And  he  calls  it  the  passover  of 
 the  Jews  typically ;  for  [he  refers  to]  the  ^  true  Passover,  a  a\,,0<,/bi 
 not  of  the  Jews,  but  of  Christians,  who  eat  the  Flesh  of 
 Christ  the  ^true  Lamb.  And,  accordiug  to  the  ancient 
 custom,  those  who  had  sinned  whether  wilfully  or  through 
 inadvertence  purified  themselves  before  the  feast ;  and  the 
 typical  passover  was  not  shared  in  by  any  gentile,  or  un- 
 circumcised  person,  or  stranger,  or  hired  servant,  or  unclean 
 person :  all  which  types  are  spiritually  fulfilled  in  the  case 
 of  Christians. 
 
136  Various  opinions  of  the  multitude. 
 
 Book  7.  56     T/iei/  sought  therefore  for  Jesus,  and  spake  one  tvith  another, 
 
 xn.  1 
 
 57  as  they  stood  in  the  temple.  What  think  ye  ?  That  He  will 
 tiot  come  to  the  feast?  I^ow  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pha- 
 risees had  given  commandment,  that,  if  any  man  knew  where 
 He  was,  he  should  shew  it,  that  they  might  take  Him. 
 
 The  form  of  expression  however  leaves  it  doubtful  whe- 
 ther the  words  :  Think  ye  that  He  ivlll  not  come  to  the  feast  ?, 
 are  the  utterance  of  those  who  hated  or  of  those  who  loved 
 Him.  For  it  was  not  unlikely  that  those  who  believed  on 
 Him  might  speak  to  the  unbelievers  thus  :  "  Since  ye  took 
 counsel  to  put  Jesus  to  death^  and  think  that  He  is  igno- 
 rant of  what  you  have  secretly  planned,  this  will  be  a  clear 
 sign  to  you  that  He  is  God.  For  of  course  He  will  not 
 come  now  to  join  us  in  celebrating  the  feast,  because  as 
 God  He  knows  your  plans/^  Or  the  expression  may  be 
 thus  paraphrased  as  the  utterance  of  those  who  hated 
 Jesus  :  '^  As  it  is  ever  a  custom  with  Jesus  to  set  aside  the 
 law,  are  ye  who  believe  on  Him  willing  to  acknowledge 
 that  this  is  His  character,  seeing  that  He  is  not  now  come 
 to  the  feast,  disregarding  the  law  of  the  feast  by  not  join- 
 ing us  in  the  celebration  of  it?"  And  they  say  this,  not 
 because  it  was  necessary  for  all  to  go  together  to  Jerusalem 
 at  the  passover,  as  at  the  feast  of  Tabernacles,  but  rather 
 implying  that  His  not  coming  up  to  Jerusalem  was  an  in- 
 dication of  cowardice,  as  though  He  was  unable  to  protect 
 Himself  at  such  a  time,  and  on  that  account  failed  to  come. 
 Or  again,  those  appointed  to  take  Him  may  have  said  these 
 words  to  one  another,  being  in  despair,  because  they  did 
 not  yet  see  Him  come,  and  were  eager  quickly  to  execute 
 that  to  which  they  had  been  appointed. 
 
 Chap.  xii.  1.  Jesus  therefore  six  days  before  the  passover  came  to 
 Bethany,  ivhere  Lazarus  was,  the  dead  tnan  whom  He  had 
 
 2  raised  from  the  dead.  So  they  made  Him  a  supper  there: 
 and  Martha  served ;  hut  Lazarus  was  one  of  them  that  sat 
 at  meat  with  Him. 
 
 Disdaining  the  plot  of  the  Jews,  the  Lord  gives  Himself 
 up,  willing  to  suffer  when  the  time  for  suffering  was  come, 
 
Christ  observed  the  customs  of  the  feast.  137 
 
 going  to  Bethany ;  not  actually  into  Jerusalem,  lest,  sud-  xii.  1-2. 
 denly  ajipearing  to  the  Jews,  He  might  kindle  them  to 
 anger;  but  by  the  rumour  of  His  being  so  near  gradually 
 softeninor  the  ragre  of  their  wrath.  And  He  eats  with 
 Lazarus,  thereby  reminding  those  who  saw  them  of  His 
 God-befitting  power.  And  by  telling  us  this,  the  Evange- 
 list shows  that  Christ  did  not  despise  the  law;  whence 
 also  six  days  before  the  passover,  when  it  was  necessary  that 
 the  lamb  should  be  purchased  and  kept  until  the  fourteenth 
 day,  He  ate  with  Lazarus  and  his  friends  :  perhaps  because 
 it  was  a  custom,  not  of  law  but  from  long  usage,  for  the 
 Jews  to  have  some  little  merry-making  on  the  day  before 
 the  lamb  was  taken,  in  order  that  after  the  lamb  was  ob- 
 tained they  might  devote  themselves,  from  that  time  until 
 the  feast,  to  fasting  or  spareness  of  food,  and  to  purifica- 
 tions. The  Lord  therefore  is  seen  to  have  honoured  even 
 in  this  the  customs  of  the  feast.  And  in  amazement  the 
 Evangelist  says  that  he  who  had  been  four  days  dead  was 
 eating  with  the  Christ,  to  remind  us  of  His  Grod-befitting 
 power.  And  he  adds  that  Martha,  out  of  her  love  towards 
 Christ,  served,  and  ministered  at  the  labours  of  the  table. 
 
[OUR  FATHER  AMONG  THE   SAINTS 
 
 CYRIL 
 
 Archbishop  of  Alessandria 
 
 ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO   JOHN.] 
 
 THE   FRAGMENTS   WHICH   ARE   EXTANT  OF 
 
 BOOK   VIII. 
 
 Chap.  xii.  3.     Mary  therefore  took  a  pound  of  ointment  of  spike- 
 nard, very  precious,  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  wiped 
 His  feet  with  her  hair :  and  the  house  tvas  filled  with  the  odour 
 of  the  ointment. 
 
 While  Martha  was  serving,  Mary  anointed  the  Lord 
 with  ointment,  thus  accomplishing  her  love  towards  Him ; 
 and  by  the  actions  of  both,  the  measure  of  love  was  filled 
 up  and  made  perfect. 
 
 4  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  His  disciples,  which  should   betray 
 
 5  Hiyn,  saith.  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred 
 
 6  pence,  and  given  to  the  poor  ?    Now  this  he  said,  not  because 
 he  cared  for  the  poor  ;  but  because  he  was  a  thief  and  had  the 
 
 7  bag,  and  took  away  what  was  put  therein.     Jesus  therefore 
 said,  Let  her  alone :  against  the  day  of  My  burying  hath  she 
 
 8  kept  this.     For  the  poor  ye  have  always  with  you  ;  but  Me 
 
 ye  have  not  always. 
 
 The  traitor  rebukes  the  woman  who  had  shown  her 
 devotion  towards  Christ,  and  attacks  the  admirable  deed, 
 and  affects  to  blame  it  out  of  love  towards  tlie  poor,  because 
 ointment  was  brought  and  not  money.  But  it  was  out  of 
 ignorance  as  to  what  is  really  excellent  that  Judas  said 
 this.  For  the  bringing  of  presents  unto  God  ought  to  be 
 honoured  more  than  the  poor. 
 
Judas  is  rehiiked,  Mary  praised.  139 
 
 The  Evangelist  however  sets  forth  the  reason,  on  ac-  xii.  3-8. 
 count  of  which  Judas  said  this  :  it  was  not  that  he  felt 
 any  concern  for  the  poor,  hut  because  he  was  a  thief  and  a 
 sacrilegious  person,  stealing  the  money  which  was  dedi- 
 cated to  Grod.  And  the  Lord  also  makes  it  clear  that  the 
 woman  was  free  from  any  blame,  whereby  He  covertly 
 rebukes  the  traitor;  not  in  His  good  judgment  finding 
 fault  with  things  that  were  worthy  of  praise,  but  saying  : 
 Let  her  alone.  And  He  said  in  defence  of  the  anointing 
 with  the  ointment,  that  it  had  been  done,  not  out  of  luxu- 
 riousness,  but  because  of  a  certain  mystery  which  had 
 reference  to  His  burying;  although  she  who  did  it  was 
 unaware  of  the  design  of  the  mystery.  For  many  things 
 have  been  both  said  and  done  with  reference  to  a  mystical 
 type,  when  they  who  spoke  and  acted  were  unaware  of  it. 
 Yet  here  again  the  Lord  rebukes  Judas,  because  he  said 
 this  not  out  of  piety,  but  because  he  was  greedy  of  base 
 gain,  and  was  going  for  a  little  gain  to  betray  his  Master. 
 For  the  burying  and  the  allusion  thus  made  to  His  death 
 indicate  this  plainly.  And  the  Lord  also  brings  forward 
 an  argument  which  convinces  us  that  nothing  is  better 
 than  devotion  towards  Him.  For,  He  says,  love  for  the 
 poor  is  very  praiseworthy,  only  let  it  be  put  after  venera- 
 tion of  God.  And  what  He  says  amounts  to  this :  The 
 time.  He  says,  which  has  been  appointed  for  My  being 
 honoured,  that  is  to  say,  the  time  of  My  sojourn  on  earth, 
 does  not  require  that  the  poor  should  be  honoured  before 
 Me.  And  this  He  said  with  reference  to  the  Incarnation. 
 He  does  not  however  in  any  way  forbid  the  sympathetic 
 person  to  exercise  his  love  towards  the  poor.  Therefore 
 when  there  is  need  of  service  or  of  singing,  these  must  be 
 honoured  before  love  towards  the  poor ;  for  it  is  possible 
 to  do  good  after  the  spiritual  services  are  over.  He  says 
 therefore  that  it  is  not  necessary  always  without  inter- 
 mission to  devote  our  time  to  honouring  Himself,  or  to 
 spend  everything  upon  the  priestly  service,  but  to  lay  out 
 the  greatest  part  upon  the  poor.     Or  thus :  As  He  bids 
 
 His  disciples  to  fast  after  He  had  ascended  to  the  Father,  s.  Matt. 
 
 ix.  15. 
 
140         The  multitude  astonished,  the  rulers  enraged. 
 
 Book  8.  SO  also  He  says  tliat  tlien  they  may  more  freely  give 
 attention  to  the  care  of  the  poor,  and  exercise  their  love 
 for  the  poor  with  less  disturbance  and  more  leisure : 
 which  indeed  was  the  case.  For  after  the  Ascension  of 
 the  Saviour,  when  they  were  no  longer  following  their 
 Master  on  His  journeys,  but  had  leisure ;  then  they 
 eagerly  spent  all  the  offerings  that  were  brought  to  them 
 upon  the  poor. 
 
 9  A  great  multitude  therefore  of  the  Jeios  learned  that  He  was 
 there :  and  they  came,  not  for  Jesus''  sake  only,  but  that  they 
 might  see  Lazarus  also,  whom  He  had  raised  from  the  dead. 
 
 Through  the  strangeness  of  the  sign  the  multitude  are 
 astonished ;  and  that  which  they  heard  to  have  been  done 
 they  wished  also  to  behold  with  their  eyes,  that  they  might 
 believe  it  more  confidently.  And  they  not  only  wished  to 
 see  Lazarus,  but  also  the  Christ,  the  doer  of  the  sign ;  not 
 then  seeing  Him  for  the  first  time,  for  they  had  often  seen 
 Him  and  companied  with  Him ;  but  inasmuch  as  He  had 
 gone  into  retirement,  that  He  might  not  suffer  before  the 
 proper  time,  they  were  seeking  again  to  see  Him  :  and 
 the  more  reasonable  among  them  even  admired  Him,  as 
 they  recognised  no  fault  in  Him.  With  a  settled  purpose 
 therefore  the  Lord  did  not  immediately  enter  into  Jeru- 
 salem, but  remained  outside,  in  order  that  by  the  report 
 [which  would  reach  the  city]  He  might  draw  the  common 
 people  to  a  desire  of  wishing  to  see  Him. 
 
 10  But  the  chief  priests  took  counsel  that  they  might  put  La- 
 
 1 1  zarus  also  to  death  ;  because  that  by  reason  of  him  many  of 
 the  Jews  ivent  away,  and  believed  on  Jesus. 
 
 See  now  how  frantic  the  rulers  seem  to  become,  wildly 
 rushing  hither  and  thither  under  the  influence  of  their 
 envy,  and  saying  nothing  coherently.  They  seriously 
 meditate  murder  upon  murder,  thinking  to  remove  the 
 force  of  the  miraculous  deed  at  the  same  time  with  their 
 victim,  that  they  might  stop  the  people  running  to  believe 
 Christ. 
 
Tlie  Trkimphal  Entry  into  Jerusalem.  141 
 
 12  On  the  morrow  a  great  multitude  that  had  come  to  the  feast  xii.  12-15. 
 
 13  ivhen  they  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jerusalem,  took 
 the  branches  of  the  palm-trees,  and  went  forth  to  meet  Him, 
 and  cried  out,  saying :  Hosanna :  Blessed  is  the  King  of 
 Israel  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord. 
 
 The  multitudes,  being  more  obedient  and  yielding  to 
 the  effect  of  the  sign,  went  to  meet  the  Christ,  hymning 
 Him  as  One  Who  had  conquered  death,  and  carrying  palm 
 branches.  And  they  do  not  praise  Him  with  ordinary 
 language,  but  quote  from  the  inspired  Scripture  that  Ps.cxviii. 
 which  was  beautifully  spoken  with  regard  to  Him ;  con-  ' 
 fessing  that  He  was  indeed  King  of  Israel,  Whom  also  they 
 called  specially  their  own  King,  accepting  the  lordship  of 
 the  Christ.  And  the  Son,  they  say,  is  Blessed  :  not  be- 
 cause He  Who  blesseth  all  things  and  guards  them  from 
 destruction,  and  Who  is  of  the  ineffable  Essence  of  the 
 Father,  receives  the  blessing  which  comes  from  the  Fa- 
 ther; but  because  the  blessing  which  is  due  to  One  Who 
 is  God  and  Lord  by  Nature  is  oflPered  to  Him  from  us,  in- 
 asmuch as  He  came  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord.  For  all  the 
 saints  did  not  come  with  the  authority  of  lordship,  but  as 
 trusted  servants;  This  One,  on  the  contrary,  as  Lord. 
 Wherefore  the  prophetic  language  was  quoted  very  suit- 
 ably with  regard  to  Him,  For  indeed  some  are  called 
 lords,  who  are  not  such  by  nature,  but  have  the  honour- 
 able name  granted  to  them  by  favour.  As  also,  to  take 
 another  case,  men  are  called  "  true,"  when  they  abstain 
 from  falsehood :  but  this  is  not  the  thing  to  say  with  re- 
 gard to  Christ;  for  He  is  not  called  "Truth"  for  the 
 reason  that  He  does  not  speak  falsely,  but  because  He  has 
 that  Nature  which  is  altogether  superior  to  falsehood. 
 
 1 4  And  Jesus,  having  found  a  yoking  ass,  sat  thereon  ;  as  it  is 
 
 15  written,  Fear  not,  daughter  of  Zion :  behold,  thy  King 
 cometh  unto  thee,  sitting  on  an  ass''s  colt. 
 
 For  when  a  great  multitude  were  escorting  Him  like  a 
 body-guard  and  shouting  His  praises,  with  the  most  per- 
 fect self-restraint  He  seated  Himself  upon  an  ass,  teaching 
 
142  The  ass  a  type  of  the  Gentiles. 
 
 Bo 
 
 C.  Xll 
 
 OK  8.  us  not  to  be  lifted  up  by  praises,  and  omitting  no  neces- 
 sary thing.  Matthew  therefore  related  at  greater  length 
 the  circumstances  concerning  the  ass ;  but  John  comes  at 
 once  to  the  point  of  the  affair  that  was  most  suited  to  the 
 occasion,  as  it  is  his  custom  to  do.  And  since,  contrary 
 to  His  usual  habits,  on  this  occasion  only,  Christ  appears 
 seated  on  an  ass,  we  do  not  say  that  He  so  sat  for  the 
 reason  that  it  was  a  long  distance  to  the  city ;  for  it  was 
 Supra  xi.  not  more  than  fifteen  furlongs  off :  nor  because  there  was 
 a  multitude ;  for  it  is  certain  that  on  other  occasions  when 
 He  was  found  with  a  multitude  He  did  not  do  this  :  but 
 He  does  so,  to  indicate  that  He  is  about  to  make  subject 
 to  Himself  as  a  new  people  the  unclean  among  the  Gen- 
 tiles, and  to  lead  them  up  to  the  prerogative  of  righteous- 
 ness, and  to  the  Jerusalem  above,  of  which  the  earthly  is 
 a  type;  into  which  this  people  being  made  clean  shall 
 enter  with  Christ,  Who  will  be  hymned  by  the  guileless 
 angels,  of  whom  the  babes  are  a  type.  And  He  calls  the 
 ass  a  colt,  because  the  people  of  the  Gentiles  had  been 
 untrained  to  the  piety  which  faith  produces. 
 
 16     And  His  disciples  understood  not  these  things  at  the  first : 
 hit  when  Jesus  was  glorified,  then   remembered  they   that 
 these  things  icere  written  of  Him,  and  that  they  had  done 
 these  things  utito  Him. 
 
 At  first  therefore  they  were  ignorant  that  these  words 
 had  been  written  with  regard  to  Him ;  but  after  the 
 Resurrection,  they  did  not  continue  to  suffer  from  the 
 Jewish  blindness,  but  the  knowledge  of  the  Divine  words 
 was  revealed  to  them  through  the  Spirit.  And  then  was 
 the  Christ  glorified,  when  after  being  crucified  He  came  to 
 life  again.  And  the  Evangelist  does  not  blush  to  mention 
 the  ignorance  of  the  disciples,  and  again  their  knowledge, 
 since  his  object  was,  to  take  no  heed  of  respect  for  men, 
 but  to  plead  for  the  glory  of  the  Spirit ;  and  to  show  what 
 sort  of  men  the  disciples  were  before  the  Resurrection, 
 and  what  sort  of  men  they  became  after  the  Resurrection. 
 If  therefore  these  disciples  were  ignorant,  how  much  more 
 
EnligJitemnent  of  the  discqiles,  143 
 
 were  the  other  Jews.     And  after  He  was  crucified^  the  veil  xii, 17-20, 
 
 s.  Matt. 
 was  rent,  m  order  that  we  may  know  that  nothing  any  xxvii.  51, 
 
 longer  remains  hidden  and  concealed  from  the  faithful 
 and  godly.  They  were  enlightened  therefore  with  know- 
 ledge from  the  time  of  the  Eesurrection,  when  the  Christ  Jn^*"*"^' 
 breathed  into  their  face,  and  they  became  different  from 
 the  rest  of  men.  And  to  a  still  greater  extent  they  were 
 enlightened  on  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  when  they  were 
 transformed  into  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  Who  came 
 upon  them. 
 
 1 7  The  multitude  therefore  that  was  idth  Him  when  He  called 
 Lazarus  out  of  the  tomb,  and  raised  him  from  the  dead,  bare 
 
 18  witness.     For  this  cause  also  the  multitude  went  and  met 
 
 Him,  for  that  they  heard  that  He  had  done  this  sign. 
 
 The  gathering  of  the  common  people,  having  heard 
 what  had  happened,  were  readily  persuaded  by  those  who 
 bare  witness  that  the  Christ  had  raised  Lazarus  to  life, 
 and  annulled  the  power  of  death,  as  the  prophets  said : 
 
 for  this  cause  also  they  went  and  met  Him. 
 
 19  The  Pharisees  therefore  said  among  themselves.  Do  ye  see 
 how  ye  prevail  nothing?    Lo,  the  whole  ivorld  is  gone  after 
 
 Him. 
 
 This  they  say,  finding  fault  with  themselves,  that  they 
 had  not  long  ago  put  Jesus  and  Lazarus  also  to  death, 
 urging  themselves  to  murder ;  being  augiy  concerning  the 
 believing  multitude,  as  though  deprived  of  their  special 
 possessions — those  which  really  belonged  to  God. 
 
 20  Notv  there  were  certain  Greeks  among  those  that  went  up  to 
 
 worship  at  the  feast. 
 
 Any  one  might  be  perplexed  at  these  words  and  wonder 
 with  what  motive  certain  of  the  Greeks  should  be  going  up 
 to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  and  this  at  the  time  when  the 
 feast  was  being  celebrated  according  to  the  Law.  For 
 surely  no  one  will  say  that  they  went  up  merely  to  look 
 at  the  people  there ;  certainly  it  was  with  the  intention  of 
 
144  Why  OreeJcs  went  to  a  Jewish  feast. 
 
 Book  8.  participating  in  the  feast  which  was  suitable  for  Jews  and 
 '  '  '  Jews  only,  that  they  were  journeying  up  in  the  company 
 of  the  Jews.  What  was  the  point,  as  regards  the  motive 
 of  worship,  that  was  common  to  both  Greeks  and  Jews  ? 
 And  indeed  we  shall  find  that  the  habit  and  inclination  of 
 the  two  differed  very  widely;  for  the  one  honoured  the 
 truth,  whereas  the  other  honoured  what  was  false.  What 
 shall  we  say  then  with  regard  to  these  words  ?  As  the 
 teri'itory  of  the  Jews  was  situated  near  that  of  the  Gali- 
 leans, and  as  both  they  and  the  Greeks  had  cities  and 
 villages  in  close  vicinity  to  each  other,  they  were  con- 
 tinually intermingling  together,  and  interchanging  visits, 
 invited  thereto  by  a  variety  of  occasions.  And  since  it 
 somehow  happens  that  the  disposition  of  idol-worshippers 
 is  very  easily  brought  to  welcome  a  change  for  the  better, 
 and  inasmuch  as  nothing  is  easier  than  to  convict  their 
 false  worship  of  being  utterly  unprofitable,  some  among 
 them  were  easily  persuaded  to  change ;  not  yet  indeed  in 
 full  perfection  to  worship  Him  Who  alone  is  truly  God, 
 being  somewhat  divided  with  regard  to  the  arguments  in 
 favour  of  abandoning  idolatry,  and  following  the  precepts 
 of  their  own  teachers,  I  mean  Plato  and  those  who  are 
 called  the  wise  men  of  his  school.  For  they  say  that  one 
 (God)  is  the  Creator  of  all  things,  and  that  the  rest  are 
 iyK6<T-  1  included  within  the  universe,  and  have  been  elected  by 
 Him  as  directors  for  the  administration  of  human  afiairs. 
 It  was  then  a  custom  for  certain  of  the  inhabitants  of 
 Palestine,  especially  the  Greeks,  who  had  the  territory  of 
 the  Jews  closely  adjoining  and  bordering  on  their  own,  to 
 be  impressed  in  some  way  by  the  Jewish  habits  of  thought, 
 and  to  honour  the  name  of  One  Sovereign  [Deity]  ;  and 
 this  was  the  view  current  among  those  Greeks,  whom  we 
 just  now  mentioned,  albeit  they  did  not  express  it  in  the 
 same  way  that  we  do.  And  they,  not  having  the  tendency 
 to  Judaism  in  full  force,  nor  even  having  separated  them- 
 selves from  the  habits  dear  to  the  Greeks,  but  holding  an 
 intermediate  opinion  which  inclined  both  ways,  are  called 
 ^'  worshippers  of  God."     People  of  this  kind  therefore, 
 
 {MOS 
 
Philip's  conduct  cxjjlained.  145 
 
 seeing  that  their  own  habits  of  thought  were  not  very  xii.21,22. 
 sharply  distinguished  from  those  of  the  Jews  as  regarded 
 sacrificial  rites  and  the  conception  of  a  Sovereign  Ruler : 
 (for  the  Israelites  did  not  previously  know  the  doctrine  of 
 the  Holy  and  Consubstantial  Trinity,  nor  even  the  true 
 force  of  their  spiritual  worship  :)  they  were  in  the  habit 
 of  going  up  with  the  Jews  to  worship,  especially  at  the 
 national  gatherings,  not  meaning  to  slight  their  own 
 religion,  but  as  an  act  of  honour  to  the  One  All-supreme 
 God. 
 
 21  These  therefore  came  to  Philip  which  was  of  Bethsaida  of 
 Galilee,  and  asked  him,  saying.   Sir,   we  would  see  Jesus. 
 
 22  Philip    Cometh    and  telleth   Andrew :    Andrew    cometh  and 
 
 Philip,  and  they  tell  Jesus. 
 
 Even  though  they  knew  it  not,  the  Pharisees  were  tell- 
 ing the  truth  when  they  said  :  Behold,  the  wliole  world  is  Supra 
 gone  after  Him.  For  not  Jews  only,  but  Gentiles  as  well,  ^^^' 
 were  destined  to  accept  the  faith.  Wherefore  also  the 
 application  of  the  Greeks  happened  at  that  time  as  a  sort 
 of  firstfruits;  and  to  Philip  as  being  himself  a  Galilean, 
 the  Galilean  Greeks  came,  asking  him  to  shew  them  Jesus 
 Whom  they  wished  to  see,  as  they  were  continually  hear- 
 ing Him  well  spoken  of;  that  they  might  worship  Him 
 and  attain  the  object  of  their  desires.  But  Philip,  re- 
 membering that  the  Lord  said  unto  them  :  Go  not  into  any  s.Mat.x. 
 ivay  of  the  Oentiles,  and  enter  not  into  any  city  of  the  8ama- 
 ritans,  is  afraid  lest  by  any  means  he  should  seem  to  give 
 offence  by  bringing  to  Christ  those  who  had  not  believed, 
 not  knowing  that  it  was  of  set  purpose  that  the  Lord  had 
 forbidden  the  disciples  to  approach  the  Gentiles  until  the 
 Jews  should  first  have  rejected  the  grace  given  to  them. 
 And  so  Philip  tells  Andrew,  he  being  more  disposed  for  and 
 accustomed  to  such  things ;  and  then,  with  his  approval, 
 they  both  carry  the  message  to  the  Lord.  And  by  his 
 wise  conduct  Philip  teaches  us  that  it  is  not  well  to  speak 
 in  a  careless  fashion  to  those  who  are  above  us,  even  though 
 the  matter  seem  to  be  a  right  and  proper  one,  but  rather 
 VOL.  11.  L 
 
146  Christ  glorified  hij  the  Gentiles. 
 
 ,BooK  8,  to  take  counsel  with  wise  friends  as  to  what  oucfht  to  be 
 c.xii.23.   -,  ^ 
 
 done. 
 
 23     And  Jesus  answered  them,  saying.  The  hour  is  come  that 
 the  Son  of  man  should  he  glorified. 
 
 Seeing  therefore  that  Gentiles  are  hastening  in  eager 
 desire  to  see  Him  and  to  turn  towards  HirUj  on  this  ac- 
 count He  says  :  The  hour  is  come.  For  near  at  hand  was 
 the  time  of  His  Passion,  after  which  the  calling  of  the 
 Gentiles  immediately  followed.  And  He  calls  the  time 
 now  present  "  the  hour"  with  the  intention  of  shewing 
 that  no  other  occasion  can  bring  Him  to  the  necessity  of 
 suffering,  save  only  this  season  marked  out  by  His  own 
 appointed  limitations.  For  having  done  all  things  that 
 were  to  lead  men  on  to  faith,  and  having  preached  the 
 word  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  He  now  desires  to  pass 
 onward  to  the  very  crowning  point  of  His  hope,  namely  to 
 the  destruction  of  death  :  and  this  could  not  otherwise  be 
 brought  to  pass,  unless  the  Life  underwent  death  for  the 
 sake  of  all  men,  that  so  in  Him  we  all  may  live.  For  on 
 this  account  also  He  speaks  of  Himself  as  glorified  in  His 
 Death,  and  in  suffering  terrible  things  at  the  hands  of  the 
 sinners  who  dishonour  Him.  Even  though  by  the  angels 
 in  heaven  He  had  been  glorified  from  everlasting,  yet 
 nevertheless  His  Cross  was  the  beginning  of  His  being 
 glorified  upon  earth  by  the  Gentiles  as  God.  For  after 
 He  had  left  to  themselves  the  Jews  who  openly  despised 
 Him,  He  turned  to  the  Gentiles  and  is  glorified  by  them 
 S.Matt.  as  God,  being  confidently  expected  to  come  again  in  the 
 ^^^"  glory  of  the  Father.     And  He  declares  not  merely  that  the 
 
 Word  shall  then  be  glorified,  but,  shewing  that  He  Who 
 is  ineffably  to  be  regarded  as  sharing  in  humanity  no  less 
 than  Deity  is  One  Only  Son,  He  uses  the  title  '^  Son  of 
 man  : "  for  He  is  One  Sou  and  One  Christ,  capable  since 
 His  Incarnation  of  no  separation  of  Nature ;  but  ever  re- 
 maining and  ever  regarded  as  God,  although  clothed  in 
 flesh. 
 From  the  '     [He  is  One  Son  and  One  Christ,  capable  since  His  In- 
 
 Syriac. 
 
Benefits  resulting  from  Christ's  death.  147 
 
 carnation  of  no  separation  of  Nature^]  except  so  far  as  this^  c  xii.  24. 
 tliat  we  may  say  that  we  acknowledge  separately  the  Nature 
 of  the  Word  and  [the  nature]  of  the  flesh.  And  [we  may 
 say]  that  they  are  not  the  same  in  conception,  for  the  one 
 is  of  the  Essence  of  God  the  Father,  but  the  other  had  its 
 root  upon  earth  in  the  holy  Virgin.  Nevertheless  there  is 
 only  One  Christ  of  the  two,  Who  is  not  divided  into  a 
 duality  of  Sons  after  the  concourse  of  these  Natures  which 
 have  been  mentioned,  but  remains  and  is  regarded  as  in 
 possession  of  the  power  of  the  Godhead,  although  clothed 
 in  Flesh. 
 
 24      Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  Except  a  grain  of  wheat  fall  From  the 
 into  the  earth  and  die,  it  abideth  by  itself  alone ;  but  if  it 
 die,  it  beareth  much  fruit. 
 
 He  not  only  foretells  His  suffering  and  the  nearness  of 
 the  time,  but  He  also  alleges  the  reason  why  He  counted 
 His  suiiering  ^most  precious,  saying  that  the  benefit  of^^SicTTou 
 His  passion  would  be  great ;  for  else  He  would  not  have 
 chosen  to  suffer,  for  He  suffered  not  unwillingly.  For  by 
 reason  of  His  clemency  towards  us.  He  displayed  such 
 great  and  tender  kindness  as  deliberately  to  endure 
 cruelties  of  all  kinds  for  our  sake.  And  even  as  a  grain 
 of  wheat  sown  in  the  earth  shoots  forth  many  ears  of  corn, 
 not  receiving  through  them  any  loss  to  itself,  but  being 
 present  by  its  power  in  all  the  grains  of  every  ear ;  for 
 out  of  it  they  all  shot  forth :  so  also  the  Lord  died,  and 
 opening  the  recesses  of  the  earth,  brought  up  with  Him- 
 self the  souls  of  men.  Himself  being  in  them  all  according 
 to  the  doctrine  of  the  faith,  over  and  above  His  own 
 separate  and  distinct  existence.  And  it  is  not  to  the 
 dead  only  that  He  has  granted  the  power  of  receiving  the 
 fruits  of  the  benefit  He  brings,  but  to  the  living  also ;  if 
 indeed  the  doctrine  is  made  faithfully  to  coi'respond  to 
 the  form  of  the  parable.  For  the  life  of  all  men,  both  of 
 dead  and  living,  is  a  fruit  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ.  For 
 the  death  of  Christ  became  a  seed  of  life. 
 
 Can  it  be  then  that  the  Divine  Nature  of  the  Word 
 
 L  2 
 
148     What  is  meant  hy  "  loving  "  and  "  hating  "  life. 
 
 Book  8.  became  capable  of  deatli  ?  Surely  it  were  altogetlier 
 *  impious  to  say  tbis.  For  tbe  Word  of  God  tbe  Father  is 
 in  His  Nature  Life :  He  raises  to  life,  but  He  does  not 
 fall :  He  brings  deatli  to  naught.  He  is  not  made  subject 
 to  corruption :  He  quickens  that  which  lacks  life,  but 
 seeks  not  His  own  life  from  another.  For  even  as  light 
 could  not  become  darkness,  so  it  is  impossible  that  Life 
 should  cease  to  be  life.  How  then  is  the  same  Person 
 said  to  fall  into  the  earth  as  a  grain  of  wheat,  and  also  to 
 
 Ps.  xlvii,  "  go  up  "  as  "  God  with  a  shout  ?  "  Surely  it  is  evident 
 that  to  taste  of  death  was  fitting  for  Him,  inasmuch  as 
 He  became  Man  :  but  nevertheless  to  go  up  in  the  manner 
 of  God,  was  His  own  natural  prerogative. 
 
 25     He  that  loveth  his  life  ivill  lose  it ;  and  he  that  hateth  his 
 life  in  this  world  shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal. 
 
 You  not  only  ought  not  to  be  offended  at  the  thought 
 of  My  suffering,  or  to  disbelieve  the  words  I  said,  but  it 
 is  even  right  that  you  should  be  prepared  in  anticipation 
 •  of  it ;  for  he  that  thinks  fit  to  be  careful  over  his  life  here, 
 and  is  not  willing  to  expose  it  to  dangers  for  My  sake, 
 loses  it  in  the  time  to  come.  But  he  who  exposes  it  to 
 dangers  in  this  present  world  is  laying  up  in  store  for  it 
 great  rewards.  And  he  who  despises  his  life  in  this 
 world  shall  obtain  in  the  world  to  come  life  incorruptible. 
 And  the  Lord  said  these  words,  not  as  implying  that  the 
 life  [i.  e.  the  soul]  can  suffer  anything  here,  but  meaning 
 by  ''  love  of  life "  the  disposition  to  hold  it  firmly,  as 
 shown  by  those  who  do  not  expose  their  body  to  dangei's. 
 
 26     If  any  man  serve  Me,  let  him  follow  Me. 
 
 What  He  says  is  something  of  this  kind  :  If  I,  He  says, 
 for  the  sake  of  benefitting  you  am  exposing  Myself  to 
 death,  is  it  not  indeed  cowardly  on  your  part  to  shrink 
 from  despising  your  transient  life  for  the  sake  of  enjoying 
 your  private  advantages,  and  from  obtaining  life  im- 
 perishable by  means  of  the  death  of  the  body  ?  For  they 
 seem  to  be  hating  their   own  life,  with  regard  to  the 
 
The  imitation  of  Christ,  and  its  reward.  149 
 
 endurance  of  suffering,  who  expose  it  to  death,  and  keep  c  xii.  26. 
 it  for  everlasting  blessings.  And  they  also  who  live  in 
 asceticism  hate  their  own  lives,  not  being  subdued  by  the 
 pleasures  of  the  love  of  the  flesh.  What  therefore  Christ 
 did,  in  suffering  for  the  sake  of  all  men,  He  did  that  it 
 might  be  an  example  of  manly  courage ;  teaching  those 
 who  are  desirous  of  the  hoped-for  blessings  to  be  eager  in 
 the  practice  of  this  virtue.  For  it  is  needful,  He  says, 
 for  those  who  wish  to  follow  Me,  to  display  manly  courage 
 and  endurance  like  Mine :  for  so  only  will  they  receive 
 the  crown  of  victory. 
 
 And  where  I  am,  there  shall  also  My  servant  he. 
 
 And  since  the  Author  of  our  salvation  travelled  not  by 
 the  path  of  glory  and  luxury,  but  by  that  of  dishonour  and 
 hardships ;  so  also  we  must  do  and  not  complain,  in  order 
 to  reach  the  same  place  and  share  the  Divine  glory.  And 
 of  what  honour  shall  we  be  worthy,  if  we  refuse  to  endure 
 sufferings  like  those  of  our  Master  ?  But  perhaps  in  say- 
 ing :  ivhere  I  am,  there  shall  also  My  servant  be.  He  speaks 
 not  of  place,  but  of  progress  in  virtue.  For  by  the  same 
 qualities  in  which  Christ  appeared  conspicuous,  those  who 
 follow  Him  must  also  be  characterised.  This  does  not 
 refer  to  the  God-befitting  and  superhuman  prerogatives, 
 for  it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to  imitate  Him  Who  is  the 
 True  God  and  in  His  Nature  God ;  but  to  all  such  qualities 
 as  the  nature  of  man  is  capable  of  displaying  :  not  the 
 bridling  of  the  sea  aud  deeds  of  similar  character,  but  the 
 being  humble  and  meek  and  tolerant  of  insults. 
 
 If  any  man  serve  Me,  him  ivill  the  Father  ho7iour. 
 
 Herein,  He  says,  certainly  consists  their  recompense,  in 
 being  honoured  by  the  Father :  for  the  disciples  of  Christ 
 are  sharers  of  the  kingdom  and  glory  of  Christ,  according 
 to  the  measure  fitting  for  men.  And  He  says  that  the 
 honours  are  given  from  the  Father,  although  Himself  is 
 the  Giver  of  blessings;    ascribing  to  the  Divine  Nature 
 
150  Christ  felt  fear  and  alarm, 
 
 Book  8.  tlie  act  of  giving  to  every  man  according  to  his  work,  and 
 '"  *  showing  us  that  the  Father  wills  that  we  should  obey  the 
 commands  of  the  Son,  because  the  Son  does  not  legislate 
 in  opposition  to  the  Father. 
 
 We  must  note  therefore  that  he  that  does  things  pleasing 
 to  God  serves  Christ,  but  he  that  follows  his  own  wishes, 
 is  a  follower  rather  of  himself  and  not  of  God= 
 
 27  Now  is  My  soul  troubled;  and  tvhaf.  shall  1  say?     Father, 
 save  Me  from  this  hour.     But  for  this  cause  [came  i]  unto 
 
 28  this  hour.     Father,  glorify  Thy  name. 
 
 Now,  He  says,  is  my  soul  trouhled ;  and  ivhat  shall  I  say? 
 Father,  save  me  from  this  hour :  hut  for  this  cause  came  I 
 unto  this  hour.  See  I  pray  you  in  these  words  again  how 
 the  human  nature  was  easily  affected  by  trouble  and  easily 
 brought  over  to  fear,  whereas  on  the  other  hand  the  Divine 
 and  ineffable  Power  is  in  all  respects  inflexible  and  daunt- 
 less and  intent  on  the  courage  which  alone  is  befitting  to 
 It.  For  the  mention  of  death  which  had  been  introduced 
 3  TTiiparai  into  the  discourse  ^  begins  to  alarm  Jesus,  but  the  Power  of 
 the  Godhead  straightway  subdues  the  suffering  thus  ex- 
 cited and  in  a  moment  transforms  into  incomparable  bold- 
 ness that  which  had  been  conquered  by  fear.  For  we  may 
 suppose  that  even  in  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  Himself  the 
 human  feelings  were  aroused  by  two  qualities  necessarily 
 present  in  Him.  For  it  must  certainly  have  been  under 
 the  influence  of  these  that  He  shewed  Himself  a  Man  born 
 of  woman,  not  in  deceptive  appearance  or  mere  fancy,  but 
 rather  by  nature  and  in  truth,  possessing  every  human 
 quality,  sin  only  excepted.  And  fear  and  alarm,  although 
 they  are  affections  natural  to  us,  have  escaped  being  ranked 
 among  sins.  And  yet  besides  this,  profitably  were  the 
 human  feelings  troubled  in  Christ :  not  that  the  emotions 
 should  prevail  and  go  forward,  as  in  us ;  but  that,  having 
 begun,  they  might  be  cut  short  by  the  power  of  the  Word, 
 nature  in  Christ  first  being  transelemented  into  some 
 better  and  Diviner  condition.  For  in  this  way  and  no 
 other  was  it  that  the  jDrocess  of  the  healing  passed  over 
 
which  ijroves  that  He  had  a  human  soul.  151 
 
 even  unto  us.     For  in  Christ  as  the  firstfruits  the  nature  c.  xii.  28. 
 of  man  was  restored  to  newness  of  life,  and  in  Him  we 
 have  also  gained  things  above  our  nature.     For  on  this 
 account  He  is  also  named  in  the  Divine  Scriptures  a  se- 
 cond Adam.     And  in  the  same  manner  that  as  Man  HeiCor.xv. 
 
 45. 
 
 felt  hunger  and  weariness,  so  also  He  feels  the  mental 
 trouble  that  is  caused  by  suffering,  as  a  huDian  character- 
 istic. Yet  He  is  not  agitated  like  we  are,  but  only  just  so 
 far  as  to  have  undergone  the  sensation  of  the  experience ; 
 then  again  immediately  He  returns  to  the  courage  befit- 
 ting to  Himself.  From  these  things  it  is  evident  that  He 
 indeed  had  a  rational  soul.  For  as  the  circumstance  of 
 feeling  hunger  or  indeed  of  experiencing  any  other  such 
 thing  is  a  suffering  which  is  peculiarly  that  of  the  flesh, 
 so  also  the  being  agitated  by  the  thought  of  terrible 
 things  must  be  a  suffering  of  the  rational  soul,  by  which 
 alone  in  truth  a  thought  can  enter  into  us  through  the 
 *  processes  of  the  mind.  For  Christ,  not  having  yet  been  *  ivOvfi- 
 on  the  Cross  actually,  suffers  the  trouble  by  anticipation, 
 evidently  beholding  beforehand  that  which  was  to  happen, 
 and  being  led  by  reasoning  to  the  thought  of  the  future 
 events.  For  the  suffering  of  dread  is  a  feeling  that  we 
 cannot  ascribe  to  the  impassible  Godhead,  nor  yet  to  the 
 Flesh ;  for  it  is  an  affection  of  the  cogitations  of  the  soul, 
 and  not  of  the  flesh.  And  although  an  irrational  animal  is 
 troubled  and  agitated,  inasmuch  as  it  possesses  a  soul,  yet 
 it  does  not  come  to  feel  dread  by  a  process  of  thought,  nor 
 by  a  logical  anticipation  of  coming  suffering,  but  when- 
 ever it  happens  to  find  itself  actually  involved  in  any  evil 
 plight,  then  it  painfully  experiences  the  sensation  of  the 
 danger  which  is  present.  Here,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
 Lord  is  troubled,  not  by  what  He  sees,  but  by  what  He 
 anticipates  in  thought.  Further  it  is  noteworthy  that 
 Christ  did  not  say  "  My  flesh  is  troubled,"  but  "  My 
 soul ;  "  thereby  dispelling  the  suggestion  of  the  heretics. 
 And  although  thou  mayest  say  that  in  the  ancient  Scripture 
 God  said  to  the  Jews  :  Your  fasts  and  holiday -keeping  and  Isa.  i.  13, 
 festivals  My  soul  hateth,  and  other  expressions  of  a  similar? 
 
152  Christ's  glory  in  His  Death. 
 
 Book  8.  kind  ;  we  shall  maintain  tliat  He  has  made  use  of  oui' 
 "'"  '  habits  of  speech,  especially  by  reason  of  His  helpful  con- 
 descension towards  us ;  just  as  also  by  a  forced  use  of 
 language  He  attributes  to  His  Incorporeal  Nature  a  Face 
 and  Eyes  and  other  bodily  organs.  But  after  the  Incar- 
 natioUj  if  we  were  to  explain  such  expressions  in  the  same 
 way,  it  would  follow  that  He  was  a  mere  image  or  phan- 
 tom or  shadow  and  not  truly  a  Man,  according  to  the 
 teaching  of  the  ungodly  Manes.  Therefore  the  Word  of 
 God  made  one  with  Himself  human  nature  in  its  entirety, 
 that  so  He  might  save  the  entire  man.  For  that  which 
 has  not  been  taken  into  His  Nature,  has  not  been  saved. 
 
 Nevertheless,  after  speaking  of  being  troubled,  He  does 
 not  relapse  into  silence,  but  transforms  the  sufiFering  which 
 had  affected  Him  into  dauntless  courage,  almost  going  so 
 far  as  to  say  :  "  Death  is  in  itself  nothing ;  but  on  this 
 account  I  permitted  My  Flesh  to  feel  dread,  that  I  might 
 infuse  it  with  a  new  element  of  courage.  I  came  to  restore 
 life  to  those  who  are  on  earth,  wherefore  also  I  am  pre- 
 pared for  My  Passion.^^ 
 
 He  then  makes  a  request  of  His  Father  and  exhibits 
 the  outward  appearance  of  prayer,  not  as  being  weak  in 
 respect  of  that  Nature  which  is  Almighty,  but  in  respect 
 of  His  Manhood,  ascribing  to  the  Divine  Nature  those 
 attributes  that  are  superhuman ;  not  implying  that  the 
 Divine  Nature  was  something  external  to  Himself,  since 
 He  calls  God  His  own  Father,  but  in  full  consciousness 
 that  universal  power  and  glory  would  be  the  lot  of  both 
 Father  and  Son.  And  whether  the  text  has  :  Glorify  Thy 
 Son,  or :  Glorify  Thy  Name,  makes  no  difference  in  the 
 exact  significance  of  the  ideas  conveyed.  Christ  however, 
 despising  death  and  the  shame  of  suffering,  looking  only 
 to  the  objects  to  be  achieved  by  the  suffering,  and  almost 
 beholding  the  death  of  all  mankind  already  passing  out  of 
 sight  as  an  effect  of  the  death  of  His  Own  Flesh ;  know- 
 ing that  the  power  of  corruption  was  on  the  point  of  being 
 for  ever  destroyed,  and  that  the  nature  of  man  would  be 
 thenceforth  transformed  to  a  newness  of  life  :  He  all  but 
 
The  Father's  consent  to  the  Son's  Death.  153 
 
 says  sometliing  of  this  sort  to  God  tlie  Father :  ''  The  c  xii.  28. 
 body,  O  Father,  shrinks  from  encountering  the  suffering, 
 and  dreads  that  death  which  is  unnatural  to  it ;  nay  more, 
 it  seems  a  thing  not  to  be  endured  that  One  Who  is  en- 
 throned with  Thee  and  Who  possesses  Almighty  power 
 should  be  grossly  outraged  by  the  audacious  insults  of  the 
 Jews ;  but  since  this  is  the  cause  for  which  I  have  come, 
 glorify  Thy  Son,  that  is,  prevent  Me  not  from  encounter- 
 ing death,  but  grant  this  favour  to  Thy  Son  for  the  good 
 of  all  mankind,"  And  that  the  Evangelist  in  some  other 
 places  also  speaks  of  the  Cross  under  the  name  of  "  glory," 
 thou  mayest  learn  from  what  he  says  :  For  the  Holy  Sjnrit  Supra  vii. 
 ^uas  not  yet  [given']  ;  because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified. 
 For  in  his  wisdom  he  in  these  words  speaks  of  being 
 "■crucified"  as  being  "glorified:"  and  the  Cross  is  a 
 glory.  For  although  at  the  season  of  His  Passion,  Christ 
 willingly  and  patiently  endured  many  contumelies,  and 
 moreover  underwent  voluntarily  for  our  sake  sufferings 
 which  He  might  have  refused  to  suffer ;  surely  the  under- 
 going this  for  the  benefit  of  others  is  a  characteristic  of 
 excessive  compassion  and  of  supreme  glory.  And  the  Son 
 became  glorious  also  in  another  way.  For  from  the  fact 
 that  He  overpowered  death,  we  recognise  Him  to  be  Life 
 and  Son  of  the  Living  God.  And  the  Father  is  glorified, 
 when  He  is  seen  to  have  such  a  Son  begotten  of  Himself, 
 of  the  same  Nature  as  Himself.  And  He  is  Good,  Light, 
 Life,  and  superior  to  death,  and  One  Who  does  whatsoever 
 He  will.  And  when  He  says :  Glorify  Thy  Son,  He  means 
 this  :  "  Give  Thy  consent  to  Me  in  My  willingness  to  suf- 
 fer." For  the  Father  gave  up  the  Son  to  death,  not  with- 
 out taking  counsel,  but  in  willingness  for  the  life  of  the 
 world  :  therefore  the  Father's  consent  is  spoken  of  as  a 
 bestowal  of  blessings  upon  us ;  for  instead  of  "  suffering  " 
 He  spake  of  "  glory."  And  this  also  He  says  as  a  Pattern 
 for  us  :  for  while  on  the  one  hand  we  ought  to  pray  that 
 we  fall  not  into  temptation,  yet  on  the  other  hand  if  we 
 should  be  so  tried  we  ought  to  bear  it  nobly  and  not  to 
 rush  away  from  it,  but  to  pray  that  we   may  be  saved 
 
154  Christ's  humanity  was  perfect. 
 
 Book  8.  unto  God.     But  Glorify  Thy  Name.     For  if  through  our 
 
 c«  XII*  2i{jt    _  , 
 
 dangers  it  comes  to  pass  that  God  is  glorified,  let  all  things 
 be  accounted  secondary  to  that  end. 
 
 Moreover,  just  as  death  was  brought  to  naught  in  no 
 other  way  than  by  the  Death  of  the  Saviour,  so  also  with 
 regard  to  each  of  the  sufferings  of  the  flesh  :  for  unless 
 He  had  felt  dread,  human  nature  could  not  have  become 
 free  from  dread ;  unless  He  had  experienced  grief,  there 
 could  never  have  been  any  deliverance  from  grief;  unless 
 He  had  been  troubled  and  alarmed,  no  escape  from  these 
 feelings  could  have  been  found.  And  with  regard  to  every 
 one  of  the  affections  to  which  human  nature  is  liable,  thou 
 5  \6yov  wilt  find  exactly  the  corresponding  ^  thing  in  Christ.  The 
 affections  of  His  Flesh  were  aroused,  not  that  they  might 
 have  the  upper  hand  as  they  do  indeed  in  us,  but  in  order 
 that  when  aroused  they  might  be  thoroughly  subdued  by 
 the  power  of  the  Word  dwelling  in  the  flesh,  the  nature 
 of  man  thus  undergoing  a  change  for  the  better. 
 
 From  the   ^-^-^   AGAIN,    WHEN    fs.  CYKIlI    IS    MANIFESTLY   EEPKOVING   THE 
 Syriac  ^  l  j 
 
 IMPIETY   OP   AKIUS   AND  OP  EUNOMIUS,  APTEE   OTHER    THINGS 
 HE    TEACHES   AS    FOLLOWS  : 
 
 Since  therefore  that  which  is  the  outcome  of  thoughts 
 could  not  truly  happen  to  inanimate  flesh,  but  on  the  con- 
 trary is  suitable  to  a  human  and  rational  soul ;  how  can 
 it  be  improper  to  imagine  that  we  think  rightly  in  assign- 
 ing the  sufl'ering  to  it  [i.  e.  the  human  soul,]  rather  than 
 in  casting  it  upon  the  Nature  of  the  Godhead,  [as  we  must 
 do]  by  forcible  and  inevitable  reasoning,  if  truly  (in  ac- 
 cordance with  their  doctrine)  the  Divine  Nature  dwelling 
 in  Christ's  body  occupied  the  place  of  the  soul  ? 
 From  the  There  came  therefore  a  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  I  have 
 
 both  glorijied  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again. 
 
 The  Evangelist  did  not  say  that  it  was  the  Father  Who 
 uttered  the  voice  from  above,  but  that  the  voice  came 
 from  heaven ;  in  order  that  no  heretics,  because  they  heard 
 that  the  Father  spake,  might  attempt  to  say  that  also  the 
 Divine  Nature,  to  wit,  the  Father,  is  encompassed  with  a 
 
 Greek 
 
The  miraculous  Voice.  155 
 
 gross  body.     Wherefore  he  speaks  indeed  of  the  harmo-  c.  xii.  30. 
 nious  voice,  but  how  the  voice  was  brought  to  pass  it  is 
 not  in  our  power  to  say.     But  what  the  interpretation  of 
 its  words  signifies  is  this  :    The  Son  was  conspicuous  by 
 many  signs,  the  Father  withal  working  the  miracles  along 
 with  Him ;  and  inasmuch  as  He  was  Fellow-worker  with 
 Him  in  all  things  which  He  did,  He  says  now  that  He  has 
 glorified  [His  Name,]   and  freely  promises  that  He  will 
 also  glorify  it  again,  through  the  sign  ^  at  His  Death.     For  "  eVl  t^j 
 inasmuch  as  the  Son  is  both  Grod  of  God,  and  Life  born         * 
 of  That  which  is  by  nature  Life,  He  raised  Himself  from 
 the  dead ;  but  inasmuch  as  He  is  regarded  as  a  Man  like 
 us,  albeit  without  sin,  He  is  not  regarded  as  having  raised 
 Himself,  but  as  risen  by  the  power  of  the  Father. 
 30     Jesus  answered  and  said  mito  them,  This  voice  hath  not  come 
 for  My  sake,  hut  for  your  sakes. 
 
 The  Father  replied  aloud — after  what  manner  He  only 
 knows — unto  His  own  Son,  manifesting  His  own  purpose 
 with  intent  to  rouse  the  zeal  of  the  hearers,  that  they  might 
 believe  without  any  doubt  that  He  is  by  Nature  the  Son 
 of  God  the  Father.  But  the  multitude  were  perplexed 
 and  divided  unto  different  surmisings,  without  understand- 
 ing. For  they  ought  to  have  apprehended  that  it  was 
 the  Father  that  gave  answer,  unto  Whom  the  Son  had 
 addressed  His  words.  For  the  Son  asked  not  for  thunder 
 to  come,  nor  for  an  angel  to  utter  a  voice,  nevertheless 
 He  saith  :  The  Voice  hath  not  come  for  My  saJce,  hut  for  your 
 sakes.  For  He  knew  the  purpose  of  Him  Who  begat 
 Him,  even  if  no  word  had  been  uttered,  for  that  He  was 
 and  is  the  Wisdom  and  Word  of  the  Father.  For  your 
 sakes  therefore.  He  says,  the  Voice  hath  come;  in  order 
 that  ye  may  receive  Me  as  Son  of  God,  Whom  the  Father 
 knoweth  to  be  by  Nature  His  own  Son.  Now  the  Lord 
 says  that  the  Voice  hath  come  ;  yet  He  adds  not  that  it  was 
 the  Father^s  Voice,  nor  how  it  came :  for  this  is  a  super- 
 fluous matter.  He  affirmed  however  that  although  they 
 had  even  heard  a  Voice  as  from  heaven,  they  persisted  none 
 the  less  in  their  impiety. 
 
156  Christ's  first  Advent  was  in  mercy. 
 
 Book  8.  31     Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world:  now  shall  the  prince  of 
 '  "'  this  world  he  cast  out. 
 
 '  TpnT6.  This  ''' sore-yearned-for  time  of  tlie  Saviouv^s  sojourn 
 upon  eai'tli  showed  that  the  judgment  and  justice  for  the 
 Gentiles  was  already  come.  For  they  were  about  to  be 
 delivered  from  the  arrogant  usurpation  of  the  devil,  and 
 the  Holy  and  Righteous  Judge  was  portioning  out  most 
 righteous  mercy  to  them.  For  I  think  we  ought  not  to 
 suppose  that  the  world  was  even  now  being  condemned, 
 when  the  moment  of  its  justification  was  come ;  but  judg- 
 ment, in  the  sense  of  vengeance,  shall  come  upon  the  world 
 hereafter.  Again :  the  prince  of  this  world  shall  be  cast 
 out.  There  shall  be,  He  says,  judgment  against  him  that 
 wronged  the  world,  and  not  against  the  world  that  endured 
 
 Supra  iii.  the  wrong.  For  ti-uly,  as  Christ  Himself  said  :  God  sent 
 not  His  So7i  to  judge  the  ivorld,  hid  to  save  the  world.  This 
 then  He  says  will  be  the  character  of  the  impending  judg- 
 ment, that  the  prince  of  this  ivorld.  shall  he  cast  out.  And 
 cast  out  whence  ?  Manifestly,  from  the  dominion  that 
 hath  been  gained  by  him  through  violence,  and  from  the 
 kingdom  that  in  no  wise  belongs  to  him.  And  "out"  in- 
 dicates the  punishment  of  Hades  and  the  passage  to  it. 
 32  A7id  I,  if  I  he  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  ivill  draw  all  men 
 unto  Myself. 
 Howbeit,  after  that  Christ  had  given  Himself  unto  the 
 Father  for  our  salvation  as  a  Spotless  Victim,  and  was  now 
 on  the  point  of  paying  the  penalties  that  He  sufiered  on 
 our  behalf,  we  were  ransomed  from  the  accusations  of  sin. 
 And  so,  when  the  beast  has  been  removed  from  our  midst, 
 and  the  tyrant  is  deposed,  then  Christ  brings  unto  Himself 
 the  race  that  had  strayed  away,  calling  not  only  Jews  but 
 all  mankind  as  well  unto  salvation  through  the  faith  that 
 is  in  Him.  For  whereas  the  calling  through  the  Law  was 
 partial,  that  through  Christ  was  universal.  For  Christ 
 alone,  as  God,  was  able  to  procure  all  good  things  for  us. 
 And  with  exceeding  good  omen,  He  speaks  of  being  "up- 
 lifted" instead  of  being  "  crucified.^'  For  He  would  keep 
 the  mystery  invisible  to  those  intent  on  killing  Him;  for 
 
The  meaning  of  "  being  lifted  upJ"  157 
 
 they  were  not  worthy  to  learn  it :  nevertheless,  He  allowed  xii.33,34. 
 them  that  were  wiser  to  understand  that  He  would  suffer 
 because  of  all  and  on  behalf  of  all.  And  especially  I  sup- 
 pose any  one  might  take  it  in  this  way,  and  very  fitly ; 
 that  the  Death  on  the  Cross  was  an  ^  exaltation  which  is  ^  v^os 
 ever  associated  in  our  thoughts  with  honour  and  glory. 
 For  on  this  account  too  Christ  is  glorified,  forasmuch  as 
 the  benefits  He  procured  for  humanity  thereby  are  many. 
 And  by  these  He  draws  men  nnto  Himself,  and  does  not, 
 like  the  disciples,  lead  them  to  another.  He  shows  there- 
 fore that  He  is  Himself  by  Nature  God,  in  that  He  does 
 not  put  the  Father  outside  Himself.  For  it  is  through 
 the  Son  that  a  man  is  drawn  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
 Father. 
 
 33  But  this  He  said,  signifying  hy  ivhat  manner  of  death  He 
 should  die. 
 
 Hereby  the  Evangelist  showed  that  the  Lord  did  not 
 suffer  in  ignorance,  but  voluntarily;  and  with  full  know- 
 ledge, not  only  that  He  was  dying,  but  also  in  what 
 manner :  and  He  named  the  Cross  [as  His]  death. 
 
 34  The  multitude  therefore  answered  Him,  We  have  heard  out 
 of  the  Law  that  Christ  ahideth  for  ever :  and  how  sayest 
 Thou,  The  Son  of  Man  must  he  lifted  np  ?  Who  is  this  Son 
 of  Man  ? 
 
 And  this  they  say,  as  we  have  remarked,  understanding 
 that  being  "  lifted  tip"  meant  being  crucified.  For  it  was 
 their  wont  to  signify  by  more  auspicious  names  things 
 which  pointed  directly  to  sore  disasters.  They  essay 
 therefore  by  means  of  the  Scripture  to  prove  that  Christ 
 speaks  falsehood.  For  the  Scripture,  says  [one  of  them], 
 denies  that  the  Christ  is  but  for  a  time,  when  it  says  con- 
 cerning Him  :  Thou  art  a  Priest  for  ever.  How  then  sayest  Ps.  ex.  4. 
 Thou  :  ''I  am  the  Christ,"  whereas  Thou  sayest  that  Thou 
 wilt  die  ?  For,  because  they  understand  not,  the  Jews 
 say  that  by  reason  of  the  Passion  He  cannot  be  Christ ; 
 and  they  deny  that  it  was  written  that  the  Christ  must 
 suffer  and  rise  again  and  ascend  unto  the  Father,  to  be 
 
 Minister  of  the  Sanctuary  and  High  Priest  of  our  souls,  Heb.  viii. 
 
 2. 
 
158  Christ  speaks  of  Himself  as  "  The  Light." 
 
 Book  8.  wlien  He  should  return  to  life,  a  Conqueror  and  Incorrup- 
 ™'  '  ■  tible.  Albeit  the  Scripture  foretells  expressly,  not  only 
 that  He  should  come  in  this  common  fashion  of  a  Man, 
 but  that  He  should  die  for  the  life  of  all  men,  and  should 
 return  to  life  again  after  breaking  asunder  the  bonds  of 
 death :  whereby  the  saying  that  Christ  abideth  for  ever  is 
 fully  and  fitly  accomplished.  For  when  He  had  shown 
 Himself  superior  to  death  and  corruption.  He  ascended 
 unto  the  Father. 
 
 35  Jesiis  therefore  said  unto  them.  Yet  a  little  while  is  the  Light 
 among  you.  Walk  while  ye  have  the  Light,  that  the  dark- 
 ness overtake  you  not :  and  he  that  walketh  in  the  darkness 
 knoweth  not  tvhither  he  goeth. 
 
 To  the  Jews,  without  understanding  and  faithless  as  they 
 were,  the  Christ  does  not  clearly  and  at  length  declare  the 
 deep  mystery  of  the  saying.  But  He  speeds  on  at  once 
 to  utter  another,  at  the  same  time  both  expounding  what 
 is  profitable  for  them  and  shewing  them  the  cause  where- 
 fore they  do  not  understand  the  things  in  the  Scriptures, 
 and  that,  if  they  believed  not  Him  Who  is  Light,  the 
 darkness  of  ignorance  would  overtake  them  without  fail, 
 and  they  would  forfeit  the  benefits  that  come  of  the  Light. 
 For  inasmuch  as  their  expectations  were  drawn  from  the 
 Scripture,  they  looked  for  the  Messiah  as  a  Light.  But 
 when  He  came,  all  their  hopes  fell  out  contrariwise ;  for  a 
 darkness  overtook  them  because  of  their  unbelief.  Re- 
 cover yourselves  therefore  (saith  He)  speedily,  while  it  is 
 possible  for  you  to  win  some  small  share  in  the  radiance 
 of  the  Divine  Light,  in  order  that  the  darkness  of  sin  over- 
 take you  not.  And  right  well  He  said  that  after  the  Light 
 Cometh  the  darkness.  For  the  darkness  presseth  hard  on 
 the  track  of  the  departing  light.  But  whereas  He  spake 
 of  "  the  Light,"  using  the  definite  article.  He  signified 
 Himself,  for  He  alone  is  in  truth  The  Light. 
 
 36  While  ye  have  the  Light,  believe  on  the  Light,  that  ye  may 
 
 become  sons  of  Light. 
 
 He  proved  therefore  that  the  faith  which  is  in  Him, 
 
The  reason  of  His  retirement.  159 
 
 througli  Whom  a  man  comes  to  the  knowledge  also  of  xii,  37-40. 
 the  Father,  is  the  way  of  salvation.  And  He  names  them 
 sons  of  Light  whether  of  Himself  or  of  the  Father,  for  He 
 speaks  of  the  Father  as  Light  after  having  spoken  of 
 Himself  as  Light — in  order  to  show  that  the  Nature  of 
 Himself  and  of  His  Father  is  One :  and  we  become  sons 
 of  the  Father,  when,  through  the  faith  which  is  in  Christ, 
 we  accept  the  Father  Who  is  Light;  for  then  shall  we 
 also  be  entitled  children  of  God. 
 
 These  things  spake  Jesus,  and  He  departed  and  hid  Himself 
 from  them. 
 
 After  teaching  them  in  few  words  what  was  profitable, 
 once  again  by  God-befitting  power  He  betakes  Himself 
 from  their  midst,  concealing  Himself;  and  not  permitting 
 them  to  be  roused  to  anger,  but  giving  them  opportunity 
 to  change  their  mind,  with  intent  that  they  might  do 
 what  was  better.  And  He  withdraws  with  a  set  purpose. 
 His  Passion  being  nigh ;  shewing  that  it  was  not  His  will 
 to  be  put  to  death  by  the  Jews,  notwithstanding  that  He 
 willingly  yielded  Himself  up  to  suffer,  giving  Himself  a 
 E-ansom  for  our  life ;  and  accepted  death,  which  men 
 naturally  liken  unto  sorrow,  and  changed  the  sorrow  into 
 gladness. 
 
 37  But  though  He  had  done  so  many  signs  hefore  them,  yet  they 
 
 believed  not  on  Him. 
 And  the  Evangelist,  wishing  to  convict  their  immoderate 
 stubbornness,  adds  also  the  words  :  hefore  them ;  showing 
 that  they  did  not  believe  even  what  they  saw. 
 
 38  That  the  word  of  Isaiah  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  spake, 
 Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  report  ?    And  to  whom  hath 
 
 39  the  arm  of  the  Lord  been  revealed?    For  this  cause  they 
 
 40  could  not  believe,  for  that  of  old  Isaiah  said.  He  hath  blinded 
 their  eyes,  and  He  hardened  their  heart ;  lest  they  should 
 see  with  their  eyes,  and  perceive  with  their  heart,  and  shotild 
 
 be  converted,  and  I  should  heal  them. 
 
 It  was  not  however  with  intent  to  fulfil  the  prophecies 
 that  the  Jews  slew  the  Lord,  for  in  that  case  they  would 
 
160      TJie  Jews  might  have  been  saved  if  they  would. 
 
 Book  8.  not  have  been  impious ;  but  it  was  by  reason  of  tlieir  own 
 c.  xu.  40.  jj^alignity.  For  although  the  prophets  foretold  the  things 
 which  were  certainly  to  be  brought  to  pass  by  their  deter- 
 mined evil  counsel^  they  foretold  it  for  this  cause,  that  the 
 sober  might  leap  over  the  pitfalls  of  the  devil :  for  surely 
 they  who  heard  might  also  have  taken  heed.  On  which 
 account  also  the  prediction  was  needful. 
 
 AGAIN  :    A    SOLUTION    OF   ANOTHER    QUESTION  I 
 
 That  it  was  not  God  Who  blinded  the  Jews.  For  else 
 He  would  not  have  required  them  to  give  account  thereof, 
 forasmuch  as  He  surely  pardons  involuntary  offences. 
 But  the  meaning  is  on  this  wise.  It  is  just  as  though 
 Isaiah  were  setting  before  us,  as  having  been  spoken  by 
 God,  the  words :  "  If  I  should  become  a  Man,  and  with 
 Mine  own  voice  expound  unto  you  what  is  profitable,  not 
 even  so  will  ye  hearken  unto  Me,  as  neither  did  ye  hearken 
 unto  the  prophets  ;  neither,  when  ye  see  signs  beyond 
 description,  will  ye  be  profited  aught  by  seeing  them.-" 
 Isa.  vi.  9.  This  is  really  what  "  Ye  will  not  see  "  means.  For  He  did 
 (LXX)  ^^^  g^^y  .  <f  J  -^ju  liarden  their  hearts  and  blind  their  eyes ; " 
 but  He  said :  "Although  ye  hear,  ye  will  not  hear ;  and 
 though  ye  see,  ye  will  not  see,  in  order  that  ye  may  not 
 be  converted  and  I  may  heal  you."  For  if  they  had  heard 
 and  seen  in  such  a  way  as  they  ought,  they  would  surely 
 have  found  benefit  thereby.  And  so  the  passage  contains 
 9  avay-  no  indication  of  an  ^  inevitable  punishment,  nor  does  it  set 
 forth  a  decree  of  One  condemning  and  sentencing  the 
 Jews ;  but  it  is  a  prediction  given  with  a  good  purpose. 
 For  He  knew  what  manner  of  men  they  were  going  to 
 become,  and  He  made  a  declaration  concerning  them. 
 Yet  the  saying  does  not  go  against  all  [the  Jews],  but 
 only  against  the  unbelieving;  for  many  of  them  have 
 believed.  In  this  way  therefore  the  Seventy  have  ren- 
 dered the  passage.  But  it  is  likely  that  the  Evangelist 
 followed  the  text  of  the  Hebrews,  which  differs  from  that 
 of  the  Seventy,  and  therefore  said :  For  this  cause  they 
 could  not  believe,  because  :  He  hath  blinded  them ;  and  so 
 
 Katos. 
 
But  they  blinded  themselves  by  obstinacy.  161 
 
 far  as  the  actual  wording*  of  the  prophet  goes,  he  has  not  xii.  42-45. 
 said  that  "God"  blinded  them.  And  it  is  likely  that 
 some  one  else  did  this,  in  order  that  the  Jews  should  not 
 convert  and  find  healing.  But  even  though  we  should 
 accept  the  supposition  that  God  blinded  them,  yet  it  must 
 be  understood  in  this  way ; — that  He  allowed  them  to 
 suffer  blinding  at  the  hands  of  the  devil,  when  they  were 
 not  good  as  regards  their  character.  For  in  this  way  He 
 gives  up  to  a  reprobate  mind  and  to  passion  those  who  are 
 of  a  disposition  like  theirs.  But  whilst  they  were  such, 
 it  was  not  just  that  they  should  know  the  depth  of  the 
 mystery  and  its  secrets,  seeing  that  they  were  men  that 
 kept  not  even  the  commandments  of  the  Law.  Whereas 
 then  they  received  neither  the  Law  nor  the  ordinances  of 
 the  Gospel,  closing  fast  the  eye  of  their  understanding ; 
 on  this  account  they  receive  not  the  instruction  that  is 
 able  to  illuminate  them. 
 
 42  Nevertheless  even  of  the  rulers  many  believed  on  Hhn  ;  hut 
 because  of  the  Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  [if],  lest  they 
 
 43  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue  :  for  they  loved  the  glory 
 of  men  more  than  the  glory  of  God. 
 
 Now,  however,  when  constrained  by  the  signs  to  be- 
 lieve and  no  longer  daring  to  gainsay  the  Lord,  they  fail 
 of  eternal  life  through  the  persistence  of  their  own 
 abominable  perversity  in  esteeming  their  position  in  the 
 eyes  of  men  higher  than  their  relationship  to  God,  and  in 
 being  slaves  of  a  temporal  glory,  deeming  it  an  intoler- 
 able loss  to  fail  of  honour  at  the  hands  of  the  Pharisees. 
 Forasmuch  therefore  as  this  was  what  hindered  them 
 from  believing,  hear  what  the  Christ  says  : — 
 
 44  And  Jesus  cried  and  said,  He  that  believeth  on  Me,  believeth 
 
 45  not  on  Me,  but  on  Him  that  sent  Me.     And  He  that  beholdeth 
 Me  beholdeth  Him  that  sent  Me. 
 
 Contrary  to  His  wont  He  cries  aloud,  and  the  cry 
 convicts  the  ill-timed  fear  of  men  which  influenced  those 
 who  believed  on  Him  and  yet  veiled  their  belief.     For  He 
 
 VOL.  II.  M 
 
162  Christ's  Oneness  with  tlie  Father. 
 
 Book  8.  wislies  to  be  lionoured  of  men  that  choose  to  admire  Him, 
 '  not  stealthily,  but  openly.  For  He  assumed  that  while 
 faith  ought  to  be  laid  up  in  the  heart,  nevertheless  the 
 most  wise  confession  that  is  founded  thereon  ought  to  be 
 made  with  great  boldness.  And  forasmuch  as,  being  by 
 Nature  God,  He  condescended  to  take  a  form  like  ours, 
 yvfivus  -g-g  refuses  for  the  time  to  declare  ^in  plain  words  into 
 the  ears  of  men  who  hate  Him  that  they  ought  to  believe 
 in  Him,  although  He  often  did  say  this ;  and  with  fullest 
 adaptation  to  the  needs  of  those  who  suffer  the  distemper 
 of  untamable  envy  at  Him,  He  gradually  accustoms  their 
 minds  to  penetrate  towards  the  depth  of  the  mysteries 
 concerning  Himself,  [leading  them]  not  to  the  Human 
 Person,  but  to  That  Which  was  of  the  Divine  Essence ;  in- 
 asmuch as  the  Godhead  is  apprehended  completely  in  the 
 Person  of  God  the  Father,  for  He  hath  in  Himself  the 
 Son  and  the  Spirit.  Exceeding  wisely  He  carries  them 
 onwards,  saying:  He  that  helieveth  on  Me  believeth  not  on 
 Me,  hut  on  Him  tltat  sent  Me ;  for  He  does  not  exclude 
 Himself  from  being  believed  on  by  us,  because  He  is  God 
 by  nature  and  has  shone  forth  from  God  the  Father.  But 
 skilfully  (as  has  been  said)  He  handles  the  mind  of  the 
 weak  to  mould  them  to  piety,  in  order  that  thou  mightest 
 understand  Him  to  say  something  of  this  kind:  ''When 
 ye  believe  on  Me,  Who  for  your  sakes  am  on  the  one  hand 
 'Zikavrhv  a  man  like  yourselves,  but  on  the  other  hand  am  God  "  by 
 reason  of  My  own  Nature  and  of  the  Father  from  Whom 
 I  am,  do  not  suppose  that  it  is  upon  a  man  you  are  setting 
 your  faith.  For  I  am  by  Nature  God,  notwithstanding 
 that  I  appear  like  one  of  yourselves,  and  1  have  within 
 Myself  Him  Who  begat  Me.  Forasmuch  therefore  as  I 
 am  Consubstantial  with  Him  that  hath  begotten  Me,  your 
 faith  will  assuredly  pass  on  also  to  the  Father  Himself." 
 As  we  said  therefore,  the  Lord,  gradually  training  them 
 to  something  better,  and  profitably  interweaving  the  hu- 
 man with  what  is  God-befitting,  said  :  He  that  helieveth  on 
 Me  and  the  words  that  follow.  For  that  the  faith  must 
 not  be  directed  simply  to  a  man,  but  to  the  Nature  of 
 
Christ,  hcing  the  Light,  fulfils  prophecy.  ]  63 
 
 God,  notwithstanding  that  the  Word  was  clothed  in  flesh,  xii. 46-48. 
 because  His  Nature  was  not  converted  into  man.  He  hath 
 very  clearly  informed  us ;  and  that  He  is  on  an  ^  equality  ^  to-vt6- 
 in  every  respect  with  God  the  Father,  by  reason  of  Their 
 likeness  of  Nature  and  Their  identity  (as  we  may  term  it) 
 of  Essence,  He  made  amply  clear  ;  by  saying  : — 
 
 46     /  am  come  a  Light  into  the  icorld,  that  whosoever  believeth 
 on  Me  may  not  abide  in  the  darkness. 
 
 Behold,  again  He  grasps  their  faith  and  fixes  it  on 
 Himself,  and  effects  at  once  two  most  useful  ends.  For 
 on  the  one  hand  in  professing  Himself  to  be  Light  He 
 proves  that  He  is  God  by  Nature,  for  so  to  be  called  befits 
 Him  alone  Who  is  in  His  Nature  God ;  and  on  the  other 
 hand  by  adding  the  cause  of  His  coming.  He  brings  a  blush 
 to  the  cheek  of  any  man  who  thinks  but  little  of  loving 
 Him.  Because  we  evidently  must  understand  that  those 
 who  had  not  yet  believed  on  Him  are  as  yet  in  darkness, 
 inasmuch  as  to  be  in  the  light  that  flows  from  Him  is  theirs 
 only  who  have  believed  on  Him.  And  He  leads  them  also 
 to  the  remembrance  of  the  things  that  are  spoken  in  many 
 passages  concerning  Him,  whereby  He  foretold  that  He 
 would  come  to  enlighten  the  world;  as  for  example;  i^^isa. Ix.  i. 
 enlightened,  he  enlightened,  0  Jerusalem,  for  thy  Light,  tho^^^^^ 
 True  Light,  is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon 
 thee  ;  and  :  Send  out  Thy  Light  and  Thy  Truth.  Therefore  Ps.  xliii 
 it  is  just  as  if  He  had  said  :  "  I  am  the  Light  that  in  the 
 Scripture  is  looked  for,  to  come  for  the  salvation  of  the 
 world,  to  enlighten  them  that  are  wandering  in  darkness 
 as  if  in  night. ^^ 
 
 48     The  word  that  I  spake,  the  same  shall  judge  hiyn  in  the  last 
 
 day. 
 
 They  will  be  self-condemned  therefore.  He  says,  who 
 refuse  to  hear  Him  and  do  not  accept  the  saving  faith. 
 For  He  that  came  to  illumine,  came  not  in  order  to  judge, 
 but  to  save.  He  therefore  that  disobeys  and  thereby  sub- 
 jects himself  to  the  greatest  miseries,  let  him  blame  him- 
 
 M  2 
 
]  6-4  Christ's  ivarnings  were  prompted  hy  love. 
 
 Book  8.  self  as  justly  punislied.  '^  For  I  am  not  tlie  cause  thereof, 
 Who  desire  to  save  those  that  are  going  to  fall  into  judg- 
 ment^ and  Who  came  for  this  end.  For  he  that  makes  a 
 law  punishing  the  disobedient^  makes  it  not  for  the  sake  of 
 punishing  them  that  transgress  it,  but  in  order  that  they 
 that  hear  may  take  heed  of  it  and  be  safe.  I  therefore, 
 having  come  to  save,  charge  you  to  believe,  and  not  to 
 despise  My  words ;  inasmuch  as  the  present  is  a  time  o£ 
 salvation,  not  of  judgment.  For  iji  the  clay  of  judynientf 
 the  ivord  that  called  you  to  salvation  will  bring  the  penal- 
 ties of  disobedience  upon  you.  And  of  what  nature  was 
 the  ivord  that  I  spake  ?  " 
 
 From  the  » PROM    THE   EIGHTH    BOOK   OP   S.  CYRIL^S    COMMENTARY   ON   THE 
 Syriac 
 
 GOSPEL  OP  JOHN  ;  WHAT  HE  SAITH  CONCERNING  THE  HERETICS, 
 
 WHO,    DESIRING    TO    CONCEAL    THEIR    IMPIETY,    USE    OBSCURE 
 
 LANGUAGE. 
 
 For  justly  their  conscience  does  not  suflfer  them  [to 
 speak  plainly],  although  an  impulse  from  within  urges 
 Ps.  Ixxv.  them  to  lift  up  their  horn  on  high,  as  it  is  written,  and 
 they  speak  evil  against  Him  Who  truly  and  by  Nature  is 
 God,  namely  the  Only-Begotten,  Who  reflects  the  Nature 
 of  the  Father,  being  the  essential  and  natural  Likeness  and 
 Image  of  Him. 
 
 PROM  THE  EIGHTH  DISCOURSE  OP  S.  CYRIL's  COMMENTARY 
 ON  THE  GOSPEL  OP  JOHN. 
 
 For  it  is  by  Jesus  Christ  that  those  who  believe  have 
 glory  and  indwelling  with  God,  and  the  Divine  Paul  con- 
 2  Cor.  V.  tends  on  our  side,  writing  thus,  that  it  was  Ood  Who  was 
 in  Christ  reconciling  the  ivorld  unto  Himself.  For  let  none 
 of  those  who  are  accustomed  after  a  foolish  manner  to  hear 
 the  Scripture  which  is  inspired  by  God,  corrupt  what  is  read, 
 when  it  asserts  that  God  was  in  Christ;  or  think  that  [Paul] 
 says  "one  clothed  with  the  Spirit,'^  for  the  expression  is  not 
 very  correct.  For  Christ  is  indeed  by  Nature  God,  and 
 not  a  man  "  clothed  with  God  "  as  one  of  the  prophets. 
 
 "  Tlie  proper  position  in  the  Book  of  this  fragment,  and  the  tliree  that  follow, 
 is  uncertain. 
 
 19. 
 
Christ's  Godhead  and  Manhood  equally  real.        165 
 
 SIMILARLY,  IN  THE  EIGHTH  BOOK  OF  THE  COMMENTARY  C.  xii.  48. 
 
 ON  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN. 
 
 Therefore  a  type  of  the  change  is  that  faith  which  justi- 
 fies, which  when  the  Son  receives  unto  Himself  He  truly 
 causes  to  approach  the  Father  also,  for  there  is  One 
 Godhead  in  Them  Both,  and  an  undistinguishable  glory 
 of  Essence. 
 
 ON  THIS  ACCOUNT  ALSO  THE  WISE  CYRIL,  IN  THE  EIGHTH  BOOK 
 OF  THE  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN,  WROTE  AS 
 FOLLOWS. 
 
 Was  therefore  the  Mystery  of  Christians,  so  adorable 
 and  great,  an  image  or  shadow,  or  rather  an  imagination 
 or  phantom  :  or  was  it  verily  real  ?  And  did  Manes,  that 
 lover  of  heathendom,  and  a  guilty  wretch  too,  as  well  as 
 ungodly,  indeed  make  no  mistake,  no  not  at  all ;  but  is  it 
 rather  we  who  err,  in  reasoning  thus  against  these  men  ? 
 But  these  things  are  not  so  :  God  forbid.  Let  them  rather 
 be  "  cast  away  on  some  mountain  far  off,  or  to  the  waves,"  Homer 
 as  some  say.  For  not  in  vain  do  we  believe  that  He  was  ^^j^  ^^' 
 a  Man,  that  is,  one  Who  in  everything  was  like  ourselves, 
 sin  only  excepted. 
 
CHAPTERS  IN  THE  NINTH  BOOK. 
 
 1 .  That  by  reason  of  the  identity  of  Their  Nature,  the  Son  is  in 
 the  Father,  and  the  Father  again  is  in  the  Son. 
 
CYRIL 
 
 Archbishop  of  Alexandria 
 
 COMMENT    ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  JOHN. 
 
 BOOK  IX. 
 
 S.  John  xii.  49.  For  I  spake  not  from  Myself ;  hit  the  Father 
 Which  sent  Me,  He  hath  given  Me  a  commandment,  what  I 
 
 50  should  say,  and  what  I  should  speak.  And  I  know  that  His 
 commandment  is  life  eternal:  the  things  therefore  which  I 
 speak,  even  as  the  Father  hath  said  unto  Me,  so  I  speak. 
 
 He  reminds  the  people  of  the  Jews  of  the  things  that 
 had  been  aforetime  proclaimed  concerning  Him  by  Moses^ 
 and  by  this  means  skilfully  rebukes  them ;  and,  exposing 
 the  impiety  that  was  in  them.  He  clearly  proves  that  they 
 were  caring  nothing  for  having  insolently  outraged  even 
 the  Law  itself,  although  it  was  believed  to  have  been 
 given  from  God.  For  what  God  said  concerning  Christ 
 by  Moses  is  well  known  to  all  men,  but  still  I  will  quote 
 it  because  of  the  necessity  of  perceiving  the  exact  idea  : 
 I  will  raise  them  tip  a  Prophet  from  the  midst  of  His  hre-  Deut. 
 thren,  like  unto  thee ;  that  is  to  say,  a  lawgiver,  and  a  19,  '  ' 
 mediator  between  God  and  men  :  and  I  ivill  put  My  ivord 
 in  His  mouth,  and  He  shall  speak  unto  them  according  as  I 
 may  command  Him ;  and  the  'man  ivho  will  not  hearken  to 
 whatsoever  the  Prophet  may  speak  in  My  Name,  I  will  take 
 vengeance  on  him.  At  one  and  the  same  time  therefore 
 our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  censures  the  boastful  temper 
 of  the  Jewish  people,  displayed  in  their  fighting  even 
 
168  Jesns  luas  the  PropJiei  foretold  htj  Moses. 
 
 Book  9.  against  God    tlie  Fatlier;    and,   by   saying  that  He  has 
 ■  received  a  commandment  from  the  Father  and  speaks  not 
 of  Himself,  clearly  proves  that  He  Himself  is  the  Prophet 
 fore-announced  by  the  Law  and  heralded  by  the  voice  of 
 God  the  Father  from  ages  long  before.     And  in  a  way 
 He  calls    to    their  remembrance,   although    their   minds 
 were  sluggish  in  comprehending  it,  that  if  they  refused 
 to  be  persuaded  by  the  words  that  came  from  Him,  they 
 would  certainly  fall  a  prey  to  inevitable  punishment,  and 
 would  endure  all  that  God  had  said.     For  they  who  trans- 
 gress the  Divine  commandment  of  God  the  Father,  and 
 thrust  away  from  themselves  the  life-giving  word  of  God 
 our  Saviour  Christ,  shall  surely  be  cast  down  into  most 
 utter  misery,  and  shall  remain  without  any  part  in  the 
 life  that  comes  from  Him ;  with  good  reason  hearing  that 
 Jer.  xxii.  which  was  spoken  by  the  voice  of  the  prophet :   0  earth, 
 vi.'i^g!       earth,  hear,  0  hear  the  ivorcl  of  the  Lord.     Behold,  I  bring 
 (LXX.)   evils  upon  this  people,  as  the  fruit  of  their  turning  away, 
 because  tJiey  obeyed  not  My  Law,  and  ye  rejected  My  ivord. 
 For  we  shall  find  that  the  Jews  were  liable  to  a  twofold 
 accusation :    for  they  failed    to    honour    the    Law   itself, 
 although   it  was   generally  held   dear   and   accounted  an 
 object  of  reverence,  in  that  they  refused  to  believe  on 
 Him  Whom  the  Law  proclaimed ;  and  they  turned  a  deaf 
 ear   to    the  words   of  our   Saviour   Christ,  although  He 
 announced    openly   that    He   was    certainly  the   Prophet 
 spoken  of  in  the  oi*acles  of  the  Law,  when  He  declared 
 that  it  was  from  God  the  Father  that  He  was  supplied 
 with  His  words. 
 
 And  let  no  one  suppose  that  the  saying  of  the  Lord — 
 that  nothing  is  spoken  by  Himself,  but  that  all  comes 
 from  the  Father — can  do  Him  injustice  in  any  way  at  all, 
 as  regards  the  estimate  either  of  His  Essence  or  of  His 
 God-befitting  dignity ;  but  first  let  the  matter  be  thought 
 over  again,  and  let  an  answer  be  given  to  this  question  of 
 ours : — "  Can  any  one  really  suppose  that  the  name  and 
 exercise  of  the  prophetic  office  befit  Him  Who  altogether 
 is  and  is  regarded  as  being  in  His  Nature  God  ?"    Surely, 
 
The  title  ''  Trophet"  befits  His  human  nature.      169 
 
 I  tliink,   every  one,  however  simple  he  may  be,  would  c.  xii,  49. 
 answer  in  the  negative,  and  say  that  it  is  incredible  that 
 the  Grod  Who  speaks  in  prophets  shovild  Himself  be  called 
 a  prophet :  for  He  it  was  Who  multiplied  visions,  as  it  is  Hos-  xii. 
 written,  and  loas  likened  to  similitudes  by  the  hands  of  the  (LXX.) 
 "prophets.     Since  however  He  assumed  the  name  of  ^  ser-  '  SouXefa 
 vitude  and  the   outward   fashion  of  resemblance  to  our- 
 selves  and   with   regai'd  to   His    resemblance  to  us  was 
 called  a  Prophet,  it  necessarily  follows  also  that  the  Law 
 has  endued  Him  with  the  attributes  befitting  the  prophet, 
 that  is  to  say,  the  privilege  of  hearing   somewhat   from 
 the   Father  and  of  receiving  a  commandment,  what   He 
 should   say   and,  what   He  should  speak.     And   moreover 
 I  shall  feel   obliged  to  say  this   much   also.     The  Jews, 
 possessed  with  a  strong  prejudice  concerning  the  Law, 
 believing  that  it  had  been  spoken  from  God,  could  not 
 have  been  expected  to  accept  the  words  of  the  Saviour 
 when  He  changed  the  form  of  the  ordinances  of  old  into 
 a  spiritual  service. 
 
 And  what  cause  had  they  to  allege  for  being  unwilling 
 to  accept  the  transformation  of  the  types  into  their  veri- 
 table significance  ?  They  were  not  aware  that  He  was 
 by  Nature  God,  nor  did  they  even  admit  the  supposition 
 that  the  Only-Begotten,  being  the  Word  of  the  Father, 
 had  borne  our  flesh  for  our  sakes  :  for  else,  in  immediate 
 submission  to  God,  they  would  have  changed  their  opinion 
 in  any  way  whatever  without  hesitation,  and  would  have 
 faithfully  revered  His  Divine  glory.  But  the  wretched 
 men  rather  thought  that  He  was  altogether  one  like  our- 
 selves, and  that,  although  a  mere  man.  He  had  thought 
 so  highly  of  Himself  as  even  to  attempt  to  put  an  end  to 
 the  very  laws  which  came  from  God  the  Father.  For  in- 
 stance they  once  said  to  Him  plainly  :  For  a  good  work  we  Supra  x. 
 stone  Thee  not,  hut  for  blasphemy ;  because  Thou,  being  a 
 Man,  makest  Thyself  God.  Our  Lord  Jesus  therefore,  by 
 much  wisdom  and  with  a  definite  design,  seeking  to  turn 
 His  hearei's  from  the  idea  that  had  taken  possession  of 
 their  minds,  changes  the  subject  of  His  discourse  from 
 
170  TJie  Word  is  a  Projjhefyfor  He  reveals  the  Father. 
 
 Book  9.  that  wliicli  was  simply  and  solely  the  human  personality 
 '"  '''"■  "  to  Him  Who  was  the  object  of  acknowledged  and  undis- 
 puted adoration^  I  mean  of  course  God  the  Father;  think- 
 ing it  right  to  use  every  means  of  importunately  pleading 
 with  the  uneducated  heart  of  the  Jews,  and  striving  by 
 every  possible  method  to  lead  on  their  dull  minds  to  the 
 desire  to  learn  true  and  more  befitting  doctrines.  So 
 much  then  may  suffice  in  the  way  of  ai'gument  and  specu- 
 lation for  any  one  who  would  get  rid  of  the  carping  criti- 
 cisms of  the  unholy  heretics,  when  they  suppose  that  the 
 Son  will  make  Himself  in  any  respect  whatever  inferior  to 
 His  own  Father  by  saying  that  He  speaks  nothing  of 
 Himself,  but  that  a  commandment  has  been  given  Him, 
 and  that  He  speaks  according  as  He  has  heard. 
 
 And  I  think  that  this  would  really  suffice  :  yet  I  will 
 also  say  something  else  by  way  of  exposing  the  insolence 
 of  their  loquacity.  For  come  now,  if  it  seems  good  to 
 thee,  and  let  us,  having  summarized  for  the  present  occa- 
 sion in  few  words  the  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation,  shew 
 concerning  the  Only-Begotten  Himself  that  it  was  well 
 and  rightly  said:.  I  sjpeak  not  from  Myself;  but  the  Father 
 which  sent  Me,  He  hath  given  Me  a  commandment  what  I 
 should  say  and  tvhat  I  should  speali.  For  being  Himself 
 1  ivvir6-  the  Living  and  ^  Personal  Word  of  God  the  Father,  He  is 
 necessarily  the  medium  of  interpreting  what  is  in  the 
 Father ;  and  in  bringing  to  light  that  which  is,  as  it  were, 
 the  set  will  and  purpose  of  His  own  Father,  He  says  He 
 has  in  effect  received  a  commandment :  and  any  one  might 
 see  even  in  the  case  of  ourselves  that  the  fact  is  truly  so 
 and  could  not  be  otherwise.  For  the  language  of  utter- 
 ance, which  consists  in  the  putting  together  of  words  and 
 phrases,  and  which  makes  itself  heard  externally  by  means 
 of  articulate  speech,  reveals  that  which  is  in  the  intellect, 
 when  our  intellect  gives  a  commandment  as  it  were  to  it ; 
 although  indeed  the  whole  process  does  not  take  much 
 time.  For,  the  moment  it  has  decided  upon  anything,  the 
 mind  at  once  delivers  it  over  to  the  voice ;  and  the  voice, 
 passing  outwards^  interprets  what  is   in  the  innermost 
 
 (TTUTOS 
 
Christ's  Divine  dignity  maintained.  171 
 
 depth  of  the  miud,  altering  nothing  of  what  it  has  been  c.  xii.  49. 
 commanded  to  utter.  "Where  then  is  the  strange  part 
 of  the  matter,  sirs/^  any  one  might  very  well  say  to  our 
 opponents,  "  if  the  Son,  being  the  Word  of  God  the  Father, 
 does  (in  a  manner  not  indeed  exactly  like  ours,  for  the 
 ways  of  God  transcend  all  comparison,)  interpret  the  will 
 of  Him  Who  begat  Him?^^  For  does  not  the  prophet 
 speak  of  Him  as  called  by  a  title  most  fitting  for  Him : 
 "  Angel  of  great  counsel  ?"  But  this  I  think  is  quite  clear.  Jy^^:  ^* 
 The  Only-Begotten  therefore  will  suffer  no  detraction  as 
 regards  His  Essence  or  His  dignity,  even  though  He  is 
 said  to  have  received  a  commandment  from  God  the  Father: 
 for  we  ourselves  also  are  often  commanding  others  and 
 ordering  them  to  do  something,  but  they  will  not  on  this 
 account  deny  their  community  of  nature  with  us,  nor  will 
 they  lose  their  likeness  to  us  or  be  less  consubstautial  with 
 us,  whether  before  or  after  the  utterance  of  the  command. 
 
 But  thou  wilt  say  that  while  they  remain  consubstautial 
 with  us,  their  dignity  suffers  from  their  submission  to  us. 
 
 And  I  say  this  to  thee  on  this  point,  concerning  the 
 Only-Begotten:  '^If  it  were  not  written  concerning  Him 
 that  being  in  the  form  of  God  He  counted  it  not  a  jprize  to  phn,  ii, 
 he  on  an  equality  ivith  God,  hut  emptied  Himself,  taking  the 
 form  of  a  servant,  and  helng  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  lie 
 humhled  Himself, — the  form  of  thy  objection  might  really 
 have  had  a  not  invalid  significance  :  but  since  the  manner  of 
 His  submission  and  humiliation  is  clear,  why  dost  thou  reck- 
 lessly rail  at  Him  Who  endured  to  suffer  even  this  for  our 
 sakes  V  Making  therefore  our  argument  on  every  side  to 
 conform  to  accuracy  of  doctrine,  we  maintain  that  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  has  spoken  the  words  of  the  phrase  before  us 
 in  full  agreement  with  the  scheme  of  His  Incarnation. 
 
 xiii.  1     Now  before  the  feast  of  the  passover,  Jesus  knowing  that 
 His  hour  was  come  that  He  should  depart  out  of  this  loorld 
 unto  the  Father,  having  loved  His  oum  which  were  in  this 
 world,  He  loved  them  unto  the  end. 
 
 The  meaning  contained  in  the  words  before  us  seems 
 
172         The  difficult  verse,  S.  John  xia.  1,  exjjlained. 
 
 ,  Book  9.  to  most  men  somewhat  obscure  and  not  very  capable  of 
 ■  exact  explanation,  nor  indeed  to  possess  (as  any  one  might 
 
 1  ottaoDs  suppose)  any  ^  simple  signification.  For  what  can  be  the 
 reason  why  the  inspired  Evangelist  at  this  point  notifies 
 to  us  particularly,  and  (so  to  speak)  as  a  necessary 
 sequence  of  things,  that :  Before  the  feast  of  the  iiassover, 
 Tinoiving  that  His  hour  was  come  that  He  should  depart  out 
 of  this  world  unto  the  Father,  Christ  acted  as  He  did  ? 
 And  again,  what  is  the  meaning  of:  Having  loved  His 
 own  that  were  in  the  world,  He  loved  them  unto  the  end  ? 
 Allowing  therefore  that  the  uncertainty  involved  in  this 
 passage  is  by  no  means  slight,  I  suppose  it  to  imply 
 something  of  this  sort,  namely,  that  the  Saviour,  before 
 enduring  His  sufiTering  for  our  salvation,  although  aware 
 (says  the  Evangelist)  that  the  time  of  His  translation  to 
 
 S.Matt.    heaven  was  now  close  even  at  the  doors,  gave  a  proof  of 
 
 XXIV.  33.  ^Ylq  absolute  perfection  of  His  love  for  His  own  that  were 
 in  this  world.  And  if  there  is  any  necessity  for  conceiving 
 a  wider  meaning  for  the  passage,  I  will  only  repeat  once 
 more  what  I  was  saying  just  now.  To  Christ  our  Saviour 
 peculiarly  belong  as  His  own  possessions  all  things  made 
 by  Him,  all  intellectual  and  reasonable  creatures,  the 
 powers  above,  and  thrones,  and  principalities,  and  all 
 things  akin  to  these,  in  so  far  as  regards  the  fact  of  their 
 having  been  made  [by  Him]  ;  and  again,  to  Him  pecu- 
 liarly belong  also  the  rational  beings  on  earth,  inasmuch 
 as  He  is  Lord  of  all,  even  though  some  refuse  to  adore 
 
 Heb.  ii.  Him  as  Creator.  He  loved  therefore  His  own  that  were  in 
 the  world.  For  not  of  angels  doth  He  tahe  hold,  according 
 to  the  voice  of  Paul ;  nor  was  it  for  the  sake  of  the  an- 
 
 Phil.ii.6.  gelic  nature,  that,  being  in  the  form  of  God  the  Father,  He 
 counted  it  not  a  prize  to  he  on  an  equality  with  Ood  :  but 
 rather  for  the  sake  of  us  who  are  in  the  luorld,  He  the 
 Lord  of  all  has  emptied  Himself  and  assumed  the  form  of 
 a  servant,  called  thereto  by  His  love  for  us.  Having 
 therefore  loved  His  own  which  were  in  this  ivorld,  He  loved 
 them  unto  the  end,  although  indeed  before  the  feast,  even 
 before  the  jpassovcr^  He  knew  that  His  hour  was  come  that 
 
The  infinite  love  of  Christ.  173 
 
 He  should  depart  out  of  this  ivorld  unto  the  Father.  For  it  c  xiii.  1. 
 would  have  been  the  manner  of  one  who  loved  them^  but 
 not  unto  the  end,  to  have  become  man,  and  then  to  have 
 been  unwilling  to  meet  danger  for  the  life  of  all ;  but  He 
 did  love  xmto  the  end,  not  shrinking  from  suffering  even 
 this,  although  knowing  beforehand  that  He  would  so 
 suffer.  For  the  Saviour's  suffering  was  not  by  Him  un- 
 foreseen. While  therefore,  says  the  Evangelist,  He  might 
 have  escaped  the  rude  insolence  of  the  Jews  and  the 
 unholiness  of  those  who  were  meditating  His  Crucifixion, 
 He  gave  a  proof  of  the  absolute  perfection  of  His  love 
 towards  His  own  which  were  in  the  world ;  for  He  did  not 
 shrink  in  the  least  from  being  offered  up  for  the  life  of 
 all  mankind.  For  that  herein  especially  we  may  see  the 
 most  perfect  measure  of  love,  I  will  bring  forward  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself  as  witness,  in  saying  to  His 
 holy  disciples :  This  is  My  commandment,  that  ye  love  one  Inf-  xv. 
 another,  even  as  I  have  loved  you.  Greater  love  hath  no 
 man  than  this,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends. 
 And  for  another  reason  the  holy  Evangelists  always  set 
 themselves  purposely  to  shew  that  our  Lord  Jesus  the 
 Christ  foreknew  the  time  of  His  suffering,  namely,  lest 
 any  of  those  who  are  wont  to  be  heterodox  should  dis- 
 parage His  Divine  glory  by  saying  that  Christ  was  over- 
 powered through  weakness  on  His  part,  and  that  it  was 
 against  His  will  that  He  fell  into  the  snares  of  the  Jews 
 and  endured  that  death  which  was  so  very  aweful.  There- 
 fore the  language  of  the  holy  men  is  in  accordance  with 
 the  Divine  system  and  profitable  for  our  instruction. 
 
 2  And  during  supper,  the  devil  having  already  put  into   the 
 
 3  heart  of  Judas  Iscariot,  Simon'' s  [son'],  to  betray  Him,  [Jesus^ 
 knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  all  things  into  His  hands, 
 
 4  and  that  He  came  forth  from  God,  and  goeth  unto  God,  riseth 
 from  supper,  and  layeth  aside  His  garments  ;  and  He  took  a 
 
 5  towel,  and  girded  Himself.  Then  He  poureth  ivater  into  the 
 bason,  aiid  began  to  wash  the  disciples''  feet,  and  to  wipe  them 
 with  the  towel  wherewith  He  was  girded. 
 
 The  Saviour  strives  to  eradicate  utterly  from  our  thoughts 
 
174  The  Apostles^  imsiiiion  might  have  made  them  ])roud. 
 
 •Book  9.  the  vice  of  pride,  as  the  basest  of  all  human  failings,  and 
 worthy  of  universal  and  utter  abomination.  For  He  knows 
 that  nothing  so  commonly  injures  the  soul  of  man  as  this  most 
 loathsome  and  detestible  passion,  to  which  even  the  Lord 
 of  all  Himself  stands  in  just  opposition,  after  the  manner  of 
 
 Prov.  iii.  an  Open  foe;  for  the  Lord  resisteth  the  proud,  according  to  the 
 voice  of  Solomon.  The  holy  disciples  therefore  especially 
 stood  in  need  of  a  sober  and  submissive  temper,  and  of  a 
 mind  that  reckoned  empty  honour  as  no  high  ambition.  For 
 they  possessed  in  no  slight  degree  the  germs  of  this  sad 
 infirmity,  and  would  have  easily  glided  down  into  subjec- 
 tion to  it,  if  they  had  not  received  great  help.  For  it  is 
 always  against  those  who  occupy  an  illustrious  position 
 that  the  malignant  monster  vainglory  directs  its  attacks. 
 Think  then,  what  position  can  be  more  brilliant  than  that 
 of  the  holy  Apostles  ?  or  what  more  attractive  of  attention 
 than  their  friendship  with  God  ?  A  man  who  is  of  little 
 account  in  life  would  not  be  likely  to  experience  this  pas- 
 sion :  for  it  always  avoids  one  who  possesses  nothing  that 
 others  can  envy  and  nothing  that  is  inaccessible  to  those 
 whose  lot  is  of  no  consequence  in  the  world ;  for  how  could 
 such  a  one  possibly  exhibit  vainglory  on  any  subject  what- 
 ever ?  But  pride  is  a  feeling  dear  to  a  man  when  he  is  in 
 an  enviable  position,  and  when  for  this  reason  he  thinks 
 himself  better  than  his  neighbour;  foolishly  supposing 
 that  he  differs  very  greatly  from  the  rest  of  mankind,  as 
 having  achieved  some  special  and  surpassing  degree  of 
 excellence,  or  as  having  followed  a  path  of  policy  unfamiliar 
 to  and  untrodden  by  the  rest  of  the  world.  Since  there- 
 fore it  has  come  to  be  regulai^ly  characteristic  of  all  who 
 hold  brilliant  positions  to  be  liable  to  attacks  of  the  infir- 
 mity of  pride,  it  was  surely  needful  for  the  holy  Apostles 
 to  find  in  Christ  a  Pattern  of  a  modest  temper ;  so  that, 
 
 <  fkdy  having  the  Lord  of  all  as  their  model  and  *  standard,  they 
 themselves  also  might  mould  their  own  hearts  according 
 to  the  Divine  will.  Li  no  other  way  therefore  (as  it  seems) 
 could  He  rid  them  from  the  infirmity,  except  by  teaching 
 them  clearly  that  each  one  should  regard  himself  as  inferior 
 
Christ  taught  humility  to  them  and  to  us.  175 
 
 in  honour  to  the  rest,  even  so  far  as  to  feel  bound  to  xiii.  2-5. 
 undertake  the  part  of  a  servant,  without  shi'inking  from 
 discharging  even  the  lowest  of  menial  offices ;  [and  this 
 He  taught  them]  by  both  washing  the  feet  of  the  brethren 
 and  girding  on  a  towel  in  order  to  perform  the  act.  For 
 consider  what  utterly  menial  behaviour  it  is,  I  mean  ac- 
 cording to  the  world^s  way  of  thinking  and  outward  prac- 
 tice. Therefore  Christ  has  become  a  Pattern  of  a  modest 
 and  unassuming  temper  to  all  living  men,  for  we  must 
 not  suppose  the  teaching  was  meant  for  the  disciples  alone. 
 Accordingly  the  inspired  Paul  also,  taking  Christ  as  a 
 standard,  exhorts  to  this  end,  saying '.  Let  each  one  of  you  Phil.  ii. 
 have  this  mind  in  himself,  which  luas  also  in  Christ  Jesus.  lb.  3. 
 And  again  :  In  lowliness  of  mind  each  counting  other  better 
 than  himself.  For  in  a  lowly  temper  there  is  established 
 a  settled  habit  of  love  and  of  yielding  to  the  will  of  others. 
 Moreover,  in  order  to  highly  exalt  the  significance  of  what 
 was  done,  and  to  prevent  us  from  supposing  that  Christ's 
 action  was  a  commonplace  one,  the  inspired  Evangelist 
 again  cannot  help  being  astounded  at  the  thought  of  the 
 glory  and  the  power  that  were  in  Christ,  and  His  supremacy 
 over  all;  as  he  shows  by  saying:  Knowing  that  the  Father 
 had  committed  all  things  into  His  hands.  For  although, 
 he  says,  Christ  was  not  ignorant  that  He  possessed  autho- 
 rity over  all,  and  that  He  came  forth  from,  God,  that  is,  was 
 begotten  of  the  Essence  of  God  the  Father,  and  goeth  unto 
 God,  that  is,  returns  again  to  the  heavens,  there  sitting  as 
 we  know  by  the  side  of  His  own  Father ;  yet  so  excessive 
 was  the  humiliation  He  underwent  that  He  even  girded 
 Himself  with  a  towel  and  washed  the  feet  of  His  disciples. 
 As  therefore  we  have  in  this  act  of  Christ  a  very  excellent 
 pattern  of  affectionate  care,  and  a  most  conspicuous  stan- 
 dard for  our  love  for  each  other  to  imitate,  let  us  be  modest 
 in  mind,  beloved,  and  let  us  consider  that,  whatever  may 
 be  our  own  goodness,  our  brethren  have  attained  to  greater 
 excellences  than  those  to  be  found  in  ourselves.  For  that 
 we  may  both  think  and  be  willing  to  think  in  this  way,  is 
 the  wish  of  Him  Who  is  our  sfreat  Pattern. 
 
1 76  S.  Peter's  conduct  explained. 
 
 Book  9.   6       So  He  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and   he  saith   unto   Him, 
 
 xiii.    ,  / .  J       Lord,  dost  Thou  wash  my  feet  ?    Jesus  answered  and  said 
 
 unto  him,  What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now,  hut  thou  shalt 
 
 understand  hereafter.     Peter  saith   tinto  Him,  Thou  shalt 
 
 never  wash  my  feet. 
 
 The  fiery  and  impulsive  cliaracter  of  Peter,  always  far 
 more  eager  than  the  other  disciples  to  display  devotion, 
 can  be  observed,  one  might  almost  say,  throughout  all 
 the  records  that  are  written  of  him.  And  so  it  happens 
 that  on  this  occasion  also,  following  the  bent  of  his  pecu- 
 liar character  and  usual  tone  of  mind,  he  thrusts  aside  the 
 lesson  of  extreme  humility  and  love,  the  record  of  which 
 has  been  preserved  in  this  passage, — remembering  on  the 
 one  hand  who  he  is  himself  by  nature,  and  on  the  other 
 hand  Who  He  is  that  is  bringing  the  bason  to  him,  and 
 shrinking  not  from  fulfilling  the  duty  of  a  menial  servant. 
 For  he  is  dismayed  not  a  little  at  the  action,  which  is  in  a 
 manner  hard  of  acceptance  to  faith,  even  though  it  hap- 
 pened to  be  seen  by  many  eyes.  For  who  is  there  who 
 would  not  have  shuddered  at  learning  that  He  Who  with 
 the  Father  is  Lord  of  all  had  shown  His  devotion  to  the 
 service  of  His  own  disciples  to  be  so  inteusely  compas- 
 sionate, that  the  very  thing  that  seems  to  be  the  work  of 
 the  lowest  grade  among  servants.  He  willingly  and  of 
 deliberate  intention  performed,  to  furnish  a  pattern  and 
 type  of  modesty  in  temper  ?  Therefore  the  inspired  dis- 
 ciple is  dismayed  and  distressed  at  the  circumstance,  and 
 makes  the  refusal  as  a  natural  result  of  his  accustomed 
 and  habitual  devotion.  Moreover,  not  yet  understanding 
 the  cause  of  the  action,  he  supposes  that  the  Lord  is  doing 
 it  with  no  special  motive,  and  thinking  only  of  the  re- 
 ft-eshment  of  their  bodies;  for  that  is  the  sole  object  of 
 washing  the  feet,  and  not  a  little  does  it  relieve  their 
 condition  after  walking.  On  this  account  he  insists  even 
 very  earnestly,  saying  :  Lord,  dost  Thou  wash  my  feet  ? 
 For  surely,  he  says,  surely  this  ought  to  be  done  by  us 
 who  are  by  nature  in  the  condition  of  ''  servants,"  not  by 
 Thee,  the  "Lord"  of  all.     Christ  however  defers  for  a 
 
llie  Lord's  ivisdom  in  teaching.  \77 
 
 while  the  explanation  of  the  event ;  yet,  to  make  him  o.  xiii. 
 account  its  cause  more  weighty,  He  tells  Peter  that  he 
 should  understand  what  the  action  meant  hereafter,  mean- 
 ing of  course  at  the  time  when  He  should  give  a  fuller 
 explanation  of  it. 
 
 And  this  point  again,  taken  in  connection  with  the 
 others,  will  profit  us  not  a  little.  For  notice  how,  when 
 the  occasion  calls  for  action,  He  defers  His  discourse  ;  and 
 again,  when  the  occasion  calls  for  discourse,  He  postpones 
 action :  for  He  was  ever  wont  to  assign  all  things  to  their 
 fit  and  proper  seasons.  When  therefore  Peter  made  a 
 sign  of  dissent,  and  plainly  asserted  that  Christ  should 
 never  ivash  his/ee^,  the  Saviour  at  once  lays  clearly  before 
 him  the  loss  he  would  sufier  in  consequence,  saying  as 
 follows  ; 
 
 Jesus  answered  him,  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part 
 with  Me. 
 
 Inasmuch  therefore  as  He  had  come  to  what  manifestly 
 and  obviously  is  the  central  point  of  the  incident  before 
 us.  He  says :  "  If  thou  shouldst  refuse  to  receive  this 
 strange  and  novel  lesson  of  humility,  thou  wouldst  find 
 no  part  or  lot  with  Me."  And  since  oftentimes  our  Lord 
 Jesus  the  Christ,  taking  small  matters  as  the  suggestive 
 occasions  of  His  discourses,  makes  His  exposition  of 
 general  application  ;  and,  drawing  out  to  a  wide  range 
 the  lessons  arising  out  of  a  single  event  or  the  words 
 spoken  solely  with  regard  to  some  individual  circum- 
 stance, introduces  into  the  discussion  of  the  matters  in 
 hand  a  rich  abundance  of  profitable  illustrations:  we  shall 
 suppose  that  in  this  also  He  meant  to  say  that  unless 
 through  His  grace  a  man  washes  away  from  himself  the 
 defilement  of  sin  and  error,  he  will  have  no  share  in  the 
 life  that  proceeds  from  Him,  and  will  remain  without  a 
 taste  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  For  the  uncleansed  may 
 not  enter  the  mansions  above,  but  only  they  who  have 
 their  conscience  cleansed  by  love  to  Christ,  and  have  been 
 sanctified  in  the  Spirit  by  Holy  Baptism. 
 
 VOL.  II.  N 
 
178  Explanation  of  S.  Peters  conduct. 
 
 Book  9.    9     Simon  Peter  saith  unto  Him,  Lord,  not  my  feet  only,  hut 
 c.  xiii.  9.  fxlso  tiiy  hands  and  my  head. 
 
 He  who  lately  exhibited  to  us  so  strongly  his  opposition 
 to  what  Christ  was  doing,  and  who  expressly  refused  to 
 allow  the  washing  of  his  feet,  now  offers  not  them  only, 
 but  also  hands  and  head  as  well.  For  if,  says  he,  my 
 refusal  to  assent  to  Thy  wish  and  Thy  deliberate  purpose, 
 in  the  matter  of  washing  my  feet,  is  to  be  followed  by  my 
 falling  away  from  my  fellowship  with  Thee,  and  by  my 
 being  excluded  from  the  blessings  for  which  I  hope  ;  then 
 I  will  offer  Thee  my  other  members  also,  rather  than 
 incur  so  very  frightful  a  loss.  Certainly  therefore  pious 
 devotion  was  the  motive  of  the  former  refusal :  it  was 
 the  behaviour  of  one  who  feared  to  submit  to  the  action 
 because  there  seemed  to  be  something  about  it  which  he 
 could  not  bring  himself  to  tolei-ate,  and  not  at  all  the 
 conduct  of  one  who  set  himself  in  opposition  to  his  mas- 
 ter's injunctions.  For  bearing  in  mind,  as  I  said,  both 
 the  dignity  of  the  Saviour  and  the  utter  unworthiness  of 
 his  own  nature,  he  at  first  refused ;  but  on  learning  the 
 jeopardy  in  which  he  had  thus  put  himself,  immediately 
 he  hastens  to  change  his  will  so  as  to  conform  to  the  good 
 pleasure  of  his  Master. 
 
 But  look  again  closely,  and  accept  what  was  done  as  a 
 Riipra  pattern  for  our  profit.  For  in  spite  of  having  said :  Thou 
 shalt  never  luash  my  feet,  he  in  a  moment  changes  from 
 his  purpose  thus  expressed,  not  allowing  it  to  be  the 
 uppermost  thought  in  his  mind  that  he  ought  to  appear 
 truthful  in  the  eyes  of  men  by  adhering  to  his  own  words, 
 but  rather  [influenced  by  the  warning]  that  he  would  find 
 a  greater  and  more  grievous  loss  to  be  the  necessary  con- 
 sequence of  holding  to  what  he  had  said.  Therefore  every 
 one  ought  to  guard  against  using  rash  and  hasty  words, 
 and  no  one  ought  in  a  spirit  of  violent  energy  to  hastily 
 urge  a  course  of  action,  which  on  account  of  its  very 
 recklessness  may  be  afterwards  bitterly  regretted.  But 
 if  anything  should  ever  happen  to  be  said  by  any  one  in 
 
 ver.  8. 
 
Lessons  to  be  learned  from  it.  179 
 
 such  a  way  that  by  persistence  in  adhering  to  it  something  c.  xiii.  9. 
 of  great  value  and  importance  would  suffer  harm,  let  the 
 speaker  in  such  a  case  learn  from  the  words  before  us  that 
 it  is  very  much  better  for  him  not  to  preserve  consistency, 
 and  not  to  vainly  carry  out  an  intention  merely  because  he 
 has  once  given  expression  to  it,  but  rather  to  use  all  his 
 efforts  to  do  what  will  really  be  profitable  to  him.  For 
 every  one,  I  imagine,  will  allow  that  it  is  safer  to  incur 
 an  indictment  for  inconsistency  in  our  words,  than  to 
 suffer  a  loss  of  indispensable  blessings.  And  let  swearing 
 be  altogether  absent  from  our  conversation  ;  for  words 
 are  often  spoken  on  the  spur  of  the  moment  and  without 
 deliberate  intention,  and  our  plans  are  necessarily  liable 
 to  occasional  change  and  chance.  For  surely  it  may  be 
 called  a  worthy  and  in  very  truth  an  enviable  possession, 
 to  have  a  discreet  tongue,  that  very  rarely  lapses  into 
 unbefitting  language.  And  since  even  the  Divine  Scrip- 
 ture itself  has  shown  to  us  that  the  matter  is  one  for 
 violent  and  tedious  struggling — for,  as  it  is  written,  the  s.  J aa.m. 
 tongue  can  no  man  tame, — let  us  keep  the  utterance  of 
 our  words  free  from  oaths.  For  then,  if  circumstances 
 compel  us  to  refrain  from  carrying  out  something  we 
 have  said,  the  blame  will  be  less,  and  our  error  will  be 
 liable  to  a  less  severe  indictment.  And  readily  will 
 pardon  be  granted,  I  think,  even  by  God  Himself,  for  the 
 thoughtless  levity  of  language  that  is  ever  besetting  us  : 
 for  ivho  can  understand  his  errors  ?  according  to  that  Ps.  xix. 
 which  is  written.  Else  surely  man  would  utterly  perish 
 from  the  face  of  the  earth,  since  most  easily  does  lan- 
 guage fall  away  into  mistakes  of  all  kinds ;  for  it  is  a 
 work  of  the  greatest  difficulty  to  keep  our  tongue  under 
 due  restraint. 
 
 N2 
 
180  Christ's  covert  allusion  to  Judas. 
 
 Book  9.    1^     Jesus  saith  to  Mm,  He  that  is  bathed  needeth  not  save  to 
 c.xiii.lO,  was7i  his  feet,  but  is  clean  every  whit:   and  ye  are  clean, 
 
 1 1      hut  not  all.     For  He  knetv  him  that  shoidd  betray  Him  ; 
 therefore  said  He,  Ye  are  not  all  clean. 
 
 He  draws  His  illustration  from  a  common  incident  of 
 ordinary  human  life,  and  opportunely  contrives  the 
 rebuke  to  the  traitor,  teaching  the  man  both  to  repent 
 of  his  purpose  and  to  change  himself  to  a  better  mind. 
 For  even  if  Christ's  reproaches  do  not  yet  convict  him 
 of  his  meditated  treachery,  yet  the  saying  must  carry 
 with  it  a  stern  significance.  For  in  testifying  to  the 
 perfect  cleanness  of  some  [but  not  all]  of  the  disciples, 
 He  thereby  makes  the  one  who  was  not  clean  feel  an 
 uneasy  suspicion,  and  points  out  the  presence  of  a 
 polluted  one.  For  Christ  graciously  commends  the 
 cleanness  of  His  other  disciples,  as  shown  by  their 
 willing  joy  in  attending  on  Him  continually,  the  hard- 
 ship they  underwent  in  following  Him,  their  firmness  in 
 faith,  and  their  fulness  of  love  towards  Him.  On  Judas, 
 however,  the  reproach  of  his  insatiable  covetousness  and 
 the  feebleness  of  his  affection  for  our  Lord  Jesus  the 
 Christ  are  branding  the  ineffaceable  stain,  and  steeping 
 him  in  the  pollution,  of  his  incomparably  hideous 
 treachery.  When  therefore  Christ  says :  Now  ye  are 
 clean,  hut  not  all,  though  the  language  is  obscure,  yet 
 it  conveys  a  profitable  rebuke  to  the  traitor.  For 
 although  He  did  not  speak  plainly,  as  we  have  just  said, 
 stiU  in  each  man's  heart  conscience  was  sitting  in  judg- 
 ment, pricking  the  sinner  to  the  heart,  and  bringing 
 home  to  the  guilty  one  the  force  of  the  words  according 
 to  their  necessary  meaning. 
 
 And  notice  how  fully  the  conduct  of  Christ  is  ex- 
 pressive of  a  certain  set  purpose  and  of  God-befitting 
 forbearance.  For  if  He  had  said  plainly  who  it  was 
 that  would  betray  Him,  He  would  have  made  the  other 
 disciples  to  be  at  enmity  with  the  traitor.  Judas  might 
 thence  perhaps  have  suflTered  some  fatal  mischief,  and 
 
Divine  forhea ranee  toivards  sinners.  181 
 
 have  undergone  a  premature  penalty  at  the  hands  ofc.  xiii.  lo, 
 one  who  was  spurred  on  by  pious  zeal  to  prevent  the  ^^* 
 murder  of  his  Master  by  previously  putting  to  death 
 His  would-be  betrayer.  Therefore,  by  merely  giving  an 
 obscure  hint,  and  then  leaving  the  conviction  to  gnaw 
 its  way  to  the  conscience,  He  proved  incontestably  the 
 greatness  of  His  inherent  forbearance.  For  although  He 
 well  knew  that  Judas  had  no  kindly  feeling  or  wise  con- 
 sideration for  Ips  Master,  but  that  he  was  full  of  the 
 poison  of  devilish  bitterness  and  even  then  devising  the 
 means  whereby  he  might  effect  the  betrayal.  He 
 honoured  him  in  the  same  measure  as  the  rest,  and 
 washed  even  his  feet  also,  continually  exhibiting  the 
 marks  of  His  own  love,  and  not  letting  loose  His  anger 
 till  He  had  tried  every  kind  of  remonstrance.  For  thou 
 mayest  perceive  how  ihis  special  characteristic  also  is 
 peculiar  to  the  Divine  Nature.  For  although  God  knows 
 what  is  about  to  happen.  He  brings  His  punishment 
 prematurely  on  no  man :  but  rather,  after  bearing  with 
 the  guilty  for  the  utmost  length  of  needful  time,  when 
 He  sees  them  in  no  way  profiting  thereby,  but  rather  re- 
 maining in  their  self-chosen  evil  ways,  then  at  length  He 
 punishes  them ;  showing  it  to  be  the  actual  result  of 
 their  perverse  folly,  and  not  really  an  effect  of  His  own 
 counsel  or  of  His  will.  For  instance,  Ezekiel  on  this 
 account  says  :  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,  I  desire  not  the  Cf.  Ezek. 
 death  of  him  that  dieth,  but  rather  that  he  should  turn  ^^"^jij 
 from  his  evil  way  and  live.  Therefore  with  long-suffering  H- 
 and  forbearance  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  still  treats 
 the  traitor  just  as  He  does  His  other  disciples,  although 
 the  devil  had  already  put  into  his  heart  to  betray  Him,  Supra 
 (for  this  also  the  Evangelist  was  constrained  to  point  out  ^^'^'  ' 
 at  the  outset  of  the  narrative  ;)  and  washes  his  feet,  thus 
 making  his  impious  conduct  absolutely  inexcusable,  so 
 that  his  apostasy  might  be  seen  to  be  the  fruit  of  the 
 wickedness  which  was  in  him. 
 
182  Consideration  of  Chrisfs  hundlity. 
 
 Book  9.   1 2     So  when  He  had  washed  the  disciples'  feet,  and  taken  Ilia 
 .  xiu.  --  garments,    and    sat    down    again,  He    said    unto    them  : 
 
 1 3  Knoiv   ye  what  I  have  done   to  you  1    Ye  call  Me  Lord, 
 
 1 4  and  Master  :   and  ye  say  well ;  for  so  I  am.     If  I  then, 
 the  Lord  and  the  Master,  have  washed  your  feet,  ye  also 
 
 15  ought  to  ivash  one  another's  feet.      For  I  have  given  you 
 an  example,  that  ye  also  should  do  as  I  have  done  to  you. 
 
 He  now  clearly  explains  the  object^of  what  He  has 
 done,  and  says  that  this  example  of  incomparable  humi- 
 lity had  been  set  forth  for  the  sake  of  the  benefit  there- 
 from derived  for  us  :  and  in  making  His  reproof  of  pride 
 unanswerable,  He  is  constrained  to  put  forward  the  con- 
 spicuous example  of  His  Own  Person.  For  in  such  an 
 act  anyone  may  behold  the  incomparable  greatness  of 
 His  humiliation.  When  anything  is  in  itself  considered 
 most  ignoble,  or  held  to  be  quite  undignified,  in  what 
 manner  could  it  possibly  suffer  degradation  or  pass  to  a 
 stage  of  lower  esteem  ?  For  anyone  may  see  that  in  such 
 a  thing,  if  in  nothing  else,  there  is  an  original  and  natural 
 baseness.  But  when  we  have  been  observing  an  object 
 pre-eminent  for  its  high  position,  our  wonder  is  excited 
 if  we  see  it  suddenly  humiliated :  for  it  has  descended  to 
 a  sphere  not  its  own.  Therefore  it  was  that  our  Lord 
 Jesus  the  Christ  felt  constrained,  in  giving  the  lesson  of 
 humility  to  His  disciples,  or  rather  through  them  to  all 
 that  dwell  on  the  earth,  not  merely  to  say:  "  As  I  washed 
 your  feet,  so  also  ought  ye  to  do,"  but  rather  to  bring  into 
 conspicuous  prominence  His  peculiar  claim  to  their  obe- 
 dience ;  and,  while  setting  forth  to  their  minds  the  glory 
 that  was  His  by  natural  right,  by  His  action  to  put  to 
 shame  the  vain-glorious.  For  He  says  :  Ye  yourselves 
 style  Me  Lord,  and  Master ;  and  ye  say  loell,  for  so  I  ami. 
 And  observe  how  in  the  midst  of  His  discourse  He  showed 
 His  watchful  care  for  the  edification  of  those  who  believe, 
 and  was  not  unaware  of  the  evil-speaking  of  the  unholy 
 heretics.  For  after  saying  to  His  own  disciples :  Ye  style 
 Me  Lord,  and  Master ;  then,  lest  any  should  suppose  that 
 
Chrld  U  truly  ''Lord''  and  "■Master!''         183 
 
 He  is  not  by  nature  Lord  or  Master,  but  that  He  holds  c.xiii.i2- 
 the  title  simply  as  a  mark  of  honour  from  those  who  shall  ^^^ 
 be  devoted  to  Him,  He  has  emphatically  added,  to  dispel 
 such  suggestions,  the  words :  And  ye  say  well,  for  so  I 
 atn.  For  Christ  does  not  hold  the  title  Lord  as  an  empty 
 name  of  honour,  like  we  do  ourselves  when,  although  we 
 remain  by  nature  mere  servants,  we  are  decorated  by 
 favour  of  others  with  titles  that  surpass  our  nature  and 
 merit:  but  He  is  in  His  nature  "Lord,"  possessing 
 authority  over  the  universe  as  God ;  concerning  Whom 
 it  is  said  somewhere  by  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist :  For  pg,  cxix. 
 all  things  serve  Thee.  And  He  is  by  nature  "Master"  ^^• 
 [or  "Teacher"]  also,  for  all  wisdom  conieth  from  ^Ae  EccIus. 
 Lord,  and  by  Him  cometh  all  understanding.  For  inas-  ^-  ■^• 
 much  as  He  is  wisdom  He  makes  all  intelligent  being-s 
 wise,  and  in  every  rational  creature  both  in  heaven  and 
 in  earth  He  implants  the  intelligence  that  is  jfitting  for 
 it.  For  just  as,  being  Himself  in  His  nature  Life,  He 
 vivifies  all  things  capable  of  receiving  life  ;  so  also,  since 
 He  is  Himself  the  wisdom  of  the  Father,  He  bestows  on 
 all  the  gifts  of  wisdom,  namely,  knowledge  and  percep- 
 tion of  aU  good  things.  By  nature  therefore  the  Son  is 
 Lord  and  Master  of  all  things.  "Since  therefore,"  [He 
 seems  to  say,]  "I,  Who  am  such  as  this  and  so  mighty 
 in  glory,  have  shown  you  that  I  shrink  not  from  con- 
 descending to  this  ill-befitting  humiliation,  even  to  have 
 luashed  your  feet,  how  will  ye  any  longer  refuse  to  do  the 
 like  for  one  another  1 "  And  hereby  He  teaches  them 
 not  to  be  ever  scornfully  declaiming  against  the  honour 
 bestowed  on  others,  but  each  one  to  think  his  fellow- 
 servant  to  excel  himself  and  in  every  possible  respect  to 
 be  superior.  And  very  excellent  this  teaching  is :  for  I 
 do  not  think  anyone  can  shew  us  anything  to  match  a 
 temper  that  is  ever  averse  to  arrogance ;  and  nothing  so 
 severs  brethren  and  friends  as  the  unbridled  passion  for 
 miserable  and  petty  dignities.  For  somehow  we  are 
 always  grasping  after  what  is  greater,  and  the  empty 
 honours  of  life  are  ever  persuading  our  easily-yielding 
 
184      Chi'isfa  own  explanation  of  His  conduct. 
 
 Book  9.  minds  to  vault  up  towards  a  more  brilliant  station.  In 
 c.  xiii.  16,  QY^QY  therefore  that  we  may  save  ourselves  from  this 
 disease,  and  obtain  final  relief  from  so  loathsome  a  pas- 
 sion,— for  the  passion  for  vain-glory  is  a  mere  fraud,  and 
 nothing  less, — let  us  engi-ave  on  our  inmost  hearts  the 
 memory  of  Christ  the  King  of  all  men  washing  His  dis- 
 ciples feet,  to  teach  us  also  to  wash  one  another's  feet. 
 For  by  this  means  every  tendency  to  arrogance  will  be 
 kept  in  restraint,  and  every  form  of  worldly  vain-glory 
 will  depart  from  among  us.  For  if  He  Who  is  by  nature 
 Lord  acts  the  part  of  a  servant,  how  shall  one  that  is  a 
 servant  refuse  to  undergo  any  of  those  things  that  are 
 altogether  proper  for  his  condition,  without  suffering  in 
 consequence  the  worst  possible  penalty  ? 
 
 16  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto   you,  A  servant    is    not   greater 
 than  Jiis  lord ;  neither  one  that  is  sent  greater  than  he  that 
 
 1 7  sent  him.     If  ye  hiow  these  things,  blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do 
 them. 
 
 Christ  proceeds  to  strengthen  the  effect  of  His  action 
 by  [deriving  the  same  lesson  from]  laws  that  may  be 
 termed  necessary,  and  shows  that  the  transgression  of 
 His  beneficial  commandment  would  be  in  the  highest 
 degree  dangerous.  For  when  a  law  is  confirmed  by  an 
 oath,  the  transgressor  of  it  cannot  escape  a  just  accusation. 
 He  says  therefore  that  it  is  an  offence  admitting  of  no 
 palliation,  for  servants  to  refuse  to  be  of  the  same  mind 
 as  their  own  masters :  because  a  passionate  longing  for 
 greater  things,  and  for  things  higher  than  our  merits  de- 
 serve, is  really  covetousness  and  nothing  else.  And  just 
 so  He  would  with  perfect  justice  bring  the  same  charge 
 against  the  Apostles,  namely,  of  seeking  to  be  on  a  higher 
 level  than  He  Who  commissioned  them.  For  the  mind 
 of  Him  Who  sent  them  should  suffice  for  them,  as  the 
 measure  of  all  their  glory.  But  this  is  nothing  else  than 
 to  use  exactly  the  following  argument : — "  You  will  justly 
 be  laughed  to  scorn  before  the  Divine  tribunal  if  through 
 excess  of  pride  you  refuse  to  do  for  each  other  the  same 
 
Ignorance  lessens  guilt.  185 
 
 things  that  I  have  done  for  you,  although  you  have  re-  c.  xiii.  16, 
 ceived  as  your  lot  the  common  name  of  servants,  whereas  ^'' 
 I  have  been  from  the  beginning  in  My  nature  God  and 
 Lord."  For  it  would  be  truly  preposterous,  or  rather  not 
 without  indication  of  a  share  in  the  most  extreme  mad- 
 ness, for  those  who  are  servants,  and  therefore  inferior  to 
 their  Master  and  Sender,  to  blush  with  unsuitable  shame 
 at  the  idea  of  being  servants  to  one  another. 
 
 //  therefore  ye  understand  these  things,  He  saith — that 
 is,  "  if  ye  can  clearly  perceive  the  meaning  of  what  I  am 
 sapng," — blessed  are  ye  if  ye  do  them.  For  it  is  not  the 
 knowledge  of  virtue,  but  ratlier  the  practice  of  it,  that 
 may  well  be  pronounced  worthy  of  both  love  and  zeal. 
 And  I  think  that  perchance  it  may  be  even  better  never 
 at  all  to  have  learned,  than  after  so  learning  to  hamper 
 one's  mind  with  the  bonds  of  indolence,  and  refuse  to  carry 
 out  in  action  what  one  knows  to  be  the  best  and  right 
 course  ;  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Saviour :  He  that  ^f 
 
 kneiu  not  his  lord's  ivill,  and  did  it  not,  shall  he  beaten  S.  Luke 
 
 .  7     .  ,  ,'  ■  7     7-  7    •  xii. 47,48. 
 
 luith  jeiv  stripes;  but  he  that  kneiu  it,  and  did  it  not, 
 
 shall  be  beaten  with  iniany  stripes.  For  in  the  case  of  a 
 man  who  has  sinned  in  total  ignorance,  it  would  not  be 
 at  all  unseemly  for  him,  if  perchance  he  were  being 
 visited  with  correction  for  his  carelessness,  to  ask  for  a 
 partial  forgiveness:  but  in  the  case  of  one  who  knew 
 what  he  was  doing,  that  knowledge  would  become  griev- 
 ously weighty  towards  his  condemnation.  For  though 
 nothing  was  wanting  to  enable  him,  yet  he  disdained  to 
 do  what  was  right  and  seemly.  Knowledge  therefore 
 must  lead  to  action :  for  then,  clothed  with  perfect  confi- 
 dence in  our  citizenship  in  Christ,  we  shall  receive  in  due 
 season  our  most  plenteous  reward.  As  an  instance  of  this, 
 the  Saviour  said  that  whosoever  did  and  taught  [His 
 commandments]  should  be  called  great  in  the  kingdom  of 
 heaven:  and  that  very  justly,  for  what  is  wanting  to  such 
 a  man  to  make  his  goodness  perfect  ?  And  whensoever 
 a  man  can  show  that  he  can  take  to  himself  full  credit 
 for  good  deeds,  then  surely  he  will  be  able  to  glory  in 
 
186  Wurks  inust  accorajKitiy  faith. 
 
 Book  9.  receiving  most  perfect  gifts  from  God.  And  so  wlit  n- 
 c.xm.  18.  gygj,  actions  go  hand  in  hand  with  knowledge,  then 
 assuredly  there  is  no  trifling  gain;  but  when  either  is 
 lacking,  the  other  will  be  very  much  crippled :  and  it  is 
 s  Jas  ii  wi'itten  :  Even  faith  apart  from  tvorhs  is  dead.  Although 
 26.  the  knowledge  of  God  Who  is  One  even  in  nature,  and 
 
 the  confession  of  Him  in  guilelessness  and  truth  is  all 
 included  in  faith,  yet  even  this  is  dead,  if  it  is  not  accom- 
 panied by  the  bright  light  which  proceeds  from  works. 
 Surely  therefore  it  is  utterly  profitless  merely  to  know 
 what  is  good  and  yet  to  be  undesirous  to  practise  it  at 
 once.  For  this  reason  then  He  says  that  His  own  dis- 
 ciples, and  so  also  all  that  believe  on  Him,  will  be  blessed, 
 if  they  have  not  only  grasped  the  knowledge  of  the  words 
 spoken  by  Him,  but  are  also  fulfilling  those  words  by 
 their  deeds. 
 
 18  /  S2)eak  not  of  you  all,  for  I  know  tliose  whom  I  have 
 chosen  :  but  that  the  scripture  may  be  fulfilled,  He  that 
 eateth  his  bread  with  Me  lifted  up  his  heel  against  Me. 
 
 The  meaning  of  these  words  is  involved  in  no  slight 
 uncertainty.  For  while  saying  that  they  shall  be  blessed, 
 who,  knowing  what  is  good,  are  ever  zealous  to  carry  it 
 out  in  action.  He  straightway  adds :  /  speak  not  of  all. 
 In  these  words,  as  I  with  many  others  believe.  He  hints 
 darkly  at  the  traitor ;  for  in  no  enviable  plight  is  one 
 who  is  hated  of  God,  and  never  would  one  be  reckoned 
 among  the  blessed  who  had  so  degraded  his  soul  as  to 
 make  it  capable  of  such  horrible  impiety.  And  this 
 interpretation  of  the  passage  before  us  is  the  one  cur- 
 rently accepted  with  most  men :  but  there  is  besides  yet 
 another  possible  meaning.  For  as  Christ  was  intending 
 to  say,  according  to  the  perfect  and  most  holy  word  of 
 Ps.  xli.  9.  Scripture :  He  that  eateth  My  bread  did  magnify  himself 
 contemptuously,  or  lifted  up>  his  heel  against  Me,  He  in 
 some  sort  explains  Himself  beforehand,  and  carefully 
 avoids  giving  pain  to  the  faithful  company  of  the  other 
 disciples,  by  attaching  the  force  of  His  reproach  to  one 
 
Difficulties  found  in  this  passwje.  187 
 
 single  individual.  For  since  they  were  all  eating  His  c.  xiii.  18. 
 bread,  that  is,  sharing  the  same  feast  and  helping  to  con- 
 sume the  food  that  He  had  caused  to  be  provided,  there- 
 fore He  does  well  in  not  allowing  the  minds  of  the  inno- 
 cent to  be  crushed  by  vain  fears,  and  He  drives  away  the 
 bitterness  of  suspicion  by  saying :  I  speak  not  of  you  all ; 
 for  I  know  ivJioni  I  have  chosen.  But,  He  says,  that  the 
 Scripture  may  be  fulfilled,  He  that  eateth  My  bread  lifted 
 up  his  heel  against  Me,  or,  did  magnify  himself  contemp- 
 tuously, according  to  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist.  Some- 
 thing of  this  kind  I  imagine  the  passage  to  imply.  See- 
 ing therefore  that  a  double  meaning  is  delivered  to  us 
 by  these  words,  let  the  devout  student  test  for  himself 
 the  better  and  truer  sense  of  them :  but  now  let  us  com- 
 ment further  on  the  saying,  in  the  endeavour  to  confirm 
 the  faith  of  simple  folk. 
 
 For  doubts  may  be  felt  regarding  this  passage  in 
 two  ways.  And  first,  some  one  will  meet  us  with  the 
 objection :  "  If  we  believe  that  Christ  was  all-knowing, 
 why  did  He  choose  Judas ;  and  why  did  He  associate 
 him  with  the  other  disciples,  if  He  was  not  unaware  that 
 he  would  be  convicted  of  treachery  and  fall  a  prey  to 
 the  snares  of  covetousness  1 "  Furthermore,  another  will 
 say:  "And  if,  as  Christ  Himself  says,  Judas  lifted  up 
 his  heel  against  his  Master  on  this  account,  namely,  that 
 the  Scripture  tnay  be  fulfilled,  surely  he  himself  could 
 not  be  deemed  guilty,  as  responsible  for  what  had 
 happened,  but  the  blame  must  rest  with  the  power  that 
 caused  the  Scripture  to  be  fulfilled." 
 
 Now  it  is  our  duty  speedily  to  give  answers  in  detail 
 to  the  objections  we  have  mentioned,  and  to  construct 
 by  all  the  arguments  in  our  power  the  proper  defence 
 to  be  urged  against  each,  for  the  edification  and  comfort 
 of  those  who  are  not  enabled  by  the  resources  of  their 
 own  minds  to  understand  the  contents  of  the  Divine 
 Scripture.  And  first  we  have  this  to  say,  that  if  we 
 were  to  be  carried  away  by  such  criticisms  on  all  the 
 dealings  of  God,  we,  should  never  cease  to  censure  our 
 
188  Free-will  in  men  and  in  angels. 
 
 Book  9.  Maker,  but  should  be  ever  railing  against  the  God  Who 
 c.  xui.  18.  ^^Yls  non-existent  things  into  being,  and  ignorantly  de- 
 preciating His  boundless  love  to  man.  For  tell  me  what 
 there  is  to  prevent  others  also  from  using,  possibl}^ 
 objections  such  as  this:  "Why  didst  Thou  choose  Saul 
 and  anoint  him  to  be  king  over  Israel,  when  Thou 
 knewest  that  he  would  altogether  disregard  Thy  favour  ?  " 
 And  why  do  I  say  only  this  ?  For  the  plausible  nature 
 of  the  charge  thus  laid  will  extend  back  to  Adam,  the 
 leader  of  our  race.  Some  one  of  those  who  are  thus 
 minded  will  perhaps  say:  "Why  didst  Thou,  the  All- 
 knowing,  fashion  man  out  of  the  ground?  For  Thou 
 wast  not  ignorant  that  he  would  fall  and  transgress  the 
 commandment  given  to  him."  On  the  same  principle 
 he  would  go  on  to  make  further  clamorous  objections 
 on  even  higher  and  more  important  matters  :  "Why  hast 
 Thou  created  the  nature  of  angels,  well  knowing,  as 
 God,  the  senseless  decadence  into  apostasy  that  would 
 S.Jude6.  befal  some  of  them?  For  not  all  of  them  have  kept  their 
 oivn  principality!'  What  result  therefore  would  such 
 reasoning  lead  to?  The  foreknowledge  of  God  would 
 never  have  allowed  Him  to  appear  as  Creator,  nor  would 
 the  rational  creation  have  even  passed  at  all  into  exist- 
 ence, so  that  God  would  have  been  Sovei'eign  of  the 
 irrational  and  senseless  creation  only,  without  anyone 
 to  acknowledge  Him  as  being  in  His  nature  God.  Now 
 I  think  that  those  who  look  into  the  matter  cannot  help 
 y&Yj  clearly  perceiving,  that  the  Creator  of  all  things 
 entrusted  to  the  rational  among  His  creatures  the 
 guidance  of  their  own  purposes ;  and  suffered  them  to 
 move,  at  the  bidding  of  impulses  regulated  by  them- 
 selves, towards  whatsoever  object  each  might  individually 
 choose,  after  discovering  by  tests  the  best  possible  course. 
 Those  therefore  that  have  inclined  rightly  to  the  side 
 of  good,  preserve  safe  their  own  fair  reputation,  and 
 remain  sharers  of  the  good  things  that  have  been  allotted 
 to  them,  and  find  themselves  undisturbed  in  their  tran- 
 quillity of  mind.     But  those  that  are  corrupted  in  their 
 
God  must  not  he  blamed  for  mans  sin.        189 
 
 own  evil  thoughts,  and  are  dragged  down  to  lawlessness  o.xiii.18. 
 as  it  were  by  irresistible  torrents  of  passions,  endure 
 the  penalty  that  befits  their  crime ;  and,  j  ustly  convicted 
 on  the  charge  of  their  utter  ingratitude,  will  be  subjected 
 to  severe  and  endless  retribution.  You  will  find  also 
 the  nature  of  the  angels  to  have  been  created  with 
 similar  possibilities  and  limitations.  For  those  that 
 kept  their  oiun  principality  have  their  abiding-place 
 and  station  in  the  midst  of  all  beatitude  sure  and 
 steadfast :  but  they  who  by  their  proneness  to  evil  have 
 fallen  gradually  away  from  their  ancient  glory,  are  cast  2  S.  Pet. 
 doiun  to  hell  in  chains  of  darkness,  as  it  is  written,  and  "'  ' 
 are  kept  unto  the  judgment  of  the  great  day.  In  like  s.  Jude6. 
 manner  was  the  first  man,  that  is,  Adam,  created  in  the 
 beginning.  For  he  was  in  Paradise,  and  amid  the 
 highest  delights,  namely  those  that  are  spiritual,  and 
 in  the  presence  of  the  glory  of  God.  And  he  would  have 
 remained  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  good  things  that  were 
 bestowed  on  his  nature  at  the  beodnnins;,  if  he  had  not 
 been  turned  away  to  apostasy  and  disobedience,  most 
 rashly  transgressing  the  commandment  enjoined  from 
 above.  Thus,  too,  God  anointed  Saul  to  be  king :  for  he 
 was  in  the  beginning  a  not  ignoble  character ;  when 
 however  his  conduct  showed  that  a  change  had  come 
 over  him,  God  removed  him  from  his  honourable  rank 
 and  regal  splendour. 
 
 In  like  manner  Christ  chose  Judas  and  associated  him 
 with  the  holy  disciples,  since  he  was  certainly  gifted  at 
 first  with  a  capacity  for  discipleship.  But  when  after 
 a  while  the  temptations  of  Satan  succeeded  in  making 
 him  captive  to  base  greediness  for  gain,  when  he  was 
 conquered  by  passion  and  had  become  by  this  means 
 a  traitor,  then  he  was  rejected  by  God.  This  therefore 
 was  in  no  way  the  fault  of  Him  Who  called  this  man  to 
 be  an  Apostle.  For  it  lay  in  the  power  of  Judas  to  have 
 saved  himself  from  falling,  namely,  by  making  the  more 
 excellent  choice,  and  transforming  his  whole  heart  and 
 soul  so  as  to  become  a  sincere  follower  of  Christ. 
 
190      Fidjilment  of  projyhecy  no  excuse  for  sin. 
 
 Book  9.  And  to  the  second  of  the  objections  we  are  considering 
 c.  xiii.  19.  ^Q  make  this  answer.  Let  no  one  suppose,  as  do  some 
 ignorant  persons,  that  the  oracles  delivered  by  the  holy 
 prophets  are  carried  onward  to  final  accomplishment 
 simply  in  order  that  the  Scriptures  may  be  fulfilled. 
 For  if  this  is  truly  the  case,  there  will  be  nothing  to 
 prevent  those  who  have  minutely  shaped  their  conduct 
 according  to  the  letter  of  Scripture,  from  finding  not 
 invalid  excuses  for  sin,  or  rather  from  actually  making 
 out  that  they  have  never  erred  at  all.  "  For  if  it  needs 
 must  have  been,"  one  will  say,  "that  the  Scriptures 
 should  be  fulfilled  by  such  and  such  things,  surely  those 
 who  were  the  instruments  of  the  fulfilment  must  be  free 
 from  all  censure."  The  Divine  Scripture  therefore  in 
 Gal.ii.i7.  such  a  case  must  have  appeared  especially  as  a  minister 
 of  sin,  urging  men  on  as  it  were  by  force  to  the  deeds 
 spoken  of  by  it,  in  order  that  what  was  uttered  in  days 
 of  old  might  really  come  to  pass.  But,  because  of  this, 
 I  think  the  argument  is  very  full  of  blasphemy.  For 
 who  could  ever  be  so  utterly  void  of  proper  reason  as 
 to  suppose  that  the  Word  of  the  Holy  Ghost  should 
 become  to  any  a  patron  of  sin?  Therefore  we  do  not 
 believe  that  the  deeds  of  any  were  done  simply  for  this 
 reason,  namely,  that  the  Scriptures  might  be  fulfilled. 
 But  the  Holy  Ghost  has  spoken  in  perfect  foreknow- 
 ledge as  to  what  will  happen,  in  order  that,  when  the 
 time  comes  for  the  event,  we  may  find  in  the  prediction 
 which  describes  the  event,  a  pledge  to  establish  our 
 faith,  and  may  thenceforward  hold  it  without  hesitation. 
 And  as  our  discussion  of  this  question  in  another  book 
 is  very  full,  it  seems  now  somewhat  superfluous  to  linger 
 any  further  in  lengthy  discourses  on  the  matter. 
 
 19     From  hencefurth  I  tell  you  before  it  come  to  2^ctss,    that, 
 when  it  is  come  to  j^ass,  ye  may  believe  that  I  am  He. 
 
 I  have  been  led  on.  He  says,  by  very  urgent  reasons  to 
 give  you,  even  before  the  time,  this  account  of  the  events 
 
The  real  design  of  lorophecy.  191 
 
 that  will  very  shortly  happen.  For  it  will  "gratify  those  c.xiii.20. 
 who  hear  Me,  and  bring  them  no  slight  advantage,  if 
 they  know  My  aim  in  the  matter.  For  to  be  recklessly 
 wasteful  in  the  use  of  words  in  meaningless  dissertations 
 is  contrary  to  My  custom  and  pleasure :  but  whatsoever 
 seems  likely  to  be  fraught  with  no  slight  profit  to  you 
 provided  you  have  knowledge  of  it,  this  I  feel  constrained 
 to  instil  in  your  ears.  From  henceforth  therefore.  He 
 says,  /  tell  you  things  that  are  even  now  at  the  doors, 
 and  I  implant  in  you  the  knowledge  of  things  not  yet 
 fulfilled ;  that,  tvhen  the  time  for  their  occurrence  has 
 come,  you  may  be  able  to  harmonise  the  final  issue  of 
 the  matters  with  the  prophecies  uttered  by  Me,  and  so 
 may  believe  that  I  am  He  concerning  Whom  the  Divine 
 Scripture  has  uttered  such  oracles.  At  one  and  the  same 
 time  therefore  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  wisely  attempts 
 to  correct  the  traitor,  putting  forward  His  rebuke  in  a 
 form  concealed  under  slight  obscurities,  as  well  as  to 
 show  that  the  issue  of  the  treachery  would  be  a  sure  sign 
 and  most  clear  indication  of  the  fact  that  He  is  Christ. 
 For,  as  we  have  already  said  by  anticipation,  any  one 
 who  compared  the  utterances  recorded  from  old  time  in 
 the  sacred  Scriptures  with  the  daring  deeds  of  the  traitor, 
 would  perceive  I  think  very  clearly  and  without  difficulty 
 that  their  interpretation  in  reference  to  Him  was  cer- 
 tainly and  very  evidently  true. 
 
 20  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  receiveth  whomsoever 
 I  send  receiveth  Me;  and  he  that  receiveth  Me  receiveth 
 Him  that  sent  Me. 
 
 Having  previously  shown  in  a  manner  suitable  to  the 
 occasion  that  He  is  the  Christ,  and  having  indicated  the 
 means  by  which  the  traitor  was  meditating  his  grievous 
 outrage  against  Him,  He  now  devises  another  very  effec- 
 tual method  for  overthrowing  his  evil  designs.  And 
 now  again  His  discourse  seems  to  be  marked  by  a  certain 
 want  of  distinctness  :    for  He  is  still  trying  to  conceal 
 
 ^  Adopting  Mr.  P.  E.  Pusey's  conjecture  of  ^adrjafTut. 
 
192        Our  Lord's  luords  imply  their  converse. 
 
 Book  9.  the  daring  deed,  and  as  yet  does  not  openly  say  who  is 
 c.xiii.20.  about  to  betray  Him.  He  proves  therefore,  and  that  very 
 effectually  by  a  clear  illustration,  that  it  is  absolutely 
 necessary  to  consider  the  Person  of  God  the  Father  as 
 included  in  the  object  of  the  love  and  reverence  shown 
 to  Himself.  And  yet  the  main  object  that  He  wishes 
 here  to  demonstrate  is  surely  not  this,  but  rather  perhaps 
 in  my  opinion  exactly  the  converse.  For  leaving,  as 
 seems  probable,  the  plainer  [negative]  form  of  speech, 
 which  He  used  at  other  times, — as  for  example  in  the 
 Supra  words  :  He  that  honoureth  not  the  Son  honoureth  not  the 
 "^•~^-  Father,— He  has  here  passed  to  the  milder  [positive] 
 form  of  expression,  intending  all  the  while  that  His 
 hearers  should  from  this  infer  the  converse.  For  surely 
 it  was  a  time  for  threatening  rather  than  for  exhortation, 
 when  the  deed  was  already  at  the  doors,  and  when  the 
 grievous  outrage  against  Him  was  already  in  course 
 of  preparation.  For  Satan  had  already  planted  the  evil 
 design  in  the  heart  of  the  traitor.  "  As  therefore,"  He 
 says,  "a  man  would  certainly  acknowledge  Me  in  My 
 own  person  and  not  another,  if  he  received  one  who  had 
 been  sent  by  Me ;  even  so  he  that  received  One  sent 
 forth  by  God  the  Father  would  in  all  likelihood  receive 
 the  Father  Himself."  But  in  these  words  of  Christ  any 
 one  may  perceive  the  meaning  indicated,  seeing  through 
 the  mildness  of  the  language.  And  turning  the  statement 
 into  its  converse,  the  traitor's  impiety  will  be  seen  to  be 
 a  transgression,  not  only  against  the  Son,  but  also 
 against  even  the  Father  Himself.  The  language  used  is 
 therefore  a  form  of  threatening,  though  couched  in  some- 
 what mild  terms ;  and  it  conveys  the  same  idea  that 
 words  of  foreboding  would  properly  suggest.  For  even 
 as  one  among  ourselves  will  receive  one  sent  by  God, 
 assenting  to  the  words  he  speaks,  and  pajdng  honour  to 
 the  God  of  Whom  he  preaches  by  observing  the  Divine 
 oracles  he  proclaims  ;  on  just  the  same  grounds  I  think 
 one  would  receive  the  Lord,  and  through  Him  the  Father, 
 by  believing  on  the  Son.     For  the  manifestation  of  the 
 
Weahiess  of  hwDian  language.  193 
 
 parent  is  ever  the  natural  office  of  the  offspring.  So  he  c.xiii.2l. 
 who  has  fully  believed  that  Christ  is  the  Son  thereby 
 fully  confesses  the  God  Who  begat  the  Son.  Terrible 
 therefore  is  the  sentence  pronounced  on  the  traitor,  since 
 his  rebellious  insult  is  even  against  God  the  Father, 
 because  so  much  is  involved  in  his  impious  outrage 
 against  the  Son.  For  if  with  unswerving  faith  he  had 
 acknowledged  the  Son  to  be  God  of  God,  he  would  then 
 have  accepted  and  reverenced  Him,  submitting  heart  and 
 soul  in  sincerity  to  Him  as  to  the  Lord  ;  and  then  would 
 the  wretched  man  have  found  his  love  to  Christ 
 stronger  than  base  passions,  nor  methinks  would  he,  by 
 being  found  guilty  of  treachery,  have  made  it  true  con- 
 cerning himself  that  it  would  have  been  better  for  him  if 
 he  had  never  at  all  been  born. 
 
 21  Wlmi  Jesus  had  thus  said,  He  was  troubled  in  the  sinrit, 
 a7id  testified,  and  said,  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that 
 one  of  you  shall  betray  Me. 
 
 Who  is  there  among  living  men  who  would  not  feel 
 plainly  convinced  that  our  human  faculties  are  incapable 
 of  supplying  either  ideas  or  words  which  may  at  all 
 express,  in  an  irreproachable  and  infallible  manner,  the 
 attributes  peculiar  to  that  nature  which  is  both  Divine 
 and  ineffable  ?  Therefore  we  depend  on  the  words  of 
 which  our  faculties  are  capable,  as  a  feeble  medium  of 
 expressing  such  things  as  pass  our  understanding.  For 
 how  can  we  speak  with  clear  fulness  on  a  subject  that 
 really  transcends  the  very  limits  of  our  comprehension  ? 
 We  are  compelled  therefore  to  take  the  feebleness  of 
 human  phrases  as  a  faint  image  of  the  true  ideas,  and 
 then  to  endeavour  to  pass  onward,  as  far  at  least  as 
 circumstances  will  allow,  to  realise  the  peculiarities  of 
 the  Divine  attributes.  The  Divine  nature  is  exceedingly 
 terrible  in  uttering  reproofs,  and  is  stirred  to  violent 
 emotion  by  unmingled  hatred  of  evil,  against  whom- 
 soever the  Divine  decree  may  have  determined  that 
 this   feeling   is  justly  due ;    and   this  in   spite   of  im- 
 
 VOL.  II.  .    o 
 
194  AidliiviJu'Ynoi'ijltitiinti  are  necessary. 
 
 Book  9.  measurable    long -suffering.      Whenever    therefore    the 
 c.xiu  21. -Q^^^^g    Scripture    wishes    to    express    God's    emotion 
 against   impious   designs  of  whatever  kind,  it   derives 
 its  language  as  on  other  occasions  from  expressions  in 
 use   among  us,  and   in   human   phraseology  speaks   of 
 anger  and  wrath ;   although  the  Divine  Essence  is  sub- 
 ject to  none  of  these  passions  in  any  way  that   bears 
 comparison  with  our  feelings,  but  is  moved  to  indig- 
 nation the  extent  of  which  is  knoAvn  only  to  Itself  and 
 is   natural   to  Itself  alone,  for   the   ways    of  God   are 
 utterly  unspeakable.     But  the  Divine  Scripture,  as  we 
 have  said,  is  wont  to  record  things  too  great  for  us  in 
 accordance  with   human   fashion.     Therefore   here  also 
 the  inspired  Evangelist  says  that  Christ  ^ua8  trouhled 
 in   the   spirit,  calling   the   evil-hating   emotion  of  the 
 Spirit  "  trouble,"  because,  as  it  seems,  there  was  no  other 
 word  he  could  use.     And  it  certainly  seems  as  though 
 the  emotion  of  the  Godhead,  intolerant  of  the  restraint 
 of  the  flesh,  did  really  bring  about  a  slight  shuddering 
 and   an   apparent   condition  of  disturbance,  exhibiting 
 the  outward  signs  of  anger ;    doubtless  similar  to  what 
 Supra      is  recorded  also  at  [the  raising  of]  Lazarus,  [where  we 
 read]  that  Jesus  went  to  the  tomb  groaning  [or,  moved 
 with   indignation]   in  Himself.      For  just   as   in  that 
 passage  Christ's  stern  menace  against  death  is  called 
 "groaning,"  even  so  here  also  His  emotion  against  the 
 impious   traitor   is   indicated   by  the   word   "trouble." 
 And  good  cause  He  had  to  be  troubled,  in  indignation 
 at  the  stubborn  wickedness  of  Judas.     For  what  could 
 be  the  ultimate  end  of  the  impiety  of  one  who,  although 
 in  common  with  the  other  disciples  he  was  the  recipient 
 of  super-excellent  honours  and  enrolled  among  the  elect, 
 yet  was  persuaded  by  a  little  silver  to  relinquish  all  his . 
 love  to  Christ,  and  while  eating  His  bread  lifted  up  his 
 heel  against  Him, — a  man  who  regarded  neither  honour 
 nor  fame,  neither  the  law  of  love  nor  the  reverence  due 
 to  Christ  as  God,  nor  any  other  of  the  just  claims  that 
 were  laid  upon  him  ;  but  who,  with  hi«  eyes  fixed  only 
 
Alarm  of  the  disci'ples.  195 
 
 on  the  loathsome  pieces  of  money  that  were  to  be  the  c.xiii.22. 
 result  of  his  bargain  with  the  Jews,  sold  his  own  soul 
 irrecoverably  for  those  few  coins,  and  betrayed  the  in-  g  j^^^^ 
 nocent  and  righteous  blood  into  the  hands  of  polluted  ^^^^-  4. 
 murderers  1  Most  reasonable  was  the  plea  Jesus  had 
 for  being  troubled.  And  the  reproof  comes  home  to 
 them  in  all  its  sternness,  affecting  indeed  in  its  special 
 significance  one  person  only  of  the  twelve,  but  en- 
 abling them  all  in  a  remarkable  manner  to  realise 
 the  extreme  horror  of  the  accusation  laid  ;  and  all  but 
 loudly  imploring  each  one  among  the  listeners  to  strictly 
 guard  his  own  soul,  lest  by  any  means  it  should  be 
 unwarily  caught  in  such  fatal  snares,  and  fall  a  foolish 
 prey  to  the  cruel  wiles  of  the  devil.  Instructive  there- 
 fore was  the  force  of  the  reproofs,  the  disregard  of 
 which  by  the  traitor's  heart  left  him  to  the  unchecked 
 influence  of  his  own  ambitions.  Most  emphatically  then 
 Christ  adds  the  words :  One  of  you  shall  betray  Me. 
 Hereby  He  either  seeks  to  upbraid  the  ingratitude  of 
 the  daring  traitor,  or  indicates  the  vastness  of  the 
 wickedness  of  the  devil,  which  could  even  carry  off 
 one  of  the  Apostles  themselves. 
 
 22      The  disciples  therefore  looked  one  on  another,  doubting  of 
 whom  He  spake. 
 
 Terror  and  dread  at  once  thrill  the  hearts  of  the 
 disciples,  and  they  glance  one  at  another,  being  filled 
 with  a  twofold  alarm  at  the  words  uttered.  For  each 
 one,  as  was  natural,  on  reviewing  the  state  of  his  own 
 individual  soul,  was  weighed  down  with  grievous  fear ; 
 and  furthermore,  they  all  felt  the  agony,  no  less  severe, 
 which  was  produced  by  the  suspicion  that  rested  on 
 them  all  in  common.  For  they  are  well  assured  that 
 the  words  spoken  will  be  fully  verified.  They  know 
 that  the  saying  of  the  Saviour  could  not  pass  away 
 unfulfilled ;  and  yet  they  reckon  it  as  a  terrible  and  un- 
 bearable misery  that  any  one  of  those  numbered  among 
 the  disciples  should  have  relapsed  into  such  a  depth  of 
 
 O  2 
 
196        Question  usktd  by  >S'.  John  for  S.  Peter. 
 
 Book  9.  impiety.  This  leads  them  each  one  to  examine  his  own 
 c.^xiu.  3-  cQjigcience,  and  to  look  around  him  in  bewildered  in- 
 quiry as  to  who  it  is  to  whose  .share  the  lot  of  perdi- 
 tion is  to  fall,  wondering  much  whence  or  how  Satan 
 will  obtain  such  power  as  to  steal  away  the  allegiance 
 of  one  even  of  Christ's  own  peculiar  companions. 
 
 23  There  was  at  the  table  reclining  in  Jesus'  bosom  one  of 
 
 24  His   disciples,  whom  Jesus  loved.      Simon  Peter  therefore 
 beckoneth  to  him  to  ask  who  it  might  be  of  ivhom  He  spake. 
 
 25  And  he  leaning  hack,  as  he  was,  on  Jesus'  breast,  saith  unto 
 
 26  Him,  Lord,  who  is  it  ?    Jesus  therefore  answer eth.  He  it  is 
 to  tvhom  I  shall  give  the  soj:)  vjhen  I  have  dipped  it. 
 
 We  might  naturally  be  filled  with  admiration,  and 
 especially  from  this  further  instance,  at  the  zealous 
 ardour  displayed  by  the  holy  disciples  in  their  love 
 to  God,  and  at  the  excessive  strictness  of  their  devo- 
 tion. For  being  unable  of  themselves  to  know  the 
 guilty  person,  whoever  he  might  be.  and  refusing  also 
 to  place  confidence  in  the  uncertainties  of  deceitful  con- 
 jectures, they  again  give  vent  to  their  curiosity  by 
 questions,  and  make  one  who  was  preeminent  among 
 them,  I  mean  Peter,  the  representative  of  their  eager- 
 ness to  learn  the  truth.  Peter  shrinks  from  putting 
 the  question  by  his  own  mouth,  and  entrusts  the  in- 
 terrogation to  him  who  is  reclining  next  to  Christ  and 
 who  is  beloved  for  his  more  conspicuous  purity,  I  mean 
 John,  the  author  of  the  book  before  us ;  who,  in  speak- 
 ing of  himself  as  beloved  by  Christ,  has  concealed  his 
 own  name,  burying  it  in  silence,  lest  he  might  seem  to 
 any  to  be  making  a  boastful  display.  For  the  mind  of 
 the  saints  is  untainted  by  any  such  ambition.  And  so, 
 turning  himself  gently  towards  his  Master,  in  a  secret 
 Infra  whisper  he  sought  to  learn  who  was  to  be  the  son  of 
 xvii.  11.  jierdition.  But  the  Saviour  vouchsafes  to  him  no  fur- 
 ther indication  of  the  fact  save  what  had  been  pro- 
 ^s-  ^'^-  ^-  claimed  of  old  by  the  voice  of  the  prophet  in  the 
 LXX.)     words :    He  that  eateth  my  bread  did  magnify  himself 
 
Treachery  of  Judas,     thqypiness  of  *S'.  John.    197 
 
 contemj)tuously  against  me.     For  when  He  has  dipped  c.xiii. 
 the  sop,  He  gives  it  to  Judas,  thereby  showing  who  it  ^3-26. 
 was   that  was   eating  His   bread.     And   He  thus   both 
 removes  the  fear  felt  by  the  holy  disciples,  and  seems 
 to   remind  them  of  another  prophecy,  that  runs  thus : 
 But  it  was  even  thou,  0  my  companion,  nfiy  guide,  and  Ps.lv.  13, 
 mine  oivn  faTniliar  friend :    eating  at  the  same  board,  n^^  ^^ 
 thou  didst  inake  my  food  sweet  to  me :   we  tvalked  in  i^- 
 
 LXX  ") 
 
 the  house  of  God  as  friends.  For  there  was  a  time 
 when  even  the  traitor  himself  was  a  companion  and 
 a  familiar  friend  to  the  Saviour,  eating  at  the  same 
 board  with  Him,  and  sharing  in  everything  that  is 
 reckoned  to  denote  true  discipleship ;  inasmuch  as  he 
 had  his  allotted  portion  among  the  other  holy  disci- 
 ples, who,  with  their  whole  lives  devoted  to  the  Sa- 
 viour, traversing  in  His  company  the  length  and  breadth 
 of  Judaea,  were  zealous  attendants  on  Him  in  all  His 
 mighty  works,  and  hastened  on  all  occasions  to  do  what- 
 ever might  redound  to  His  honour  and  glory.  And  yet 
 this  familiar  friend  and  companion  exchanged  the  grate- 
 ful service  owed  to  One  Who  had  so  honoured  him  for 
 slavery  to  disgraceful  passions. 
 
 Notice  again  how  effectually  the  very  wise  Evangelist 
 spurs  us  on  to  a  desire  to  live,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the 
 manner  most  accordant  with  reason,  and  to  train  up  the 
 keenness  of  our  intellectual  powers  so  as  to  be  able,  and 
 that  with  perfect  ease,  to  act  in  obedience  to  the  Divine 
 intentions,  and  to  endeavour,  as  far  as  in  us  lies,  to 
 thoroughly  fulfil  the  conditions  of  the  vision  of  God. 
 He  tells  us  that  he  was  himself  the  object  of  special 
 honour  and  love  on  the  part  of  Christ  our  Saviour,  so 
 as  even  to  recline  next  Him,  actually  in  the  very  bosom 
 of  the  Lord,  deeming  this  circumstance  a  token  of  His 
 surpassing  affection  towards  him.  Nearest  therefore  to 
 God,  and  as  it  were  in  the  highest  place  in  His  honour, 
 will  most  especially  be  those  whose  heart  is  pure :  and 
 to  them  also  the  Saviour  Himself  assigns  conspicuous  g  ^ 
 honour  when  He  says  that  the  pure  in  heart  shall  be  v.  8. 
 
198  Tlie  inire  8.  John  scnu  Christ's  glory. 
 
 Book  9,  hlessed,  for  they   shall   see  God.     And  we  shall   bring 
 
 c.  xiii.  27.  forward,  as  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  saying,  even 
 
 this  very  wise  Evangelist  himself.     For  he  has  seen  the 
 
 glory  of  Christ,  according  to  his  own  words,  for  he  says : 
 
 Supra      /  beheld  His  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  Only-hegotten  of 
 
 ^'  ■^^'        the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth.    For  surely  not  with 
 
 bodily  eyes  could  any  one  gaze  at  the  nature  of  Him 
 
 Who   to   every  creature   is   absolutely   invisible.     For, 
 
 Supra      according  to  the  Saviour's  words :  No  man  hath  seen  the 
 
 '''•  ^^'      Father,  save  He   Which  is  from  God,  that  is,  the  Son ; 
 
 He  hath  seen  the  Father.     To  those  however  who  keep 
 
 their  mind  untainted  by  worldly  stain,  and  freed  from 
 
 vain  imagination  whose  only  concern  is  with  this  life, 
 
 it  seems  that  Christ  reveals  His  own  peculiar  glory  by 
 
 a  subtle  and  perhaps  incomprehensible  process,  thereby 
 
 showing  forth  also  the  glory  of  the  Father.     For  it  must 
 
 Tnfra       have  been  with  this  meaning  that  He  said :  He  that  hcdh 
 
 ^''''-  ^-      seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father. 
 
 So  when  He  had  dijyped  the  sop,  He  giveth  it  to  Jvdas 
 27     Iscariot,  the    son    of  Simon.      And   after   the   sop,   Satan 
 entered  into  him. 
 
 Most  distinct  was  the  token  to  mark  the  traitor  that 
 the  Saviour  showed  to  His  own  disciples.  For  when  He 
 had  dipped  the  sop  He  gave  it  to  him,  thereby  making 
 clearly  evident  who  it  was  that  did  eat  of  His  bread,  and 
 was  now  about  to  lift  up  his  heel  against  Him.  Never- 
 theless the  very  wise  Evangelist  tells  us  that  the  guide 
 and  instigator  of  his  impiety  and  accursed  cruelty  to 
 Christ,  and  the  deviser  of  the  whole  scheme,  had  rushed 
 into  the  heart  of  the  traitor,  even  that  Satan  in  all  his 
 evil  power  had  taken  up  his  abode  within  him  after  the 
 giving  of  the  sop.  And  let  no  one  suppose  on  the  con- 
 trary that  the  sop  was  to  the  traitor  the  cause  of  his 
 being  possessed  by  Satan.  For  we  shall  not  have  so 
 nearly  reached  the  verge  of  madness,  nor  shall  we  even 
 prove  ourselves  so  bereft  of  proper  intelligence,  as  to 
 '  (vXofia  suppose  that  such  a  ^  gift  could  have  afforded  the  evil 
 
Craftiness  of  the  evil  one.  199 
 
 one  any  pretext  for  an  entrance  ;  but  we  will  rather  say  c  xiii.  27. 
 this,  keeping  our  statement  about  the  traitor  well  within 
 the  limits  of  the  truth : — Seeing  that,  although  perfect 
 love  had  been  shown  towards  him,  and  nothing  was  in 
 any  way  lacking  of  the  things  that  are  generally 
 reckoned  to  imply  a  disposition  to  confer  honour,  he 
 still  clung  fast  to  the  same  evil  endeavours,  never 
 correcting  by  repentance  his  wicked  thoughts,  nevei' 
 turning  his  heart  away  from  its  ungodly  designs,  never 
 weeping  in  bitter  sorrow  for  the  wickedness  he  had  so 
 much  as  dared  to  conceive ;  but  still  thirsting  more  and 
 more  to  accomplish  to  the  full  his  impious  purpose,  and 
 so  to  be  finally  ruined  by  his  own  evil  recklessness : 
 Satan  consequently  entered  into  him,  finding  his  heart 
 ready  and  open  like  a  gate  to  receive  him,  unprotected 
 by  sobriety  ;  and  seeing  that  his  mind  was  not  locked 
 against  him,  but  rather  already  inflamed  with  a  willing- 
 ness to  do  whatsoever  he  might  wish  and  suggest. 
 
 And  by  searching  thoroughly  the  inspired  Scripture 
 we  shall  find  this  to  be  an  accustomed  habit,  as  we  may 
 say,  of  the  evil  one.  He  at  the  beginning  opens  his 
 attack  by  trying  the  hearts  of  those  who  worship  God, 
 first  of  all  sowing  the  seed  of  evil  questionings,  and 
 inciting  us  with  the  bait  of  paltry  pleasures  to  false 
 steps  of  various  kinds.  And  he  above  all  most  violently 
 assaults  us  at  any  point  where  he  sees  we  have  already 
 suffered  and  been  vanquished  before.  For  he  always 
 uses  somehow  our  own  weakness  as  an  auxiliary  to  his 
 wicked  devices,  and  employs  again  the  passion  which  . 
 previously  injured  our  soul.  Thus,  for  example,  he 
 harasses  one  man  perhaps  with  violent  assaults  through 
 the  senses  which  become  the  most  depraved  incentives 
 to  fleshly  pleasures  ;  whereas  in  the  case  of  another  who 
 is  overcome  by  base  gains,  to  make  a  proflt  of  unholy 
 wealth  seems  somehow  held  up  to  honour  as  the  best 
 thing  possible.  Whenever  therefore  he  makes  war 
 against  us,  he  uses  as  an  auxiliary  force  the  passion  that 
 has  before  held  sway  in  warring  against  us,  and  by  its 
 
200  Hoiv  the  devil  should  he  resisted. 
 
 Book  9.  agency  he  ever  devises  the  scheme  of  our  perdition.  For 
 c.xiii.27.  j^g^  as  a  commander,  skilled  in  generalship,  when  laying 
 siege  to  a  city,  hastens  with  all  speed  and  by  every 
 device  to  attack  the  weakened  parts  of  the  wall,  thither 
 ordering  his  battering-engines  to  be  brought  into  action, 
 well  knowing  that  in  those  quarters  the  capture  will  be 
 easy ;  even  so  methinks  Satan,  when  intending  to  lay 
 siege  to  a  human  soul,  sets  to  work  at  its  weakest  part, 
 thinking  that  he  will  by  this  means  bring  it  into  easy 
 subjection,  especially  when  he  sees  it  receiving  no  as- 
 sistance from  those  helps  by  which  it  is  likely  the 
 passion  would  be  defeated,  such  as  noble  emotions, 
 provocations  to  manly  courage,  suggestions  to  devotion, 
 "  fvKoyia  and  the  mystic  '^  Eucharist.  For  this  most  of  all  is 
 elFective  as  an  antidote  to  the  murderous  poison  of  the 
 devil. 
 
 Therefore  it  happened  that  the  traitor  was  not  dis- 
 mayed at  rebukes  uttered  as  yet  quietly  and  secretly, 
 nor  did  he  even  regard  the  invincible  might  of  love,  nor 
 "  evKoYia  lionour  and  glory  and  grace,  nor  the  ^gift  that  he  re- 
 ceived from  Christ.  But  hurrying  on,  without  pausing 
 to  reflect  or  checking  himself  for  a  moment,  his  eyes 
 fixed  on  that,  and  that  alone,  which  had  proved  too 
 strong  for  him  once  before,  I  mean  the  curse  of  avarice, 
 he  was  now  finally  ensnared,  and  fell  to  utter  ruin.  For 
 no  longer  has  he  Satan  merely  as  a  counsellor,  but  he 
 takes  him  now  to  be  master  of  his  whole  heart  and 
 absolute  dominator  of  his  thoughts,  who  was  at  first 
 ,  merely  an  adviser  who  whispered  suggestions.  For 
 Sedan  entered  into  him,  according  to  the  language  of 
 the  gospel. 
 
 We  must  therefore  be  on  our  guard  against,  and  very 
 carefully  avoid,  the  harm  that  may  result  from  the  first 
 approaches  of  evil ;  and  we  ought  as  a  duty  to  remember 
 Eccies.  him  who  said :  //  the  spirit  of  the  poiuerfid  one  rise  up 
 ^'  *■  against  thee,  leave  not  thy  place,  for  a  remedy  rvill  keep 
 in  check  great  sins.  For  necessity  would  compel  us 
 again  to  grant  authority  over  our  thoughts  to  the  spirit 
 
Danger  of  yielding  to  evil  tltouglds.  201 
 
 of  the  jyovjerful  one.  If  there  is  ^  not  in  us  the  power  to  c.  xiii.  28. 
 resist  altogether,  still  we  are  at  any  rate  able  to  check  a 
 growing  impulse  at  the  outset,  and  not  to  allow  it  to 
 take  deep  root  by  lazily  yielding  and  giving  way  to  it : 
 rather  we  should  hasten  to  extirpate  it,  as  the  germ  of 
 bitterness,  desiring  that  our  minds  should  be  free  from 
 its  vexations.  Else  we  must  surely  know  that  Satan 
 will  prevail  little  by  little  through  continual  flattery, 
 and  we  shall  probably  experience  something  like  what 
 the  Psalmist  did,  who  says :  Before  I  was  humbled,  I  Ps-  cxix. 
 ivent  wrong.  For  before  we  suffer  the  full  effect  of  the 
 sin,  we  go  astray  in  yielding  assent  to  evil  thoughts, 
 cherishing  them  with  approval,  and  so  by  this  means 
 giving  Satan  a  place  of  access.  And  the  case  of  the 
 traitor  will  be  to  us  a  type  and  example  of  the  whole 
 matter. 
 
 28  Jesus  saith  unto  Mm,  That  thou  doest,  do  quickly.  Now 
 no  man  at  the  table  knew  for  what  intent  He  S2)aJce  this 
 unto  him. 
 
 It  may  seem  perhaps  to  some  that  this  present  verse 
 is  somewhat  out  of  harmony,  and  not  in  a  very  close  con- 
 nexion with  what  has  been  just  previously  said.  "  For 
 what  can  be  the  reason,"  some  one  may  ask,  and  not  in- 
 appropriately, "that,  while  reproving  the  would-be  traitor, 
 and  in  a  secret  and  somewhat  obscure  fashion  seeking  to 
 divert  him  from  his  murderous  design  against  Himself, 
 the  Lord  now  seems  to  be  spurring  him  on  to  carry  it  into 
 action,  and  urges  him  to  proceed  without  delay  to  such 
 an  accursed  and  impious  deed  1  And  verily,"  he  would 
 say,  "  what  need  was  there  to  urge  on,  more  than  he 
 himself  was  inclined,  one  who  was  possessed  by  a  dis- 
 ease that  sprang  out  of  his  own  heart,  to  commit  a  crime 
 that  had  been  started  by  his  own  device  ;  instead  of  rather 
 curbing  his  passion  by  admonitions  to  amendment,  and 
 hindering  him  from  carrying  out  his  intended  plans  1 " 
 
 "  Adopting  Mr.  Pusey's  conjecture  of  d  ycip  (x'f}. 
 
202  Christ  addressed  Satan  in  Judas, 
 
 Book  9.  One  might  readily  say  that  the  objectionhere  alleged  was 
 c.  xiii.  28.  wanting  in  proper  cogency  :  still,  by  fastening  our  atten- 
 tion more  keenly  on  the  sense  involved  in  the  passage, 
 we  shall  find  that  nothing  is  spoken  unfittingly,  but  that 
 on  the  contrary  there  is  latent  in  the  words  a  very  perti- 
 nent signification,  which  I  will  endeavour  briefly  to  set 
 forth  as  far  as  I  am  able. 
 
 It  was  therefore  not  without  careful  foresight  that  the 
 wise  Evangelist  told  us  in  the  preceding  verses  that 
 Satan  himself  had  forced  his  way  and  entered  into  the 
 heart  of  the  traitor,  to  the  end  that  our  Lord  Jesus  the 
 Christ  may  now  appear  to  be  really  and  truly  addressing- 
 Satan  himself  rather  than  the  disciple  who  by  heedless 
 infatuation  had  fallen  into  his  power,  when  He  said : 
 That  thou  doest,  do  quickly.  It  is  as  though  He  were 
 saying  plainly :  "  That  work  of  thine,  O  Satan,  whereof 
 thou  alone  knowest,  and  which  is  ever  dear  to  thee,  see 
 that  thou  do  quickly.  Thou  killedst  the  prophets  :  thou 
 wast  ever  leading  on  the  Jews  to  impiety :  in  former 
 days  thou  didst  procure  the  death  by  stoning  of  those 
 who  were  sent  as  ambassadors  bearing  the  word  of  sal- 
 vation to  Israel :  thou  sparedst  not  one  of  those  who  were 
 sent  forth  from  God :  towards  them  thou  didst  show  forth 
 thy  incredible  brutality  and  the  excesses  of  thy  madness. 
 And  now  I  am  come  following  in  their  steps.  To  those 
 who  are  still  wandering  in  error  I  bring  the  power  to 
 avoid  wandering  so  again  for  ever :  to  those  that  are  in 
 darkness  I  ensure  a  life  within  the  light  of  God  :  and  to 
 those  who  have  fallen  into  thy  net,  and  become  a  prey  to 
 thy  cruelty,  I  bring  the  power  of  escape  from  all  thy 
 snares.  I  am  come  to  break  up  the  sovereignty  of  the 
 sin  that  thou  hast  caused  to  reign,  and  to  make  manifest 
 to  every  man  Who  is  in  His  nature  the  true  God.  But 
 full  well  I  know  thy  implacable  temper.  Whatsoever 
 harm  therefore  thou  art  wont  to  attempt  against  all  who 
 wish  to  accomplish  such  works  as  I  have  come  to  do, 
 that  do  thou  even  now  practise  against  Me.  For  thou 
 wilt  cause  Me  no  more  grief  by  being  swift  to  attack  and 
 
foreknoiuing  His  own  victory.  203 
 
 very  urgent  in  thy  assault,  however  great  will  be  the  c,xiii.28. 
 pang  piercing  through  Me  at  first." 
 
 Verily  I  for  my  part  imagine  that  these  words  of  the 
 Saviour  imply  by  somewhat  obscure  intimations  the 
 substance  of  what  I  have  just  said :  but  pray  let  us  now 
 proceed  further  to  investigate  the  reason  for  His  urging 
 that  the  daring  deed  should  be  hastened.  Terrible  indeed 
 beyond  all  description  is  the  rash  cruelty  of  the  godless 
 sinners  who  had  deliberately  planned  in  their  ungovern- 
 able madness  the  outrageous  crime.  Before  Him  there 
 lay,  as  He  knew,  insults  and  blasphemies  intolerable, 
 stripes  and  spitting,  and  the  final  misery  of  the  death  on 
 the  tree  ;  nails  and  cross,  vinegar  and  gall,  and  the  spear- 
 wounds.  Why  then,  one  may  ask,  does  He  hasten  it  on, 
 and  desire  that  the  devil's  designs  concerning  His  pas- 
 sion should  be  brought  to  a  speedy  accomplishment  ? 
 For  the  Jews  were  indeed  instruments  and  accomplices 
 in  the  crime,  but  it  is  to  the  devil  that  we  will  attribute 
 the  original  authorship  of  the  wicked  deeds,  as  well  as 
 the  supreme  direction  of  the  whole  matter  on  to  its  most 
 accursed  conclusion.  Still,  however  terrible  may  have 
 been  the  daring  insults  offered  to  Christ  by  the  unholy 
 Jews,  and  however  intolerable  the  overweening  impiety 
 of  those  who  crucified  Him,  He  knew  most  fully  the  ulti- 
 mate purpose  of  all  He  had  to  suffer,  and  foresaw  every- 
 thing that  would  follow  therefrom.  For  by  the  effect  of 
 His  precious  cross  the  sovereignty  of  the  devil  was 
 doomed  to  fall  to  eternal  ruin  ;  death  was  to  be  deprived 
 of  its  sting,  and  the  sway  of  corruption  to  be  destroyed  ; 
 the  human  race  was  to  be  freed  from  that  ancient  curse, 
 and  to  be  enabled  through  the  gracious  love  of  our  Saviour 
 Christ  to  hope  for  the  annulling  of  the  sentence :  Earth  ^^^-  i"- 
 thou  art,  and  to  earth  shalt  thou  return ;  all  iniquity,  Ps.  evil. 
 in  the  words  of  the  prophet,  was  to  stop  her  mouth,  and  ^"^" 
 those  in  all  the  world  that  know  not  Him  Who  alone  is 
 in  His  nature  God  were  to  be  utterly  brought  to  nought, 
 and  no  longer  to  condemn  those  that  had  been  in  her 
 power  but  were  justified  by  faith  in  Christ ;  and  for  the 
 
i.  52. 
 
 204  Explanation  of  Christ's  words, 
 
 Book  9.  time  to  come  the  gate  of  paradise  was  to  be  expected  to 
 o.xni.  28.  -^Q  opened.  The  world  below  was  to  be  united  with  the 
 Supra  world  above,  and  the  heavens  to  be  opened,  according  to 
 the  saying  of  Christ ;  and  the  bands  of  the  holy  angels 
 were  to  ascend  and  descend  upon  the  Son  of  Man.  Tell 
 me  therefore,  seeing  that  such  wondrous  blessings  were 
 now  in  store  for  men,  and  that  so  brilliant  an  expecta- 
 tion was  raised  into  existence  for  us  by  the  agency  of  the 
 salutary  cross,  was  it  not  a  matter  of  course  that  He  Who 
 thirsted  for  our  salvation,  and  for  this  cause  was  made 
 like  unto  us  except  in  sin,  should  be  eager  to  see  actually 
 present  the  time  for  which  He  longed  thus  earnestly? 
 And  was  it  not  natural  for  One  Who  knew  no  evil  to 
 despise  the  handiwork  of  devilish  ingenuity,  and  to  hasten 
 rather  to  pass  onward  to  the  ardently-desired  period  of 
 such  a  joyous  consummation  ? 
 
 To  Satan  then,  who  knew  not  that  he  was  fighting 
 against  his  own  existence,  and  was  utterly  unconscious 
 of  going  headlong  to  ruin  in  bringing  to  its  accomplish- 
 ment Christ's  death  upon  the  Cross,  the  Saviour  addressed 
 the  words :  That  thou  doest,  do  quickly.  For  this  is  the 
 language  of  one  threatening  rather  than  of  one  exhorting. 
 It  is  as  though  some  handsome  youth  in  early  manhood, 
 his  heart  swelling  with  fresh  vigour  at  the  sight  of  an 
 opponent  running  at  full  speed  to  attack  him,  were  to 
 equip  his  right  arm  with  a  keen  battle-axe  ;  and,  in  full 
 knowledge  that  his  enemy  will  no  sooner  reach  him  than 
 die,  were  then  perchance  to  exclaim :  "  That  thou  doest, 
 do  quickly;  for  thou  wilt  feel  the  force  of  my  right  arm." 
 And  surely  this  would  not  be  the  speech  of  one  who  is 
 desirous  to  die,  but  rather  of  one  who  knows  certainly 
 that  he  will  be  victorious,  and  will  prevail  over  him  who 
 wishes  to  harm  him.  In  this  spirit  our  Lord  Jesus  the 
 Christ  urges  Satan  to  speed  more  quickly  on  his  course 
 of  daring  assault  upon  Him.  For  the  time  has  come 
 when  He  will  exhibit  the  offender  fallen  into  feebleness 
 and  universal  contempt,  and  will  present  to  our  view  the 
 world  liberated  from  the  tyrant  who  in  arrogance  held  it 
 
which  the  disciples  misunderstood.  205 
 
 of  old,  and  prevailed  against  it  by  cunning  deceit  so  far  c.  xiii.  29. 
 as  even  to  turn  it  away  from  faith  in  God.  The  disciples 
 however  understand  not  the  force  of  the  saying,  and  this 
 (it  seems)  in  accordance  with  the  Divine  dispensation,  as 
 Christ  did  not  unfold  its  meaning  to  them  :  since  in  other 
 places  indeed  we  find  Him  teaching  them  that  He  would  Cf.s.Mat. 
 
 .  .  .  xvii.  22- 
 
 be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  sinners,  and  that  He  would  23 ; 
 be  crucified,  and  put  to  death,  and  would  rise  again  on  ^^-18-19; 
 the  third  day  ;  but  ever  charging  them  by  no  means  to  ix.  21. 
 tell  this  to  any  man.     For  His  aim  was  to  prevent  the 
 prince  of  this  world  from  knowing  who  in  very  nature 
 He  was,  to  the  end  that  He  might  actually  be  crucified, 
 and  by  His  crucifixion  might  destroy  death,  and  effect- 
 ually accomplish  salvation  for  them  that  believe  on  Him. 
 Therefore  in  accordance  with  His  Divine  purpose   He 
 conceals  the  deepest  meaning  of  His  words :  for  as  God 
 He  ever  knows  what  is  best  for  man. 
 
 29  But  some  thought,  because  Judas  had  the  bag,  that  Jesus 
 said  unto  him,  Buy  what  things  we  have  need  of  for  the 
 feast ;  or,  that  he  should  give  something  to  the  poor. 
 
 The  disciples  failing  to  understand  the  force  of  Christ's 
 words,  readily  resort  to  their  ideas  of  what  was  usual, 
 and  suppose  that  Christ  is  once  more  indicating  such 
 commands  as  it  was  His  wont  to  give.  For  as  the  feast 
 was  near  at  hand,  they  expected  He  was  ordering  the 
 one  who  had  the  bag  to  buy  something  of  what  was 
 necessary  for  it,  or  at  least  was  very  probably  bidding 
 him  discharge  that  duty  of  which  Christ  was  ever  care- 
 ful, namely,  to  give  to  the  needy  what  He  could,  accord- 
 ing to  the  resources  at  His  disposal.  For  the  Lord  is  Ps.  cHi. 
 gracious  and  merciful,  as  it  is  written.  And  for  us 
 also,  the  example  of  this  occurrence  will  be  found  to  be 
 most  excellent.  For  I  think  that  those  who  wish  to 
 celebrate  a  feast  in  purity  of  heart  and  in  a  manner 
 well-pleasing  to  God  must  not  regard  their  own  enjoy- 
 ment alone,  nor  must  they  even  take  thought  as  to  how 
 
206  Duty  of  unselfishness  at  feasts. 
 
 Book  9.  they  themselves  alone  may  keep  the  feast  in  all  its  fullest 
 
 c.xiii.30.  gjg^^j^ggg .  j^y^  rather  they  must  interweave  with  their 
 thoughtfulness  about  themselves  the  spirit  of  mercy 
 towards  others  who  are  in  need.  For  then,  and  then 
 only,  fulfilling  the  Divine  law  of  mutual  love,  shall  we 
 in  perfection  celebrate  a  truly  spiritual  feast  to  the 
 honour  of  the  Saviour  Christ.  Therefore  also  the  law 
 ordained  of  old  for  the  Jews  concerning  the  ingathering 
 of  the  manna,  charges  those  who  are  able  to  gather  it 
 
 Ex.  xvi.  not  to  do  so  for  themselves  alone :  for  it  says :  Gather  ye 
 every  man  for  your  companions  that  are  in  the  tents. 
 For  if  any  one  of  their  tent-mates  was  troubled  with 
 sickness,  those  who  were  free  from  that  affliction,  lending 
 him  as  it  were  their  own  vigour,  gathered  in  with  their 
 own  measure  what  was  enough  for  the  weak  as  well ; 
 
 lb.  18.  so  that,  in  the  words  of  Scripture :  He  that  gathered 
 much  had  nothing  over,  and  he  that  gathered  little  hadj 
 no  lack.  For  so  it  happened,  by  a  sort  of  mingling  of 
 their  stores,  that  the  principle  of  equality  was  preserved 
 for  all.  He  therefore  does  dishonour  to  the  example 
 suitable  for  holy  feasts,  who  does  not  combine  care  for 
 the  needy  with  anxiety  on  his  own  account.  For  the 
 union  of  these  would  in  very  truth  make  a  festival 
 perfect. 
 
 30     A'}%d  he  having  received  tJie  sop,  straightway  went  out  :  and 
 it  was  night. 
 
 In  haste  he  hurries  away  in  obedience  to  the  will  of 
 Satan,  and  like  one  stung  and  goaded  on  to  madness 
 he  rushes  from  the  house.  He  sees  nothing  that  can 
 overcome  his  love  of  gain,  and,  marvellous  though  it  is, 
 *.  fvXoy'ia  we  shall  find  him  in  no  way  benefited  by  the  ^  gift  from 
 Christ,  of  course  because  of  his  irrepressible  inclination 
 for  getting  money.  For,  completely  overpowered  by  his 
 passion,  and  possessed  heart  and  soul  by  the  father  of 
 all  iniquity,  the  wretched  man  henceforward  cannot  even 
 discern  whither  he  is  rushing  on.  So  with  his  soul  sunk 
 in  a  night  of  its  own,  and  darkened  by  a  gloom-bringing 
 
Satan  hastens  Judas,  lest  he  should  repent.     307 
 
 swarm  of  unholy  thoughts,  he  falls  headlong  into  the  c  xiii.  30. 
 abyss  of  Hades  as  into  a  trap ;  and,  according  to  the 
 saying  in  Proverbs,  he  flees  away  as  a  stag  smitten  to  Prov.  vii. 
 the  liver  with  a  dart,  or  like  a  dog  into  chains,  and 
 knoiueth  not  that  he  runneth  with  peril  of  his  life.  And 
 it  seems  to  me  that  the  inspired  Evangelist  did  not 
 without  a  purpose  say  that,  having  received  the  sop,  he 
 straightivay  went  out.  For  Satan  is  terribly  wont  to 
 urge  on  those  whom  he  has  once  captured,  and  who  have 
 once  for  all  fallen  into  his  power,  to  straightway  ac- 
 complish their  evil  works  ;  and,  throwing  aside  all  delay, 
 to  compel  them  even  against  their  will  to  carry  out  his 
 pleasure.  He  fears,  perhaps,  with  his  usual  bitterness 
 of  spirit  and  continual  maliciousness,  lest  perchance  in 
 the  interval  of  postponement  some  change  of  mind 
 should  overtake  the  man,  inducing  him  to  repent  and 
 to  form  a  good  resolution,  and  causing  him  to  lay  aside 
 his  pleasure  in  sin  as  a  drunkard  might  leave  off 
 drunkenness  ;  and  so  drag  out  of  his  net  a  victim  whom 
 he  had  deemed  already  caught  in  its  toils.  For  this 
 reason  I  suppose  the  offender  harasses  ever  those  who 
 have  fallen  into  his  power,  urging  them  to  make  great 
 haste  and  speed  in  doing  whatever  is  pleasing  to  him. 
 For  instance,  he  compels  Judas,  straightway  after  re- 
 ceiving the  sop,  as  holding  him  now  in  his  power,  at 
 once  to  proceed  to  that  unholy  deed ;  being  very  pro- 
 bably afraid  as  well  of  his  repentance  as  of  the  effective 
 power  of  Christ's  ^  gift,  lest  this,  shining  as  a  light  in  the  '  fvXoyia 
 heart  of  the  man,  should  persuade  him  rather  to  make 
 a  deliberate  choice  of  well-doing,  or  at  any  rate  should 
 give  birth  to  the  genuine  honest  temper  of  one  who  had 
 been  at  length  persuaded  against  his  better  feelings  even 
 to  attempt  the  betrayal. 
 
 For  that  this  is  ever  the  wont  of  the  demon  in  working 
 against  us  we  shall  also  see  to  be  the  case  from  what 
 happened  by  way  of  type.  The  Jews  were  in  subjection 
 to  Pharaoh  while  still  in  Egypt,  and  being  by  his  orders 
 sore  vexed  with  laborious  tasks  in  working  with  clay 
 
208  Best  teacJihtg  is  for  best  disciiiles. 
 
 Book  9.  and  making  bricks,  were  allowed  no  time  for  the  services 
 c.xih.  31,  ^^^gy  owed  to  God.  For  instance,  Pharaoh  says  to  the 
 Ex.  V.  9.  overseers  of  their  tasks :  Let  the  tasks  of  these  men  be 
 made  heavier,  and  let  them  not  regard  vain  tuords ; 
 meaning  by  "  vain  words  "  their  eagerness  to  escape  to 
 a  state  of  freedom,  their  ardent  passionate  longing  for 
 this  object,  their  lamentations  over  their  slavery,  and 
 prayer  for  the  greatest  blessings.  For  he  was  not 
 ignorant  that  in  the  leisure  time  which  would  be  spent 
 on  these  they  would  find  great  comfort.  Passing  then 
 from  the  types  to  the  perfect  knowledge  of  the  truer 
 meanings,  we  shall  find  Satan  ever  hurrying  onward  to 
 perform  their  wickedness  those  who  have  once  fallen 
 within  his  snares,  and  urging  on  those  over  whom  he 
 has  already  won  a  complete  victory  to  be  the  ministers 
 of  such  evil  deeds  as  please  him. 
 
 31  When  therefore  he  was  gone  out,  Jesus  saith,  Now  is  the 
 
 32  Son  of  Man  glorified,  and  God  is  glotified  in  Him ;  and 
 God  shall  glorify  Him  in  Himself,  and  straightway  shall 
 He  glorify  Him. 
 
 The  traitor  departs  to  minister  to  the  stratagems  of 
 the  devil.  And  now  Christ  begins  His  discourse ; 
 teaching  us  thereby,  as  in  a  figure,  that  the  things  which 
 are  fitted  only  for  true  disciples  are  not  to  be  uttered  in 
 S.  Matt,  the  hearing  of  all  men.  For  it  is  not  meet  to  give  that 
 which  is  holy  unto  the  dogs,  as  Christ  Himself  says,  nor 
 even  to  allow  pearls  to  be  insulted  by  the  feet  of  swine. 
 The  very  same  lesson  that  He  had  thus  given  them 
 before  in  the  form  of  a  parable  He  now  endeavours 
 to  teach  them  at  a  time  requiring  its  practice,  and 
 calling  for  a  more  distinct  explanation  of  it.  So  then, 
 after  the  departure  of  the  traitor  and  his  hasty  with- 
 drawal from  the  house,  Christ  now,  as  at  the  fitting 
 moment,  unfolds  the  mysteries  to  His  true  disciples, 
 saying.-  Noiv  is  the  Son  of  Man  glorified ;  and  by  this 
 He  is  pointing  to  His  sufferings  as  Saviour,  as  being 
 already  at  the  doors,  and  after  but  a  brief  while  to  come 
 
 vii.  6. 
 
Christ  ivas  often  (jlorified  before,  20D 
 
 upon  Him.  He  says,  however,  that  ^^  the  Son  of  Man"  c.xiu.'si, 
 is  glorified,  meaning  none  other  than  Himself ;  not  ^^" 
 implying  a  separation  in  Himself,  as  some  have  thought, 
 for  the  Christ  is  one  only  Son  both  before  and  after 
 His  incarnation,  as  well  after  He  became  man  like  unto 
 us  as  before  He  had  become  man.  But  we  must  now 
 inquire  what  manner  of  glorification  that  is  to  which 
 He  now  specially  alludes ;  for  some  perhaps  may  say : 
 Was  He  not  surely  glorified  before  this,  by  the  mighty 
 wonders  which  He  wrought?  Surely,  when  with  a 
 single  word  He  rebuked  the  angry  rage  of  the  sea  and 
 checked  the  violence  of  the  fierce  winds,  then  He  was 
 luorshipped  by  those  that  tuere  in  the  boat,  and  heard  S-  Matt. 
 them  say :  Of  a  truth  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  Again, 
 when  He  had  bidden  Lazarus  at  Bethany  return  once 
 more  to  life,  the  marvellous  deed  was  noised  abroad, 
 even  so  much  that  as  He  went  up  to  Jerusalem  at  the 
 time  of  the  feast  all  the  people  together  with  their  babes 
 came  forth  to  meet  Him,  and  joined  in  the  strain  of 
 wondrous  praise  addressed  to  Him,  saying :  Blessed  is  lb.  xxi.  9. 
 He  that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Nay,  more, 
 there  was  a  time  when  He  brake  five  loaves  and  two 
 small  fishes,  and  satisfied  therewith  the  hunger  of  the 
 multitude  who  had  come  together  unto  Him,  amounting 
 to  five  thousand  men,  besides  babes  and  women.  And 
 to  some  the  wonder  then  wrought  seemed  so  magnificent 
 that,  astonished  at  the  greatness  of  the  achievement, 
 they  sought  even  to  proclaim  Him  king ;  for  this  the  Supra  vi. 
 Evangelist  himself  has  testified  to  us.  And  there  would 
 be  no  difiiculty  in  extending  our  argument  at  length  by 
 enumerating  many  other  deeds  wherein  Christ's  glory 
 was  manifested  no  less  highly  than  in  those  we  have 
 just  mentioned.  How  then,  after  all,  does  it  happen 
 that  He  Who  had  been  glorified  long  before  speaks  of 
 Himself  as  glorified  at  this  particular  time  1  Truly  He 
 had  been  glorified  in  other  ways,  and  had  won  for 
 Himself  most  distinctly  a  reputation  for  possessing 
 Divine  authority :  still  the  perfect  consummation  of  His 
 vol..  II.  p 
 
210     Chrisfs  Passion  brought  Him  greatest  glory. 
 
 Book  9.  glory  and  the  fulness  of  His  fame  were  summed  up  in 
 c.xiii.31,  ^j^g  f^^^g  Q^  jj-g  suffering  for  the  life  of  the  world  and 
 opening  by  His  own  resurrection  the  gate  through  which 
 all  may  rise.  For  if  we  examine  as  well  as  we  may 
 the  real  character  of  the  mystery  of  His  work,  we  shall 
 see  that  He  died,  not  merely  for  Himself,  nor  even 
 especially  for  His  own  sake ;  but  that  it  was  on  behalf 
 of  humanity  that  He  suffered  and  carried  out  both  the 
 sufferinsf  in  itself  and  the  resurrection  that  followed. 
 For  in  that  He  died  according  to  the  flesh,  He  offered 
 up  His  own  life  as  an  equivalent  for  the  life  of  all ;  and 
 by  rendering  perfect  satisfaction  for  all,  He  fulfilled  in 
 Himself  to  the  uttermost  the  force  of  that  ancient  curse. 
 And  in  that  He  has  risen  again  from  the  dead  to  a  life 
 imperishable  and  unceasing,  in  Himself  He  raises  the 
 whole  of  nature.  For  having  died  once  for  all,  thence- 
 Eom.  vi.  forward,  as  it  is  written.  He  dieth  no  more;  death  no 
 
 9    10 
 
 '  ■  more  hath  dom,inion  over  Him.  For  the  death  that  He 
 died,  He  died  unto  sin  once:  hut  the  life  that  He  liveth, 
 He  liveth  unto  God.  This  also  will  for  Christ's  sake 
 be  true  even  in  our  own  case.  For  we  shall  rise,  no 
 more  subject  to  death,  but  endowed  with  endless  life ; 
 even  though  there  will  be  hereafter  a  great  diversity 
 of  lot  among  those  that  rise — I  mean  as  regards  their 
 glory  and  the  recompence  which  each  shall  receive  as 
 
 Phil.  ii.    due    to  his   works.      Christ    therefore,   after   becoming 
 
 '  obedient  to  God  the  Father  even  unto  death,  yea,  the 
 
 death  of  the  cross,  according  to  the  saying  of  Paul,  was 
 once  again  highly  exalted,  receiving  the  name  ivhich  is 
 above  every  name.  For  He  Who  was  believed  to  be  a 
 mere  man  was  glorified  very  much  beyond  that,  by 
 being  acknowledged  as  in  very  truth  really  God  and  the 
 Son  of  God ;  not  being  promoted  to  a  new  dignity  in 
 possessing  the  Divine  nature,  but  rather  returning  with 
 His  flesh  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  that  very  glory  which 
 was  equally  His  before  He  took  flesh.  For  this  reason 
 then  we  shall  reckon  that  He  was  now  glorified,  although 
 
 iCor.ii.8.  there  never  was  a  time  when  He  was  not  Lord  of  glory. 
 
Father  and  Son  glory  in  each  other.  211 
 
 For  in  Christ  we  do  not  find  one  of  His  God-befitting  c.xiii.:«. 
 attributes  appearing  as  a  new  thing,  but  all  appear  as 
 having  naturally  belonged  to  Him  as  God,  even  before 
 the  time  when  He  is  said  to  have  emptied  Himself. 
 But  still,  when  the  form  of  a  servant  had  been  assumed, 
 forasmuch  as  He  raised  Himself  to  those  conditions 
 again,  even  after  He  became  man,  He  is  conceived  of  as 
 being  "glorified,"  and  is  said  to  have  "received"  [the 
 exalted  name].  With  Christ  therefore  in  His  glorifi- 
 cation, God  the  Father  also  is  greatly  glorified.  And 
 He  is  glorified  in  the  Son ;  not  as  receiving  from  His 
 Offspring  any  addition  of  glory,  for  of  no  such  addition 
 does  the  Divine  and  ineffable  nature  stand  ever  in  need ; 
 but  because  it  is  made  known  of  what  a  Son  He  is  the 
 Father.  For  even  as  it  is  a  pride  and  a  glory  to  the  Son 
 to  have  such  a  Being  for  His  Father,  likewise  also 
 methinks  it  is  a  pride  and  a  glory  even  to  the  Father  to 
 have  born  from  Himself  so  glorious  a  Son.  Therefore 
 Christ  says  this:  And  God  is  glorified  in  Him;  and 
 God  shall  glorify  Him  in  Himself,  and  straightivay 
 shall  He  glorify  Him :  for  at  the  same  time  the  Father 
 is  glorified  on  account  of  the  Son,  and  straightway 
 glorifies  the  Son  in  return.  For  to  Both,  for  the  sake  of 
 Both,  the  ascription  of  glory  extends. 
 
 But  in  order  that  we  may  bring  down  the  application 
 of  the  passage  to  our  own  level,  and  so  make  it  a  source 
 of  edification  to  our  hearers,  we  will  add  this  to  what 
 has  been  said.  If  in  ourselves  we  glorify  God,  we  may 
 expect  that  we  shall  be  glorified  by  Him.     For,  As  I 
 
 live,  saith  the  Lord,  them  that  honour  Me  I  luill  honour,  ^  Sam.  ii. 
 
 .     30. 
 and  they  shall  not  be  lightly  esteemed.     And  God  is 
 
 glorified   by   us   and   in    us,   when,   casting    away   the 
 
 defilement  of  sin,  we  adorn  our  lives  in  all  the  beauty  of 
 
 good  works.     For  thus  it  is  that  we  live  to  His  glory. 
 
 33     Little  children,  yet  a  little  ivhile  I  am  ivith  you. 
 
 He  places  the  disciples  in  the  position  of  little  children 
 and  accounts  them  as  new-born  babes,  although  they  had 
 
 p  2 
 
212         Men  are  as  noihiny  compared  ivith  God. 
 
 p.odK  9.  advanced  to  so  high  a  stage  in  virtue,  and  were  possessed 
 'of  wisdom  such  as  is  fully  vouchsafed  to  few;  showing 
 us  hereby,  and  that  very  plainly,  that  even  he  who  is 
 accounted  very  perfect  in  the  eyes  of  man  is  an  infant 
 in  the  sight  of  God,  and  feeble  in  mental  faculties.  For 
 what  is  the  understanding  of  man  in  comparison  with 
 the  wisdom  that  fashioned  the  universe  *?    Therefore  it  is 
 
 Ps.  ixxiii.  that  a  Psalmist  said  to  God :  /  was  as  a  Least  before 
 Thee.  And  no  one  whatever  will  say,  if  he  has  any 
 perception  at  all,  that  the  Psalmist  compares  himself  to 
 a  beast  because  of  his  having  cleaved  closely  unto  God ; 
 for  such  an  idea  would  be  a  bitter  disparagement  of  the 
 Divine  nature,  and  would  be  seen  to  involve  a  great 
 impropriety.  For  he  that  cleaves  to  a  wise  man  and 
 "  is  "  ever  "  before  "  him,  (for  I  suppose  I  must  adapt  the 
 words  of  the  Psalm  so  far  as  is  necessary,)  would  never 
 become  "  as  a  beast ;"  but  rather  would  become  ready  of 
 mind,  and  quick  of  understanding,  and  skilful  in  judg- 
 ment. If  therefore  any  one  acknowledged  this  to  be 
 very  just  and  true,  would  not  a  person  be  thought  foolish 
 in  the  extreme  who  should  suppose  that  one  who  cleaves 
 fast  to  the  wisdom  that  comes  from  God  Himself  will 
 ever  become  as  a  beast  in  senseless  folly  ?  "Why  then 
 does  the  Psalmist  say  that  even  he  who  is  counted  very 
 wise  among  men  will  in  comparison  with  the  wisdom  of 
 God  appear  to  be  as  a  beast,  and  be  reckoned  among 
 those  who  have  no  sense  to  guide  them  ?  It  is  ]3ecause 
 the  understanding  of  man  can  no  more  be  compared 
 with  the  wisdom  of  God  than  the  smallest  star  can  vie 
 with  the  rays  of  the  sun,  or  even  the  heaviest  of  stones 
 with  the  highest  of  all  mountains ;  but  rather  is  as 
 nothing  at  all  in  comparison  with  it.  And  so  it  appears 
 that  even  the  perfect  man  is  but  as  a  little  child. 
 
 Yet  a  little  while,  however,  Christ  said  He  would  be 
 with  the  disciples ;  not  meaning  that  He  was  soon  to 
 depart  so  as  to  return  no  more,  or  to  be  separated  from 
 
 „  ,,       them  altogether  and  entirely,  for  He  is  with  us  (accord- 
 
 R.  Matt.  ^  1    \      7  7       •    7 
 
 xxviii.20.  ing  to  His  own  words)  alivay,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
 
When  absent  as  Man,  Christ  Is  present  as  God.  213 
 
 vjoiid ;  but  implying  that  He  would  not  be  with  them  c.  xiii.33. 
 in  the  flesh,  as  He  had  been  yesterday  and  the  day 
 before,  and  that  now  there  was  even  at  the  door,  or 
 rather  within  the  door,  the  time  of  His  departure  thence 
 unto  the  Father,  and  of  His  ascension  into  heaven.  And 
 I  say  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  all,  at  least  those  who 
 are  right  minded  and  have  their  faith  well  established, 
 to  realise  the  fact  that  even  though  He  is  absent  from 
 us  in  the  flesh,  now  that  He  has  returned  from  earth 
 to  God  the  Father,  yet  He  pervades  all  things  in  His 
 Divine  power,  and  is  ever  present  with  those  who  love 
 Him.  For  surely  this  is  why  He  also  declared :  Verily, 
 verily,  I  say  unto  you,  wherever  two  or  three  are  gather-  s.  Matt. 
 ed  together  in  My  JS^ame,  there  am  I  in  the  viidst  of  ^^"^"  ^^' 
 thenn.  For  just  as,  while  still  sojourning  among  men, 
 yea,  while  verily  on  earth  with  flesh.  He  filled  the 
 heavens,  and  even  then  was  still  present  with  the  holy 
 angels,  and  never  left  the  realms  above  ;  so  now  also, 
 while  vei-ily  in  heaven  with  His  own  flesh.  He  fills  the 
 earth,  and  is  ever  present  with  those  who  know  Him. 
 And  notice  how,  although  expecting  to  be  removed  from 
 earth  as  regards  His  flesh  alone,  since  in  the  power  of 
 His  Divinity  He  is  ever  with  us,  He  nevertheless  speaks 
 of  being  with  us  yet  a  little  while,  including  in  this 
 statement  His  whole  and  perfect  Self  without  any  divi- 
 sion :  lest  any  should  endeavour  to  sever  the  One  Christ 
 into  two  Sons,  but  that  all  should  think  and  believe 
 that  the  Word  begotten  of  God  the  Father  is  one  with 
 the  Temple  assumed  from  the  holy  virgin ;  not  that 
 they  are  of  the  same  essence,  but  that  after  their  in- 
 eflable  union,  none  can  speak  of  severing  them  without 
 impiety  :  for  the  Christ  is,  of  them  both.  One. 
 
 Ye  shall  seek  Me :  and  as  I  said  unto  the  Jews,  Whither  1  go, 
 ye  cannot  come  ;  so  now  I  say  unto  you. 
 
 Not  altogether  without  pain  to  His  own  disciples 
 win  the  departure  be.  He  says ;  it  will  be  the  departure 
 of  Himself.     In  the   first  place  they  will  languish   in 
 
yi4  Chrid  foretold  His  departure, 
 
 Book  9.  gi'iei  on  account  of  it,  and  will  find  the  weight  of  bitter- 
 c.  xiii.  33.  jjggg  produced  by  it  to  be  intolerable.  For  beyond  all 
 question  they  will  thirst  once  more  to  be  with  Him, 
 and  long  to  live  with  Him  for  ever ;  just  as  also 
 the  inspired  Paul,  preferring  the  being  with  Christ  to 
 Pliii.i.23.  life  itself  here,  said  it  was  better  to  depart  and  he  ivith 
 Christ.  Perceiving  this,  and  well  knowing  the  hearts 
 ^dvoSos  of  those  who  love  Him,  Christ  said  that  His  ^Ascension 
 would  not  be  without  grief  to  His  disciples.  But  there 
 was  also,  besides  this  feeling,  another  just  cause  that 
 forced  the  holy  disciples  to  seek  to  be  with  Christ. 
 They  were  destined  within  a  brief  while  to  be  compassed 
 about  with  grievous  dangers,  and  to  be  exposed  on  all 
 sides  to  the  ungovernable  frenzies  of  the  Jews,  and  even 
 to  fall  victims  to  madness  on  the  part  of  strangers,  while 
 on  their  mission  through  the  whole  world,  preaching  the 
 word  of  the  Saviour  to  those  that  were  still  wandering 
 afar;  so  as  to  become  acquainted  with  prisons,  and  to  have 
 their  part  in  all  kinds  of  insult  and  outrage,  and  to  gain 
 no  less  experience  of  other  tortures  :  and  all  this  in  spite 
 of  their  never  having  experienced  any  such  suffering 
 while  they  were  with  Christ.  "  Then  most  especially," 
 He  says,  "  ye  shall  seek  My  company,  when  the  manifold 
 waves  of  trial  break  over  you."  And  hereby  He  sought 
 not  to  bring  the  disciples  to  cowardly  timidity,  or  to 
 shatter  their  courage  with  fear ;  but  rather  to  brace 
 them  up  to  fresh  vigour,  and  in  a  manner  to  teach  them 
 to  be  ready  prepared  for  the  patient  endurance  of  all 
 which  they  expected  would  come  upon  them.  For  we 
 shall  find  the  Psalmist's  song  to  be  anything  but 
 meaningless,  nay,  rather  to  convey  very  profitable  in- 
 Ps.cxviii.  struction  in  the  words :  /  was  2^'>"e2Jared  and  was  not 
 ^LXK)  confounded.  For  the  wholly  unexpected  arrival  of 
 misfortune  is  wont  to  throw  us  into  confusion,  taking 
 us  as  it  were  off"  our  guard :  but  when  a  trial  has  been 
 known  beforehand  and  long  expected,  the  greater  part 
 of  the  terror  it  occasions  has  passed  away  before  it 
 comes,  and   its   power   over   its  victims   is   not   at   all 
 
that  the  dincvples  mltjht  he  'prepared  for  it.       215 
 
 absolute,  as  the  mind  has  already  rehearsed  it  and  often  c.xiii.33. 
 in  imagination  received  its  attack.  In  the  same  way, 
 if  some  wild  and  savage  animal,  starting  up  from  the 
 midst  of  a  luxuriant  and  dense  jungle,  rushes  on  one 
 who  does  not  see  it  coming,  it  tears  him  limb  from  limb 
 befoi'e  he  is  conscious  of  the  attack,  having  seized  him 
 while  he  was  unprepared  for  warfare :  whereas  if  the 
 beast  is  seen  from  afar  and  its  coming  expected,  it 
 meets  an  armed  foe,  and  either  does  him  less  harm,  or 
 perchance  has  even  to  depart  in  helpless  impotence. 
 Just  so  in  the  case  of  temptations :  that  which  is  wholly 
 unexpected  will  attack  us  more  fiercely  and  more 
 severely  than  one  which  has  been  anticipated  for  some 
 time.  With  kind  intent  therefore  does  our  Lord  Jesus 
 the  Christ  in  saying  "  Ye  shall  seek  Me"  hint  at  the 
 evils  that  will  come  on  the  disciples  when  His  presence 
 is  removed,  and  the  troubles  that  will  arise  from  their 
 enemies ;  preparing  them  by  this  warning  for  a  renewal 
 of  their  courage :  with  kind  intent  also  He  adds  to  these 
 hints  the  statement  that  there  will  for  the  present  be 
 an  obstacle  in  the  way  of  their  following  Him.  For 
 as  I  said  to  the  Jews,  He  says,  even  so  I  say  now  unto 
 you :  Whither  I  go  ye  cannot  come.  For  not  yet  was 
 the  time  come  when  the  disciples  should  have  accom- 
 plished their  service  on  earth,  and  be  admitted  to  the 
 mansions  above.  For  their  entrance  to  those  realms 
 was  reserved  most  strictly  to  its  appointed  season. 
 
 This  point  however  we  must  notice  again,  that  in 
 speaking  to  the  Jews,  while  giving  to  them  this  same 
 warning.  He  said :  Ye  shall  seek  Me,  and  shall  not  find 
 Me;  but  to  His  disciples  He  only  says:  Ye  shall  seek 
 Me,  fitly  breaking  off  without  the  words  "  and  shall  not 
 find  Me."  And  why  so  1  The  Jews  will  rightly  deserve 
 to  be  told  that  they  should  never  find  Him,  on  account 
 of  their  monstrous  infidelity  and  the  surpassing  base- 
 ness of  their  impiety  towards  Him :  but  to  those  who 
 have  a  true  affection  for  Him,  and  have  preserved  their 
 love  in  all  sincerity,  it  could  not  be  fitly  said :  "  Ye  shall 
 
216  The  Laiv  of  Moses  vms  good, 
 
 Book  9.  not  find  Me."     For  He  was  ever  with  them,  and  will 
 
 c.xiii.34.  |jg  ^,-^jj  ^jjgj^  ^Q  |.]^g  g^(j 
 
 34  J  ?^f?w  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one 
 another;  even  as  I  have  loved  you,  tlmt  ye  also  love  one 
 another. 
 
 2  Cor.  V.       Well  and  truly  writes  the  inspired  Paul :   Wherefore  if 
 ^''  any  man  is  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature:  the  old 
 
 things  are  jiassed  away ;  behold  all  things  are  become 
 new.  For  Christ  does  renew  us,  and  fashions  us  again 
 to  a  newness  of  life  which  is  unknown  to  and  untravelled 
 by  the  rest  of  mankind,  who  love  to  regulate  their  lives 
 by  the  Law,  and  remain  constant  to  the  precepts  given 
 Heb.  vii.  by  Moses.  For  the  Laiu  makes  nothing  perfect,  as  it  is 
 written ;  but  it  is  very  evident  that  the  standard  of 
 reverence  towards  God  involved  in  the  commands  of  our 
 Saviour  is  the  highest  possible.  For  this  is  why  He 
 s.  Matt.  Himself  somewhere  says  to  us :  Verily,  verily,  I  say 
 ^'  "  ■  unto  you.  Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the 
 righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in 
 no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  We  do  not 
 wish  to  struggle  against  the  manner  of  life  of  the  Jews, 
 and  yet  except  we  outstrip  very  decisively  the  right- 
 eousness contained  in  the  Law,  I  doubt  if  we  should 
 ever  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  we  do  not 
 mean  to  assert  that  the  Law  as  given  by  Moses  was 
 useless  and  unprofitable :  for  it  has  brought  to  us,  albeit 
 imperfectly,  a  knowledge  of  good,  or  at  any  rate  has 
 been  found  to  be  a  tutor  for  our  instruction  as  to  the 
 nature  of  the  Gospel  dispensation.  And  in  bringing 
 before  us  by  hints  and  types  a  pattern  of  the  true 
 worship,  it  imprinted  on  our  minds  the  dim  outline  of 
 the  teaching  we  learn  from  Christ.  Hence,  surely  Christ 
 S.  Matt.  Himself  also  said :  For  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  scribe 
 xiii.  jw.  ^^1^^  hath  been  made  a  discijjle  to  the  kingdom  of  hea- 
 ven is  like  unto  a  rich  man,  which  brivgeth  forth  out  of 
 his  treasure  things  neiv  and  old.  For  in  very  truth  it  is 
 the  highest  form  of  spiritual  wealth,  that  a  man  should  be 
 
hut  Christ's  com'mandments  are  better.         217 
 
 well  versed  in  the  words  spoken  by  Moses,  and  have  all  c.xiii.34. 
 the  good  that  can  be  derived  from  them  treasured  up  in 
 his  mind,  and  besides  should  have  added  to  this  store 
 the  beauty  of  the  evangelic  teaching,  and  so  have  two- 
 fold ground  for  boasting,  in  his  knowledge  as  well  of  the 
 ancient  as  of  the  new  laws.  Therefore  our  Lord  Jesus 
 the  Christ,  by  way  of  shewing  that  His  commandment 
 was  better  than  the  ancient  one,  and  that  His  preaching 
 of  salvation  was  as  yet  foreign  to  those  who  regulated 
 their  lives  by  the  Law,  now  that  He  is  about  to  ascend 
 into  heaven,  lays  down  the  law  of  love  as  a  foundation 
 and  corner-stone  of  all  that  is  good,  meaning  by  love  not 
 that  which  was  in  accordance  with,  but  that  which 
 transcended,  the  Mosaic  Law.  Therefore  He  says : 
 A  neiu  commandment  I  give  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one 
 another.  "But  tell  me  now,'  some  one  may  say,  "why 
 He  has  called  this  commandment  new,  when  He  had  said 
 to  former  generations  by  the  voice  of  Moses :  Thou  shalt  g.  Luke 
 love  the  Lord  thy  Godj  %vith  all  thy  heart  and,  with  all  ^-  "^''• 
 thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  For  see,  while  vi.  5. 
 setting  love  to  God  in  its  fitting  place,  in  the  forefront  of 
 and  in  preeminence  to  all  other  affections,  He  has  there 
 introduced  in  the  very  next  place  our  mutual  love,  and 
 has  joined  with  our  love  to  God  love  to  each  other, 
 implying  that  in  no  other  way  would  love  to  God 
 rightly  exist,  except  it  were  accompanied  by  the  love 
 which  is  due  to  our  neighbour.  For  we  all  are  brethren 
 one  of  another.  For  instance,  the  very  wise  John,  most 
 excellent  alike  in  knowledge  and  in  teaching,  says :  He  cf. 
 that  loveth  his  brother  loveth  God.     How  then  cometh  a  -"^  ^-  ^^^^^ 
 
 iv.  21. 
 
 new  commandment  by  Christ,  although  the  very  same 
 had  been  declared  by  the  ancient  laws?"  But  notice, 
 I  pray  you,  the  justifying  clause;  look  at  the  illustration 
 used.  He  does  more  than  say:  A  neiu  commandment 
 give  I  unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another ;  He  plainly 
 signifies  the  novelty  involved  in  His  command,  and  the 
 extent  by  which  the  love  that  He  enjoins  surpasses  that 
 old  idea   of  mutual   love,   by.  straightway  adding  the 
 
218         Christ  loved  others  better  than  Himself, 
 
 Book  9.  words :    Even  as  I  have  loved   you,  that   ye  also  love 
 C.X111.34.  ^^g  another. 
 
 We  must  investigate  therefore  the  question  how  the 
 Christ  loved  us,  in  order  to  understand  clearly  the  full 
 force  of  the  words  used.  For  then  we  shall  indeed  per- 
 ceive, and  that  very  easily,  the  novel  character  and  the 
 changed  nature  of  the  commandment  now  given.     We 
 
 Phil.  ii.  know  that,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  He  counted  it  not 
 a  prize  to  be  on  an  equality  with  God,  but  emptied 
 Himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  being  'made  in 
 the  likeness  of  men ;  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a 
 man.  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming  obedient  even 
 unto   death,  yea,  the  death  of  the  cross.     And  again: 
 
 2  Cor.viii.  fhough  He  was  rich,  yet  He  became  poor,  as  Paul  else- 
 where testifies  to  us.  Dost  thou  see  the  novelty  of  His 
 love  towards  us?  For  whereas  the  Law  enjoined  the 
 necessity  of  loving  our  brethren  as  ourselves,  our  Lord 
 Jesus  the  Christ  on  the  other  hand  loved  us  far  more 
 than  He  loved  Himself.  Else  He  would  never  have 
 descended  to  our  humiliation  from  His  original  exalta- 
 tion in  the  form  of  God  and  on  an  equality  with  God 
 the  Father,  nor  would  He  have  undergone  for  our  sakes 
 the  exceeding  bitterness  of  His  death  in  the  flesh,  nor 
 have  submitted  to  bufl:etings  from  the  Jews,  to  shame,  to 
 derision,  and  all  His  other  sufferings:  speaking  briefly, 
 so  as  not  to  protract  our  argument  to  endless  length  by 
 enumerating  everything  in  detail.  Nay,  He  would  never 
 have  become  poor  'from  being  rich,  if  He  had  not  loved 
 us  very  exceedingly  more  than  Himself,  Marvellous 
 then  indeed  was  the  extent  of  His  love.  So  also  He 
 would  have  us  be  minded,  keeping  ever  our  love  to  our 
 brethren  as  superior  to  all  other  motives,  such  as  repu- 
 tation or  riches ;  not  hesitating  to  descend  if  need  be 
 even  to  death  in  the  flesh,  so  that  we  may  secure  the 
 salvation  of  our  neighbour.  And  this  is  exactly  what 
 the  blessed  disciples  of  our  Saviour  have  done,  as  also 
 have  those  that  followed  in  their  train ;  reckoning  the 
 salvation  of  others  superior  to  their  own  life,  enduring 
 
and  ive  mud  imitate  Him.  219 
 
 toil  of  all  kinds,  and  suffering  the  extremest  of  evils,  c.xiii.35. 
 that  so  they  might  save  the   souls  of  those  that  were 
 perishing.     For  instance,  Paul  in  one  place  saith :  /  die  i  Cor.  xv, 
 daily;  and  in  another  again:   Who  is  weak,  and  I  am  ^  cor  xi 
 not  tveak  ?    Who  is  made  to  stutnhle,  and  I  hum  not  ?  29. 
 Thus  the  Saviour  urges  us  to  practise  ever  the  love  that 
 transcends  the  Law  as  the  root  of  all  true  and  perfect 
 devotion  to  God ;  well  knowing  that  so,  assuredly,  and 
 not  otherwise,  we  shall  be  most  highly  approved  in  the 
 sight  of  God,  and  by  tracing  out  the  Divine  beauty  of 
 the  love  by  Him  implanted  in  us  we  shall  attain  to  the 
 enjoyment  of  great  and  perfect  blessings. 
 
 35     By  this  shall  all  men  kiwio  that  ye  are  My  disciples,  if  ye 
 love  one  another. 
 
 You  will  set  upon  yourselves,  He  says,  an  irresistible 
 and  unquestionable  mark  of  your  having  been  My  dis- 
 ciples, if  you  hasten  to  follow  in  the  track  marked  out 
 by  My  own  conduct,  at  least  as  far  as  your  nature  and  the 
 limit  of  human  powers  will  permit ;  so  as  to  have  ever 
 the  bond  of  mutual  love  firmly  drawn,  and  to  be  united 
 one  to  the  other  in  full  sympathy,  at  least  to  the  extent 
 of  mutual  love  and  the  incomparable  glory  of  affection- 
 ateness :  for  this  it  is  that  will  stamp  on  us  most  exactly 
 the  true  character  of  our  Master.  "  Nay,  but,"  some  one 
 will  object,  meeting  us  perchance  with  this  question : 
 "  How  comes  it  that  love  alone  is  the  characteristic  token 
 of  discipleship  to  Christ,  whereas  in  Him  there  appeared 
 the  perfect  display  of  all  possible  virtues :  not  exhibited 
 merely  in  kindness  to  others,  nor  again  as  the  outcome 
 of  much  labour  and  struggling,  as  would  be  the  case  in 
 a  man ;  but  as  the  natural  and  essential  attributes  of 
 His  real  self?  For  to  the  Divine  Nature  there  belong 
 as  its  special  and  peculiar  attributes  things  which  tran- 
 scend all  wonder." 
 
 In  very  truth,  my  good  sir,  we  will  admit  that  you 
 acted  most  rightly  in  adding  this  last  remark.  For 
 the   peculiar   and   especial   attributes    of  the   Supreme 
 
2:20  Love  is  the  chief  Christian  grace. 
 
 Book  9.  Essence  are  the  natural  fruits  of  Itself.     But  it  is  quite 
 
 c.  x'ii  35. 
 
 '  possible  to  perceive,  by  looking  into  the  matter,  that 
 every  species  of  virtue  is  necessarily  comprehended  in 
 perfect  love,  and  that  everything  which  can  rightly  be 
 looked  upon  as  really  and  truly  good  seems  to  have  its 
 principle  and  aim  comprised  in  love.  For  this  reason, 
 surely,  the  Law  lays  it  down  as  a  commandment  pre- 
 Cf.  eminent  above  all,  to  love  the  Lord  God  with  all  the 
 
 S  Mark 
 
 xii.  30.  soul,  and  with  all  the  heart,  and  with  all  the  mind ; 
 and,  second  only  to  this,  there  is  joined  to  it  in  close 
 proximity  the  sister  commandment,  to  love  one's  neigh- 
 bour, which  completes  the  whole  Law.  So  again,  the 
 inspired  Paul,  summarizing  all  the  commandments  in 
 Eom.xiii.  this  One,  wiitcs  in  an  epistle:  For  this,  Thou  shalt  not 
 ^'  ■  conirtiit  adultery,  Thou  shalt  not  hill,  Thou  shalt  not 
 sivear  falsely,  and  if  there  be  any  other  commandment, 
 it  is  8U7)imed  up  in  this  tuord,  namely,  Thou  shcdt  love 
 thy  neighbour  as  thyself.  Love,  therefore,  is  the  fulfil- 
 ment of  the  Laiu.  And  that  love  has  created  for  itself 
 a  fashion  of  every  kind  of  virtue  within  its  own  proper 
 limits,  and  as  it  were  embraces  within  its  arms  all  that 
 is  really  good,  the  very  wise  Paul  himself  again  shall 
 iCor.xiii.  testify,  exclaiming:  Love  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not 
 ^'  ^'  V^^ff^d  up,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not 
 its  own,  and  similar  expressions  —  for  it  would  be  a 
 long  task  to  tell  the  full  extent  of  love.  Most  espe- 
 cially then  do  I  say  that  it  is  most  befitting  and  right 
 for  those  who  have  given  themselves  up  to  a  life  of 
 love  that  they  should  make  themselves  known  to  all 
 men  as  having  become  Christ's  disciples,  by  making 
 the  crown  of  love  their  chief  glory,  and  by  bearing 
 about  with  them  theii'  mutual  affection  as  a  sign  and 
 seal  of  their  discipleship.  And  the  reason  for  this  I 
 will  specify  in  a  few  words.  Supposing  that  any  ordi- 
 nary man  were  practising  the  art  of  working  in  brass 
 or  of  weaving,  would  he  not  appear  very  evidently  to 
 have  been  a  pupil  of  a  brassworker  or  of  a  weaver? 
 And  what  of  the  man  who  shows  some  experience  in 
 
Love  is  the  mark  of  Chrisfs  disciples.  221 
 
 carpentry  ?  Would  he  not  tell  you  that  the  reason  c.  xiii.  35. 
 why  he  can  succeed  in  the  works  of  his  art  is  that, 
 while  gaining  his  experience,  he  had  a  carpenter  as 
 his  guide  ?  On  just  the  same  grounds  I  believe  that 
 they  who  display  in  themselves  fully  developed  the 
 power  of  Divine  love,  will  speedily  make  known  to 
 the  world  that  they  have  been  disciples  of  Love,  or  of 
 Christ  Who  is  filled  to  the  uttermost  with  love.  For 
 He  so  loved  the  world  as  to  lay  down  even  His  life  Cf. 
 for  it,  and  to  endure  the  fierceness  of  Jewish  outrages  :  jij.  ig. 
 and  He  shall  Himself  testify  to  this  in  His  words  to 
 the  disciples  :  Greater  love  hath  no  nnan  than  this,  that  Infra  xv. 
 a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.  For  seeing 
 that  God  is  love,  according  to  the  saying  of  John,  He, }  S.  John 
 being  the  Son  of  Love,  i.e.  of  Him  Who  is  by  nature 
 the  only  and  true  God,  has  Himself  also  been  shown 
 forth  to  us  as  love ;  not  resting  His  claim  to  the  title 
 on  elaboration  of  arguments  and  grandiloquence  of  boast- 
 ful words,  but  by  deeds  and  positive  facts  proving  Him- 
 self to  be  the  Fruit  of  His  Father's  Essence.  For  by 
 no  means  will  we  suppose  that  the  Essence  which  is 
 exalted  far  above  all  others  is  capable  of  receiving  ad- 
 ditional good ;  nor  yet  will  we  admit  that  the  posses- 
 sion of  any  good  quality  is  for  It  an  acquired  attribute, 
 as  with  us ;  nor  again  that  it  is  what  we  term  a  merely 
 accidental  quality,  such  as  may  pertain  to  an  ordinary 
 person,  similar  for  example  to  the  knowledge  of  any 
 science  which  a  man  may  possess :  for  man  is  not  in 
 himself  knowledge,  but  is  rather  a  recipient  of  know- 
 ledge ;  whereas  we  affirm  that  the  Divine  Ineffable 
 Nature  is  by  special  right  in  Itself  the  sum  of  all  that 
 is  good,  whatsoever  we  may  believe  this  to  be ;  and  is, 
 as  it  were,  a  fountain-head  containing  within  itself 
 every  kind  of  virtue,  and  pouring  it  forth  in  an  inex- 
 haustible stream.  Most  reasonably,  therefore,  will  He, 
 Who  is  the  Fruit  of  Love,  Himself  also  be  Love ;  and 
 being  Himself  like  to  the  Father  Whose  Son  He  is, 
 He   will  be   shown   forth  in  our  lives   most  chiefly  by 
 
222  Love  is  the  Pleroma  of  Law. 
 
 Book  9.  the  token  of  love,  ever  engraving  on  the  hearts  of  good 
 '  men,  as  an  evident  characteristic  of  their  close  rela- 
 tionship to  Himself,  an  ardent  clinging  to  the  grace  of 
 mutual  affection.     Besides,  according  to  the  saying  of 
 
 Eph.  ii.  Paul,  Christ  is  our  peace :  for  in  Him  all  things  were 
 united,  the  world  below  to  the  world  above ;  and  by 
 His  means  we  were  reconciled  to  God  the  Father,  though 
 we  had  in  old  times  deliberately  wandered  far  away  from 
 Him  in  our  evil  courses ;  and  we  who  had  formerly 
 been  divided  into  two  peoples,  Gentiles  and  Israelites, 
 
 Eph.  ii.     were  created  in  Him  into  one  new  man,  for  the  middle 
 
 14   15 
 
 '  '  ivall  of  'partition  has  been  broken  down,  and  the  power 
 of  the  enmity  abolished,  the  Law  being  put  to  silence  by 
 the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel.  If  this  be  so,  how  could 
 those  who  had  no  peace  in  their  mutual  relations  be 
 known  as  disciples  of  [Him  Who  is]  peace  ?  For  what  else 
 would  be  involved  in  the  severance  of  love  than  a  stir- 
 ring up  of  war,  and  an  utter  overthrow  of  peace,  and 
 an  introduction  of  every  kind  of  discord?  For  just  as 
 by  an  unbroken  bond  of  love  all  the  blessings  of  peace 
 are  safely  secured  to  us,  so  in  the  same  way  by  the 
 interruption  of  our  love  the  evil  that  arises  from  war 
 finds  a  way  to  insidiously  enter.  And  what  follows 
 thereupon?     Insults   arise,  and   strifes,    and  jealousies, 
 
 2Cor.xii.  and  angers,  and  wraths,  and  tuhispermgs,  and  back- 
 bitings,  and  envyings,  and  every  form  of  baseness. 
 
 Seeing  therefore  that  every  virtue  is  summed  up 
 and  fulfilled  in  the  form  and  habit  of  love,  let  no  one 
 among  us  think  highly  of  himself  for  fastings,  or  pros- 
 trations on  the  ground,  or  any  other  ascetic  practices, 
 unless  he  be  faithful  to  preserve  in  all  fulness  his  love 
 for  his  brethren.  For  else  he  is  carried  away  very 
 wide  of  the  turning-post  in  the  race,  like  the  more  un- 
 skilled of  the  charioteers ;  and  wanders  out  of  his 
 course  like  a  pilot  who,  with  the  ship's  rudder  in  his 
 hand,  ignorantly  misses  the  goal  that  lies  directly  in 
 front  of  his   course.     Wherefore   also,  he  who  said  in 
 
 ^j|?°3       all  boldness  :    //'  ye  seek  a  jJroof  of  Christ  that  speaketh 
 
S.  Peter  s^joke  for  all  the  discijjles.  223 
 
 in  7ne,  I  mean  of  course  the  inspired  Paul,  gloried  notcxiii.36. 
 
 simply  in   the   fact  of  his  hastening  onwards,  but  in 
 
 the  fact  of  his  moving  in  the  right  direction,  onward 
 
 towards    the   goal :    for    to    glory   boastfully  in    bodily 
 
 labours,  while  falling  short  all   the  while  of  the  more 
 
 important  and  essential  qualities,  this  surely  is  to  fail 
 
 in  hastening  onwards  towards  our  goal.     And  he  knew 
 
 so  well  that  love  is  as  it  were   a  corner-stone  at  the 
 
 foundation   of  every  virtue,  that  he   most  justly  says, 
 
 in  eager  contention  on  its  behalf:   And  if  I  bestow  all  iCor.xiii. 
 
 ,  .  .  3  1 
 
 my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and  if  I  give  my  body  to  be  '   ' 
 
 burned,  but  have  not  love,  it  proflt&th  me  nothing :   if  I 
 
 speak  with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  but  have 
 
 not  love,  I  am  become  sounding  brass  or  a  clanging 
 
 cymbal.     And  so  it  appears  that  it  is  the  special  glory 
 
 of  love  to  be  in  us  a  figure  and  characteristic  token  of 
 
 belonging  to  the  Saviour  Christ. 
 
 36     Simon  Peter  saith  unto  Him,  Lord,  whither  goest  Thou  ? 
 
 Peter  again  with  his  usual  curiosity  is  anxious  to  learn 
 more,  and  busies  himself  about  the  significance  of  Christ's 
 words,  not  yet  (as  seems  probable)  comprehending  the 
 real  meaning  of  what  had  been  said,  yet  feeling  with 
 all  the  force  of  his  fiery  zeal  that  it  was  his  duty  to 
 follow  Christ.  And  in  this  matter  most  admirable  is 
 the  behaviour  of  the  disciples.  For  certainly  no  one 
 would  allow  that  it  was  only  the  chief  disciple  who 
 was  in  ignorance  while  the  others  fully  understood  the 
 matter,  and  that  this  was  why  he  asked  the  question. 
 I  should  rather  say  that  they  yielded  to  him,  as  chief 
 among  them,  the  privilege  of  speaking  fii-st,  and  of 
 taking  the  initiative  in  courageous  inquiry.  For  the 
 speaking  into  the  ears  of  their  Master  was  no  light  and 
 easy  matter,  even  for  those  ^vho  ivere  reputed  to  be  some-  Cf.Gal.ii. 
 ivhcct.  And  the  conduct  of  Peter  is  no  less  admirable,  ^'  ^* 
 who  is  harassed  by  no  fear  of  being  thought  sluggish 
 in  the  comprehension  of  those  matters  of  which  he  was 
 ignorant,  but   zealously  seeks    for   enlightenment,  con- 
 
224  Christ's  thoughtful ness  rn  teaching. 
 
 Book  9.  sidering  that  the  profit  he  will  derive  from  gratifying 
 c.xiii.36.  j^jg  j^yg  q£  knowledge  will  be  of  more  value  than  an 
 unseasonable  sense  of  shame :  and  so  in  this  also  he  is 
 a  pattern  to  those  that  live  after  him.  For  we  ought 
 never,  I  think,  to  pass  over  the  words  of  our  teachers, 
 even  though  they  may  not  be  so  very  distinct,  merely 
 for  the  sake  of  seeming  to  be  shrewd  people  and  very 
 quick  in  intelligence ;  but  rather  to  investigate  the 
 meaning  and  search  it  out  wisely,  in  the  teaching  at 
 first  delivered  to  us  for  our  profit.  For  the  knowledge 
 of  what  is  useful  is  far  nobler  than  a  vain  semblance  of 
 wisdom,  and  far  better  is  it  to  learn  a  thing  in  reality 
 than  merely  to  seem  to  know  all  about  it. 
 
 Jesus  answered  him,  Whither  I  go,  thou  canst  not  follow  Me 
 now,  hut  thou  shalt  follow  afterwards. 
 
 Well  knowing  that  the  grief  caused  to  His  disciples 
 would  be  heavy  and  intolerable  if  He  said  plainly  that 
 He -was  about  to  enter  into  heaven  and  to  leave  them 
 on  earth  bereaved  of  His  presence,  though  He  would 
 ever  be  with  them  as  God,  He  employs  a  style  of  speech 
 wisely  adapted  to  their  present  feelings,  and  gently 
 refrains  from  giving  full  information  of  what  was  in 
 His  mind.  And  thus,  seeing  them  in  ignorance.  He 
 suffers  them  so  to  continue.  For  the  wise  are  accus- 
 tomed occasionally  to  overshadow  with  weightier  words 
 things  that  seem  likely  to  cause  pain.  For  although, 
 in  returning  on  His  way  to  the  heavens  above.  He  was 
 most  especially  presenting  Himself  to  God  the  Father 
 as  the  fii'stfruits  of  humanity,  and  although  what  was 
 being  done  was  to  secure  the  advantage  of  all  mankind : 
 for  He  consecrated  for  us  a  new  way  of  which  the  human 
 race  knew  nothing  before :  nevertheless,  to  the  holy  dis- 
 ciples, in  their  earnest  longing  ever  to  be  with  Him,  it 
 seemed  unendurable  that  they  should  be  separated  from 
 Christ,  although  He  was  ever  with  them  in  the  power 
 and  co-operation  of  the  Spirit.  Finding  therefore  the 
 blessed  Peter  iornorant  of  the  force  of  the  words  used, 
 
A  tiuofold  signification.  225 
 
 Christ  leaves  him,  as  well  as  the  other  disciples,  in  that  c.xiii.  36. 
 condition,  not  at  once  explaining  fully  the  exact  import 
 of  what  He  had  said,  but  waiting  in  His  kindness  until 
 He  should  have  finished  the  teaching  that  would  be  able 
 to  strengthen  them  to  bear  it.  This  indeed  we  shall 
 perceive  Him  doing  in  the  words  that  soon  follow ;  for 
 He  says  to  them  :  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away :  infra 
 for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  vnll  not  come  unto  ^^'"  '* 
 you.  He  hastens  however,  as  God,  to  promise  the  dis- 
 ciple who  desires  so  to  do,  that  he  shall  follow  Him 
 earnestly,  and  be  with  Him  in  all  reality,  with  none  to 
 check  his  zeal ;  saying :  Whither  I  go  thou  canst  not 
 follow  Me  noiv,  but  thou  shalt  follow  afterwards.  And 
 the  saying  is  pregnant  with  a  twofold  signification,  one 
 part  of  which  is  very  evident  and  obvious,  while  the 
 other  is  rather  more  indistinct  and  wrapped  in  mystery. 
 For  He  means  to  say  that  Peter  could  not  possibly  follow 
 Him  now  in  His  passage  to  the  world  above  and  in  His 
 return  to  heaven,  yet  that  he  would  follow  Him  here- 
 after ;  namely,  when  the  honour  and  glory  for  which 
 the  saints  are  ever  hoping  is  conferred  upon  them  by 
 Christ,  when  they  come  to  the  city  in  the  heavens  to 
 reign  with  Him  for  ever.  But  the  words  also  contain 
 another  meaning,  the  nature  of  which  I  will  explain. 
 The  disciples  had  not  yet  been  clothed  ivith  the  power  S.  Luke 
 fror)i  on  high,  neither  had  they  received  the  strength 
 that  was  to  invigorate  them  and  mould  to  courage  their 
 human  dispositions,  I  mean  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
 and  so  they  were  not  able  to  wrestle  with  death  and 
 engage  in  a  conflict  with  terrors  so  hard  to  face.  And 
 surely  on  another  ground,  since  it  was  fitting  for  Christ 
 alone,  and  reserved  specially  for  Him  to  be  able  to 
 shatter  the  power  of  death,  it  was  unlikely  that  others 
 should  appear  engaged  in  this  work  before  Him.  For  to 
 be  freed  from  the  fear  of  death  could  surely  mean  nothing- 
 else  than  to  despise  death  as  being  powerless  at  all  to 
 harm  us.  Wherefore,  in  our  view  at  least,  even  the 
 blessed  prophets  used  to  dread  the  approach  of  death, 
 VOL.  n.  Q 
 
226  He  foreshadoius  Peter's  death. 
 
 Book  9.  when  it  had  not  yet  been  rendered  powerless  by  the 
 
 c.  xni.Sb.  i^esurrection  of  Christ.  And  it  was  from  a  right  under- 
 standing of  this  that  Paul  said  that  the  Word,  Who  was 
 
 Heb.  ii.  from  God  the  Father  and  in  God,  laid  hold  of  the  seed 
 '  '  '  of  Ahraha7)i,  that  through  the  death  of  His  holy  Flesh, 
 He  might  bring  death  to  nought,  and  might  deliver  all 
 them  who  through  fear  of  death  ivere  all  their  lifetime 
 subject  to  bondage.  For  the  saving  Passion  of  Christ  is 
 the  first  means  that  ever  brought  release  from  death,  and 
 the  Resurrection  of  Christ  has  become  to  the  saints  the 
 beginning  of  their  good  courage  in  meeting  it.  As  there- 
 fore our  natural  life  had  failed  as  yet  to  crush  the  power 
 of  death,  and  had  not  even  destroyed  the  terror  that  it 
 casts  over  our  souls,  the  disciples  were  still  somewhat 
 feeble  in  the  presence  of  dangers.  Therefore  the  Lord 
 graciously  intimates  that  Peter  should  be  crucified  when 
 the  time  had  come,  and  thereby  should  follow  the  foot- 
 steps of  His  Master :  and  in  the  words  :  Whither  I  go, 
 thou  canst  not  follow  Me  noiu,  but  thou  shcdt  follow 
 aftertuards,  He  obscurely  implies  that  now  his  mind  is 
 not  firmly  enough  prepared  for  so  severe  a  trial.  For 
 if  it  is  not  the  death  of  Peter  to  which  Christ  darkly 
 alludes  in  these  words,  why  is  it  that,  although  admit- 
 tedly all  the  other  holy  apostles  have  before  them  the 
 promise  that  they  shall  continually  be  with  Christ  and 
 follow  Him,  at  the  time  of  the  resurrection,  when  a 
 spotless  life  is  secured  to  them  amid  all  the  blessings 
 for  which  they  hope,  nevertheless  He  here  applies  the 
 force  of  His  words  individually  to  Peter  alone  ?  Nay,  it 
 is  abundantly  evident  that  in  special  reference  to  Peter 
 He  dimly  shadows  forth  what  will  happen  to  him  in 
 after  time.  In  illustration  of  this  He  has  explained  the 
 matter  more  distinctly  in  another  place,  where  He  says : 
 
 Infra  xxi.  When  thou  luast  young,  thou  girdedst  thyself,  and  walk- 
 
 '     '     edst  whither  thou  wouldest:  but  luhen  thou  shalt  be  old, 
 
 thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  others  shall  gird 
 
 thee,  and  carry  thee  whither  thou  toouldest  not.     Now 
 
 this  He  spake,  adds  the  Evangelist,  signifying  by  what 
 
Peter  misapprehends  His  meaning.  227 
 
 manner  of  death  he   should  glorify    God.     For   even  c.  xiii.  37. 
 though  suffering  for  Christ's  sake  is  a  thing  delightful 
 for  the  saints,  yet  the  danger  is  not  wished  for  by  them : 
 but   still  it  must  be  endured  when  of  necessity  it  is 
 brought   upon  them.     Therefore  also  He  bids  us  pray  s,  Luke 
 that  we  fall  not  into  temptation.  ^^"'  ^^' 
 
 37     Peter  saith  unto  Him,  Lord,  why  cannot  I  follow  Thee  even 
 now  ?     I  tvill  lay  down  my  life  for  Thee. 
 
 What  is  there,  he  means,  that  prevents  or  that  can 
 keep  him  back  from  following  His  Master,  now  that  his 
 deliberate  aim  is  to  die  for  Christ's  sake,  reckoning-  this 
 as  his  proudest  boast  1  For  the  utmost  of  all  danger, 
 and  the  extremest  violence  of  the  implacable  enmity  of 
 persecutors,  have  no  effect  beyond  the  range  of  the  flesh  ; 
 for  with  the  flesh  alone  has  death  to  deal :  and  he  that  is 
 ready  and  fully  prepared  even  for  this  extreme,  would 
 not  easily  be  hindered  from  his  purpose,  or  give  up  his 
 intense  conviction  as  to  the  duty  of  following  to  the  end. 
 The  zeal  of  Peter  was  most  ardent,  and  the  extent  of  his 
 promise  excessive ;  yet  one  might  see  that  the  power 
 latent  in  him  was  not  inconsiderable,  or  rather  the  issue 
 of  the  events  themselves  would  convince  one  of  this. 
 One  point  however  must  be  considered.  Our  Saviour 
 Christ,  speaking  now  in  one  way  and  now  in  another 
 of  His  ascension  into  heaven,  says  that  Peter  will  not 
 follow  Him  now,  but  will  follow  Him  hereafter  ;  as  soon, 
 namely,  as  his  apostolate  is  fulfilled,  and  when  the  fit 
 season  has  come  to  summon  the  bodies  of  the  saints  to 
 the  city  above:  whereas  Peter  himself  protests  that  he 
 is  now  ready  even  to  risk  his  life,  going  as  it  were  by 
 a  different  way,  and  not  coming  by  a  direct  course  to 
 the  meaning  of  the  words.  And  I  think  his  lanffuage 
 must  imply  this :  failing  as  yet  to  attach  to  what  has 
 been  spoken  by  Christ  its  exact  signification,  he  believes 
 that  the  Lord  intends  possibly  to  pass  over  to  some  of 
 the  wilder  villages  in  Judaea,  or  even  to  visit  foreign 
 peoples,  who  will,  after  carefully  listening,  so  violently 
 
 Q  2 
 
228    The  desire  of  the  disciples  to  die  tvith  Him. 
 
 Book  9,  dissent  from  the  words  which  He  will  be  likely  to  speak, 
 ^■^"'•^'- that  the  daring  plots  of  the  Pharisees  will  seem  feeble 
 compared  with  the  base  designs  of  the  other  Jews,  and 
 the  madness  inherent  in  them  will  be  shown  to  be  of 
 the  very  mildest  type.  For  this  reason  he  declares  that 
 he  will  suffer  nothing  to  interfere  with  his  following 
 Christ:  he  does  not  absolutely  promise  to  die,  but  says 
 that  if  the  need  should  arise  he  will  not  shrink  from 
 death.  Now  there  is  a  passage  exactly  similar  to  this 
 in  the  previous  part  of  this  book,  and  I  will  proceed  to 
 tell  you  where  it  occurs. 
 
 At  one  time  Christ  was  sojourning  among  the  Gali- 
 Iseans  to  avoid  the  fury  of  the  Jews,  their  ungovernable 
 temper,  and  their  unbridled  insolence  in  speech ;  and 
 great  was  the  wonder  excited  in  those  quarters  by  His 
 marvellous  deeds.  But  when  the  brother  of  Mary  and 
 Martha  had  died,  I  mean  of  course  Lazarus,  He  as  God 
 Supra  knew  of  it,  and  forthwith  said  to  His  disciples :  Our 
 ^*'  friend  Lazarus  is  fallen  asleep,  hut  I  go  that  I  may 
 
 awake  him  out  of  sleep.  Hereupon  the  disciples  affec- 
 Ibid.  8.  tionately  reply :  The  Jeius  tuere  hut  noiu  seeking  to  stone 
 Thee ;  and  goest  Thou  thither  again  ?  And  when  Christ 
 is  on  the  point  of  starting,  and  urgently  tells  them  that 
 He  must  certainly  return  to  the  country  of  the  Jews, 
 Ibid.  16.  Thovias,  toho  is  called  Didymus,  said  unto  his  felloiu- 
 disciples,  Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with  Him.  I 
 believe  that  Peter's  object  in  speaking  is  pregnant  with 
 some  similar  idea.  For  he  thinks,  perhaps,  as  I  said 
 just  now,  that  Jesus  is  on  the  eve  of  departing  to  preach 
 somewhere  else  among  people  at  whose  hands  He  will 
 be  exposed  to  danger.  Therefore  he  himself  also,  in  his 
 uncontrollable  affection  for  Christ,  declares  that  his  zeal 
 now  to  defend  his  Master  will  be  invincible  and  irre- 
 sistible, meaning  that  there  is  nothing  left  in  the  world 
 that  is  strong  enough  to  check  his  devotion,  now  that 
 he  has  convinced  himself  that  he  must  follow  Christ, 
 seeing  that  he  is  ready  and  willing  even  to  die  in  his 
 Master's  cause. 
 
Christ's  consideration  for  Peter.  229 
 
 38     Jesus  answereth,    Wilt    thou  lay  cloion    thy   life  for  Me  ?  o.xiii.38. 
 Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  The  cock  shall  not  crow,  till 
 thou  hast  denied  Me  thrice. 
 
 Wonderful  as  the  zeal  of  Peter  in  this  matter  may  be, 
 his  promises  are  beyond  his  power  to  fulfil :  Christ,  how- 
 ever, with  the  gloom  of  the  threatening  tempest  in  His 
 mind,  knowing  well  how  severe  will  be  the  temptation 
 and  how  bitter  the  persecution,  seems  as  it  were  to  shake 
 His  head  in  sorrow ;  and  then,  unfolding  to  Himself  the 
 whole  extent  of  His  sufferings,  as  though  it  were  present 
 to  His  bodily  eyes,  beholding  th,e  surpassing  fury  of  the 
 Jews  in  their  madness,  and  seeing  clearly  all  that  will 
 come  to  pass  in  that  hour.  He  exclaims  as  though  to 
 say :  "  Dost  thou,  O  Peter,  lay  down  thy  life  for  Me,  and 
 sayest  thou  that  thy  fear  in  this  matter  is  as  nothing? 
 and  supposest  thou  that  thou  wilt  be  strong  enough  to 
 overcome  the  trials  that  will  encompass  thee  ?  Nay,  thou 
 knowest  not  the  grievous  weight  of  the  coming  tempta- 
 tion, for  the  suffering  that  lies  before  thee  is  beyond  thy 
 strength  to  endure:  thy  heart  shall  fail  thee  utterly, 
 even  though  thou  wouldst  not  have  it  so :  thrice  shalt 
 thou  deny  Me,  and  that  too  in  one  single  night."  We 
 must  surmise  that  Jesus  means  to  speak  somewhat  to 
 this  effect:  yet  herein  again  it  is  fitting  that  we  should 
 admire  the  kindness  to  mankind  that  appeared  in 
 Him :  for  having  predicted  that  the  strength  of  Peter's 
 courage  will  not  be  commensurate  with  the  tone  of 
 his  zealous  assertions,  but  will  fail  and  flag  so  utterly 
 as  to  yield  at  the  mere  alarm  of  a  coming  danger,  He 
 added  not  one  single  word  of  threatening ;  ^  perhaps 
 for  this  reason,  that  Peter  had  not  spoken  under  any 
 Divine  impulse :  at  all  events,  for  some  reason  or  other 
 He  does  not  hold  out  any  threat  of  chastisement 
 against  one  who  suffered  from  human  infirmities.  For 
 He  knew  that  the  nature  of  man  was  as  yet  enfeebled, 
 
 <^  From  this  place  to  the  end  of  the  period  the  original  is  obscure,  partly 
 owing  to  a  lacuna  in  the  manuscripts. 
 
230  We  should  avoid  rash  votvs. 
 
 Book  9.  and  unable  to  endure  the  threat  of  death.  Death  had 
 c.  X111.38.  j^Q^  yet  been  deprived  of  its  power  through  His  resur- 
 rection, and  was  still  boastfully  vaunting  against  the 
 mind  of  all  men,  still  strong  enough  to  crush,  even  by 
 fear  and  that  alone,  the  hardiest  and  bravest  of  heroes. 
 For  human  nature,  being  unnaturally  subjected  to  death, 
 yields  to  death  as  to  a  conquering  power,  or  rather  used 
 to  yield  at  that  time:  but  now  that  our  Saviour  has 
 burst  its  bonds,  the  approach  of  death  is  delightful  to 
 those  who  love  Christ,  even  though  it  come  in  bitterness 
 and  pain.  For  the  everlasting  life  has  arisen  in  its 
 stead,  destroying  the  power  of  corruption. 
 
 And  let  no  one  here  again  imagine  that  Peter's  denial 
 and  failure  were  caused  by  the  words  of  Christ.  He  is 
 not  speaking  by  way  of  imposing  any  obligation  on  the 
 disciple,  or  drawing  him  on  by  constraint  to  the  suffer- 
 ings of  which  He  speaks ;  but  rather  He  means  to  predict 
 to  His  disciple  exactly  what  as  God  He  knows  will  most 
 surely  and  certainly  come  to  pass. 
 1  Cor.  X.  But  seeing  that  all  that  happened  to  the  men  of  former 
 ^^'  times  has  been  written  for  the  admonition  of  those  who 
 
 live  after  them,  let  us  now  say  somewhat  necessary  to 
 our  edification,  drawing  our  conclusions  from  this  passage. 
 I  do  not  think  that  we  ought  to  make  any  rash  vows 
 before  God,  or  to  promise  to  perform  what  may  sometimes 
 be  beyond  our  power,  as  though  we  could  control  human 
 events.  And  I  say  this  in  regard  to  the  charges  to  which 
 we  render  ourselves  liable  in  case  of  failure :  especially 
 I  consider  that  hasty  statements,  such  as  "I  will  do  this," 
 or,  "I  will  do  that,"  as  the  case  may  be,  are  not  far 
 removed  from  arrogance.  For  in  all  cases  where  one  may 
 have  deliberately  determined  to  undertake  any  matter, 
 wishing  to  carry  it  out  successfully,  one's  duty  is  always 
 s.  James  to  use  those  words  of  the  very  wise  disciple :  If  the  Lord 
 ^^'  ivill,  and  tue  live.    For  while  I  maintain  that  a  zeal  for 
 
 good  works  must  be  inherent  in  the  souls  of  the  godly, 
 as  well  as  eager  willingness  to  carry  these  virtuous  re- 
 solves with  all  our  might  into  effect,  yet  our  duty  is  to 
 
The  disciples  doubt  their  own  strength.        231 
 
 pray  for  the  successful  means  of  gaining  this  end  through  c.  xiv.  i, 
 the  gracious  blessing  that  is  from  above,  and  not  to  make 
 rash  promises  as  though  success  lay  already  in  our  own 
 grasp.     Thus  we  shall  be  able  to  keep  unbroken  our 
 promises  to  God  of  all  that  is  good,  and  we  shall  have 
 "  our  feet  clear  "  of  blame,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  ^sch. 
 Greek  poet.     And  on  other  authority :  Better  is  it  not  to  P-"^-263. 
 ^  ^j         *  .1        *  Eccl.v.4. 
 
 vow  to  any,  than  to  vow  and  not  pay. 
 
 Chap.  xiv.     Let  not  your  heart  he  troubled. 
 
 By  saying  that  Peter's  courage  will  fail  him  so  utterly 
 that  he  will  deny  his  Master  thrice,  and  will  suffer  so  sad 
 a  downfall  in  one  single  night.  He  almost  seems  by  the 
 overwhelming  weight  of  His  words  to  arouse  in  the  dis- 
 ciples the  extremity  of  terror  at  the  dangers  before  them. 
 Whence  it  may  very  well  have  happened  that  the  other 
 disciples  began  at  once  to  reason  with  one  another,  saying: 
 "  What  can  be  the  nature,  the  extent,  or  the  exceeding 
 heaviness  of  that  dread  of  coming  troubles,  and  of  that 
 temptation  so  irresistible  as  to  attack  the  chief  among 
 us  and  overcome  him,  not  once  only,  but  many  times  by 
 the  same  assault,  and  that  within  so  brief  a  space  of  time  ? 
 Surely,  who  among  us  will  escape  a  yet  worse  plight,  or 
 how  can  any  other  among  us  withstand  such  an  attack, 
 when  Peter  wavers  and  yields  as  of  necessity  to  the  griev- 
 ous weight  of  the  trials  that  beset  him  ?  Vainly  it  seems 
 have  we  endured  toils  for  the  sake  of  our  duty  in  follow- 
 ing Him:  our  efforts  are  ending  only  in  the  exhaustion 
 of  our  vital  powers,  though  they  seemed  to  hold  out  to 
 us  a  prospect  of  life  with  God."  There  is  surely  nothing 
 improbable  in  supposing  that  the  disciples  were  thus 
 reasoning  in  their  inmost  thoughts:  and  since  it  was  needful 
 to  restore  again  their  drooping  spirits,  He  introduces  as 
 it  were  the  necessary  antidote  to  the  reasonings  and  fears 
 that  His  words  had  aroused,  and  bids  them  arm  them- 
 selves with  a  calm  and  untroubled  spirit,  saying  to  them  : 
 Let  not  your  heart  he  troubled.  Notice,  however,  in  how 
 guarded  a  manner  He  promises  them  the  forgiveness  of 
 
233  Christ  infuses  due  confidence. 
 
 Book  9.  their  coming  feebleness  of  spirit.  He  does  not  say  plainly : 
 c.  XIV.  1.  uj  ^-^Yl  forgive  you  even  in  spite  of  your  weakness,"  or, 
 "I  will  be  present  with  you  none  the  less,  although  you 
 deny  Me  and  forsake  Me  ;"  His  object  therein  being,  not 
 to  completely  remove  their  fears  of  shame,  or  completely 
 take  away  theii*  suspicions  of  failure,  lest  He  should  seem 
 to  make  out  their  error  to  be  a  light  matter  and  teach 
 them  to  regard  as  of  no  account  the  blame  they  would 
 incur  in  their  denial  of  Him.  But  in  bidding  them  not 
 be  troubled,  He  placed  them  as  it  were  on  the  border- 
 land betwixt  hope  and  fear:  so  that,  if  they  fell  into 
 weakness  and  suffering  in  their  human  frailty,  the  hope 
 of  His  clemency  might  help  them  to  recovery  ;  Avhile  the 
 fear  of  stumbling  might  urge  them  to  fall  but  seldom, 
 since  they  had  not  yet  been  endowed  with  the  power 
 never  to  fail  at  all,  not  having  as  yet  been  clothed  with 
 s.  Luke  the  power  from  above,  from  on  high,  I  mean  the  grace 
 ^^^'  ■  that  comes  through  the  Spirit.  He  bids  them  therefore 
 not  to  be  troubled,  teaching  them  at  once  that  it  was 
 fitting  that  those  who  were  prepared  for  the  conflict,  and 
 ready  to  enter  on  the  struggles  for  the  sake  of  the  glory 
 that  is  on  high,  should  be  altogether  superior  to  feelings 
 of  cowardice:  for  an  untroubled  mind  is  a  great  help 
 towards  a  courageous  temper:  at  the  same  time,  with 
 somewhat  obscure  and  not  very  distinct  intimations,  yet 
 certainly,  sowing  the  seed  of  a  germinant  hope  of  for- 
 giveness, if  ever  it  should  really  happen  to  them  in  their 
 human  weakness  to  fall  away  into  cowardice.  For  a 
 mind  that  is  not  yet  stablished  by  the  grace  that  comes 
 from  above  is  timid  and  easily  upset,  and  very  apt  to  be 
 disturbed.  For  this  reason  also  surely  the  very  wise 
 Paul  prays  for  certain  to  whom  he  is  writing,  in  the 
 Phil.iv.7.  words  :  And  the  peace  of  Christ,  tvhich  passeth  cdl  under- 
 standing, shall  guard  your  hearts.  For  this  is  in  reality 
 to  be  untroubled  in  heart. 
 
 Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  3Ie. 
 He  is  making  an  able  soldier  out  of  one  who  but  now 
 
Faith  protects  in  temptation.  233 
 
 was  a  coward,  and  while  the  disciples  were  smarting  with  c.  xiv.  i. 
 the  anxieties  of  fear  He  bids  them  take  to  themselves  the 
 terrible  power  of  faith.  For  thus  are  we  safe,  and  not 
 otherwise,  according  surely  to  the  song  of  the  Psalmist : 
 The  Lord  is  my  illumination  and  my  saviour ;  tvhom  Ps.  xxvii, 
 shall  I  fear?  The  Lord  is  the  shield  of  my  life  ;  of  tuhom  /^.^  ^ 
 shall  I  he  afraid  ?  For  if  the  all-powerful  God  fights  for  LXX.) 
 us  and  shields  us,  who  could  ever  have  power  to  harm 
 us  ■?  And  who  will  by  any  chance  advance  to  such  a 
 height  of  power  as  to  keep  the  elect  in  subjection  to  him, 
 and  to  force  them  to  submit  to  the  evil  designs  of  his 
 perverse  imagination?  Or  who  could  take  by  his  spear 
 and  lead  captive  those  that  wear  the  panoply  of  God  ? 
 Faith  therefore  is  a  weapon  whose  blade  is  stout  and 
 broad,  that  drives  away  all  cowardice  that  may  spring 
 from  expectation  of  coming  suffering,  and  that  renders 
 the  darts  of  evil-doers  utterly  void  of  effect  and  utterly 
 profitless  of  success  in  their  temptations.  And  this  being 
 the  nature  of  faith,  we  must  further  notice  another  point : 
 Christ  bade  them  believe  not  in  God  alone,  but  also  on 
 Himself,  not  implying  thereby  that  He  is  at  all  difierent 
 from  the  One  Who  is  in  His  nature  God,  I  mean  as 
 regards  identity  of  essence  ;  but  that  to  believe  in  God 
 and  to  suppose  that  the  province  of  faith  must  be  wholly 
 bound  up  in  this  one  phrase,  is  rather  a  peculiar  charac- 
 teristic of  the  Jewish  imagination,  whereas  the  inclusion 
 of  the  name  of  the  Son  within  the  compass  of  faith  in 
 God  indicates  the  acceptance  of  an  injunction  of  evange- 
 lic preaching.  For  those  at  least  who  are  rightly  minded 
 must  believe  in  God  the  Father,  and  not  merely  in  the 
 Son,  but  also  in  the  fact  of  His  Incarnation,  and  in  the 
 Holy  Ghost.  For  the  Persons  of  the  Holy  and  Consub- 
 stantial  Trinity  are  distinguished  both  by  difference  of 
 names  and  by  the  peculiar  qualities  and  special  offices 
 of  each:  for  the  Father  is  Father  and  not  Son,  the  Son 
 again  is  Son  and  not  Father,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the 
 Spirit  peculiar  to  the  Godhead.  And  yet  the  Trinity  is 
 summed  up  into  a  common  Unity  of  Essence,  so  that  our 
 
234  Nuhive  of  Faith  in  the  Holy  Trinity. 
 
 Book  9.  Creed  gives  us  not  three  Gods,  but  one  God.  Still,  I 
 c.  XIV.  1.  ij^aintain  that  we  must  preserve  accurately  the  definitions 
 of  our  faith,  not  content  with  saying  "  We  believe  in 
 God,"  but  fully  explaining  our  confession,  and  attaching 
 to  each  Person  the  same  measure  of  glory.  For  in  our 
 minds  there  should  be  no  difference  as  to  the  intensity  of 
 our  faith:  our  faith  in  the  Father  is  not  to  be  greater 
 than  our  faith  in  the  Son,  or  even  than  our  faith  in  the 
 Holy  Ghost.  But  one  and  the  same  is  the  extent  and 
 the  manner  of  our  confession,  uttered  in  regard  to  each  of 
 the  three  Persons  with  the  same  measure  of  faith ;  in 
 such  a  way  that  herein  again  the  Holy  Trinity  may 
 appear  in  Unity  of  nature,  so  that  the  glory  that  en- 
 circles It  may  be  seen  in  unchallenged  perfection,  and 
 our  souls  may  display  our  faith  in  the  Father  and  in 
 the  Son,  even  in  His  Incarnation,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 And  I  believe  no  man,  if  he  were  wise,  would  make 
 any  distinction  between  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Temple 
 formed  from  the  virgin,  at  least  as  regards  the  question 
 iCor.viii.  of  sonship ;  for  there  is  One  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  accord- 
 ^'  ing  to  the  saying  of  Paul.      But   let  him  who  would 
 
 sever  into  two  sons  Him  Who  is  One  and  One  alone, 
 know  surely  that  he  is  denying  the  faith.  The  inspired 
 Paul,  for  instance,  in  working  out  very  excellently  and 
 accurately  the  doctrine  on  this  point,  would  have  us 
 confess  our  belief  not  simply  in  Christ  as  the  Only- 
 begotten,  but  also  in  Him  as  made  like  unto  us,  that  is, 
 made  man,  and  as  having  both  died  and  risen  again  from 
 Rom.  X.  the  dead.  For  what  does  he  say  ■?  The  luord  is  nigh  thee, 
 in  thy  tnouth,  and  in  thy  heart :  that  is,  the  word  of  faith, 
 which  we  pi^each :  that  if  thou  shalt  say  tvith  thy  mouth, 
 Jesus  is  Lord,  and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that  God 
 raised  Him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  he  saved :  for  with 
 the  heart  man  helieveth  unto  righteousness ;  and  tvith  the 
 mouth  confession  is  made  unto  salvation.  Now  if  we 
 believe  on  the  Son  as  having  risen  again,  who  was  He 
 that  died  so  that  He  might  rise  again  ?  But  it  is  evident 
 that  He  is  reckoned  to  have  died  according  to  the  flesh. 
 
The  retuard  of  endurance.  235 
 
 For  His  own  body  was  imprisoned  in  the  bonds  of  death,  c.xiv.2,3. 
 and  restored  to  life  again :  for  it  was  a  body  that  shared 
 in  our  natural  life,  though  containing  in  itself  in  full 
 perfection  that  peculiar  indwelling  power  so  mysteriously 
 united  to  it,  namely  an  energy  capable  of  bestowing  life. 
 Whensoever  therefore  any  one  shall  sever  these  two 
 natures,  and  in  separating  the  flesh  from  Him  Who 
 corporeally  dwelt  therein  shall  dare  to  speak  of  two  sons, 
 let  him  know  that  he  is  believing  on  the  flesh  alone.  For 
 the  Divine  Scriptures  teach  us  to  believe  on  Him  Who 
 was  crucified  and  died  and  rose  again  from  the  dead,  as 
 being  no  other  than  the  Word  of  God  Himself;  not  so 
 much  in  regard  to  identity  of  essence,  for  the  body  of 
 Christ  is  body  and  not  Word,  though  it  be  the  body  of 
 the  Word ;  but  rather  in  respect  of  veritable  sonship. 
 And  if  any  one  were  to  think  that  herein  we  are  not 
 speaking  with  all  possible  accuracy,  he  would  have  to 
 come  forward  and  show  us  the  Word  Who  is  from  God 
 dead  as  regards  His  Divine  nature,  a  thing  which  it  is 
 impossible  or  rather  impious  even  to  conceive. 
 
 2  In  My  Father's  Jiouse  are  many  mansions;  if  it  were  not  so, 
 I  would  have  told  you;  for  I  go  to  2)'repare  a  2)lace  for  you. 
 
 3  And  if  I  go  and  pre2)are  a  jylace  for  you,  I  come  again,  and 
 will  receive  you  with  Myself;  tJtat  wliere  I  am,  tlvere  ye  may 
 he  also. 
 
 Having  forcibly  enjoined  upon  them  that  they  ought 
 not  to  be  troubled,  and  having  bidden  them  rather  believe 
 both  in  God  the  Father  and  in  Himself,  He  now  tells  them 
 plainly  as  an  encouragement  to  them  to  shake  off  their 
 feebleness  of  mind,  that  they  shall  not  be  excluded  from 
 the  holy  courts,  but  shall  be  made  to  dwell  in  the  man- 
 sions above,  living  their  eternal  life  in  the  Church  of  the 
 Firstborn,  in  the  enjoyment  of  bliss  unending.  He  says 
 moreover  that  in  His  Father  s  house  are  many  mansions, 
 teaching  them  thereby  that  heaven  is  wide  enough  for 
 all,  and  that  the  world  He  has  created  needs  no  enlarge- 
 ment at  all  to  make  it  capable  of  containing  those  who 
 
236  Christ  first  entered  heaven, 
 
 Book  0.  lovo  Him.    And  it  seems  likely  that  in  speaking  of  the 
 ^•^^^-'  •  ommy  mansions  He  wishes  also  to  indicate  the  different 
 grades  of  honour,  implying  that  each  one  who  desires  to 
 live  a  life  of  virtue  will  receive  as  it  were  his  own  pecu- 
 liar place,  and  the  glory  that  is  suitable  to  his  own  indi- 
 vidual acts.    Therefore  if  the  mansions  in  God  the  Father' s 
 home  had  not  been  many  in  number.  He  would  have  said 
 that  He  was  going  on  before  them,  namely  to  prepare 
 beforehand  the  habitations  of  the  saints :  but  knowing 
 that  there  are  many  such,  already  fully  prepared  and 
 awaiting  the  arrival  of  those  who  love  God,  He  says  that 
 He  will  depart  not  for  this  purpose,  but  for  the  sake  of 
 securing  the  way  to  the  mansions  above,  to  prepare  a 
 passage  of  safety  for  you,  and  to  smooth  the  path  that 
 was  impassable  in  old  time.    For  heaven  was  then  utterly 
 inaccessible  to  mortal  man,  and  no  flesh  as  yet  had  ever 
 trodden  that  pure  and  all-holy  realm  of  the  angels ;  but 
 Christ  was  the  first  Who  consecrated  for  us  the  means  of 
 access  to  Himself,  and  granted  to  flesh  a  way  of  entrance 
 into  heaven ;  presenting  Himself  as  an  offering  to  God 
 1  Cor.  XV.  the  Father,  as  it  were  the  firstfruits  of  them  that  are 
 asleep  and  are  lying  in  the  tomb,  and  the  first  of  man- 
 kind that  ever  appeared  in  heaven.    Therefore  also  it  was 
 that  the  angels  in  heaven,  knowing  nothing  of  the  august 
 and  stupendous  mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  were  aston- 
 ished in  wonder  at  His  coming,  and  exclaim  almost  in 
 Is.lxiii.i.  perplexity  at  the  strange  and  unusual  event:  Who  is  this 
 that  Cometh  from  Edam  ?  that  is,  from  the  earth.    But  the 
 Spirit  did  not  leave  the  host  above  uninstructed  in  the 
 marvellous  wisdom  of  God  the  Father,  but  bade  them 
 rather  open  the  heavenly  gates  in  honour  to  the  King  and 
 Ps.  xxiv.  Master  of  all,  proclaiming  :  Lift  uj)  the  gates,  0  ye  princes, 
 txxiii.  7.  ttnc?  he  ye  lift  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the  King  of 
 LXX.)     Glory  shall  come  in.    Therefore  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ 
 Heb.  X.    consecrated  for  us  a  neiv  and  living  luay,  as  Paul  says  ; 
 ■    .      not  having  entered  into  a  holy  place  made  tuith  hands, 
 24.  hut  into  heaven  itself,  noiv  to  appear  hefore  the  face  of 
 
 God  for  us.     For  it  is  not  that  He  may  present  Himself 
 
that  we  'might  folloiv.  237 
 
 before  the  presence  of  God  the  Father  that  Christ  has  c.xiv.2,3. 
 ascended  up  on  high :  for  He  ever  was  and  is  and  will 
 be  continually  in  the  Father,  in  the  sight  of  Him  Who 
 begat  Him,  for  He  it  is  in  Whom  the  Father  ever  takes  Cf.  Prov. 
 delight :  but  now  He  Who  of  old  was  the  Word  with  no  """'•  ^^• 
 part  or  lot  in  human  nature,  has  ascended  in  human  form 
 that  He  may  appear  in  heaven   in   a  strange  and  un- 
 wonted manner.     And  this  He  has  done  on  our  account 
 and  for  our  sakes,  in  order  that  He,  though  found  as  a  Phil.ii.8. 
 man,  may  still  in  His  absolute  power  as  Son,  while  yet 
 in  human  form,  obey  the  command :    Sit  Thou  on  My  Ps.  ex.  1. 
 right  hand,  and  so  may  transfer  the  glory  of  adoption 
 through  Himself  to  all  the  race.     For  in  that  He  has 
 appeared  in  human  form  He  is  still  one  of  us  as  He  sits 
 at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father,  even  though  He  is 
 far  above  all  creation ;   and  He  is   also  Consubstantial 
 with  His  Father,  in  that  He  has  come  forth  from  Him 
 as  truly  God  of  God  and  Light  of  Light.     He  has  pre- 
 sented Himself  therefore  as  Man  to  the  Father  on  our 
 behalf,  that  so  He  may  restore  us,  who  had  been  removed 
 from  the  Father's  presence  by  the  ancient  transgression, 
 again  as  it  were  to  behold  the  Father's  face.    He  sits 
 there  in  His  position  as  Son,  that  so  also  we  through 
 Him  may  be  called  sons  and  children  of  God.     For  this 
 reason  also  Paul,  who  insists  that  he  has  Christ  speaking  2  Cor. 
 by  his  voice,  teaches  us  to  regard  the  events  that  hap-  ^"^'    " 
 pened  in  the  life  of  Christ  alone  as  common  to  the  whole 
 race  ;  saying  that  God  raised  us  up  tuith  Him,  and  made  Eph.ii.  6. 
 us  to  sit  with  Him  in  the  heavenly  places,  in  Christ. 
 For  to  Christ,  as  by  nature  Son,  it  belongs  as  a  special 
 prerogative  to  sit  at  the  Father's  side,  and  the  glory  of 
 this  dignity  we  can  ascribe  rightly  and  truly  to  Him,  and 
 Him  alone.     But  the  fact  that  Christ  Who  sits  there  is 
 in  all  points  like  unto  us,  in  that  He  has  appeared  as 
 Man,  while  we  believe  Him  to  be  God  of  God,  seems  to 
 confer  on  us  also  the  privilege  of  this  dignity.    For  even 
 if  we  shall  not  sit  at  the  side  of  the  Father  Himself, — 
 for  how  could  the  servant  ever  ascend  to  equal  honour 
 
238  We  shall  thus  join  the  mi  gels. 
 
 Book  9.  with  the  master  ? — yet  nevertheless  Christ  promised  the 
 c.  XIV.  4.  j^^jy  disciples  that  they  should  sit  on  thrones.  For  He 
 s.  Matt,  says :  When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of 
 XIX,  28.  jj^^  gloiy,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging 
 the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 
 
 "  I  shall  not  then,"  He  says,  "  depart  to  prepare  man- 
 sions for  you,  for  many  there  are  already,  and  to  make 
 new  habitations  for  creation  is  needless  ;  but  I  go  to  make 
 ready  a  place  for  you  on  account  of  the  sin  that  has 
 mastery  over  you,  that  so  those  who  are  on  the  earth 
 may  be  able  to  be  mingled  with  the  holy  angels  ;  for  else 
 the  saintly  multitude  of  those  above  would  never  have 
 mingled  with  those  who  had  been  so  defiled.  But  now, 
 when  I  shall  have  accomplished  this  work,  and  united 
 the  world  below  to  the  world  above,  and  given  you  a 
 path  of  access  to  the  city  on  high,  I  will  return  again  at 
 the  time  of  the  regeneration,  and  receive  you^iuith  Myself; 
 that  where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also."  And  this  is  also 
 in  the  mind  of  Paul,  when  he  thus  writes  in  his  own 
 1  Thess.  letter :  For  this  we  say  unto  you  by  the  ward  of  the  Lord, 
 ~  that  lue  that  are  alive,  that  are  left  unto  the  coining  of 
 the  Lord,  shall  in  no  wise  precede  them  that  are  fallen 
 asleep.  For  the  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from  heaven, 
 with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with 
 the  trump  of  God:  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
 first :  then  we  that  are  alive,  that  are  left,  shall  together 
 with  them  be  caught  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 the  air :  and  so  shall  tue  ever  be  ivith  the  Lord. 
 
 4     And  whither  I  go  ye  know,  and  the  way  ye  know. 
 
 "  I  Myself,"  He  seems  to  say,  "  am  going  on  before  to 
 make  ready  for  you  the  path  of  entrance  into  the  heavens : 
 but  if  you  wish,  and  if  it  is  the  delight  of  your  heart,  to 
 rest  within  those  mansions,  and  if  you  have  devoted  all 
 your  endeavours  to  reach  the  city  above  and  to  dwell  in  the 
 
 ^  Reading  /^«t'  ifuxvTcv  instead  of  Mr.  Pusey's  utO'  tavTov. 
 
Jesus  is  the  Way.  239 
 
 company  of  the  holy  spirits,  then  ye  hnoiu  the  ivay,  which  c.  xiv.  4, 
 is  Myself ;  for  assuredly  through  Me,,  and  none  other,  will 
 you  gain  that  blessing  so   marvellous.     No  other  will 
 ever  open  the  heavens  to  you,  or  ever  smooth  for  you 
 the  ground  that  none  on  earth  could  hitherto  ever  tread 
 or  ever  know,  except  Myself  alone."     And  the  saying- 
 is  true.     Therefore  surely  it  was  that  the  prophet  Jere- 
 miah, speaking  by  the  Spirit,  bade  us   ever  seek  this 
 way  most  diligently,  saying :  Stand  ye  in  the  ways,  and  Jer.  vi. 
 ask  for  the  everlasting  paths  of  the  Lord,  and  see  what  (lxx.) 
 is  the  good  way,  and  walk  therein ;  and  ye  shall  find 
 sanctijication  to  your  souls.     For  the  ^vays  and  2^<''iths 
 of  the  Lord  are,  according  to  the  prophet,  the  saving 
 precepts  of  the  holy  prophets  ;   but  if  any  one   devote 
 his  mind  to  them,  he  will  find  the  Good  Way,  that  is, 
 Christ,  through  Whom  cometh  the  perfect  sanctijication 
 to  our  souls:  for  we  are  justified  by  faith,  and  are  made 
 pa7'takers  of  the  Divine  natv.re  by  sharing  in  the  gift  of  2  s.  Pet. 
 the  Holy  Spirit.    Nay,  more,  Isaiah  himself,  that  prophet 
 of  mighty-sounding  voice,  thus  heralded  forth  to  us  the 
 coming  of  Christ,  saying :  There  shall  be  in  that  time  an  is.  xxxv. 
 undejiled  way,  and  it  shall  he  called  a  holy  way  ;  where   '^        '' 
 by  the  phrase  "  in  that  time  "  he  clearly  means  to  speak 
 of  the  time  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Only-begotten : 
 for  He  has  made  Himself  for  us  an  Undejiled  and  Holy 
 Way,  along  which  whosoever  shall  travel  will  at  the 
 appointed  season  behold  the  fair  brightness  of  the  city 
 of  the  saints,  and  the  Jerusalem  which  is  free.     And  Gal.  iv. 
 again,  the  inspired  Psalmist  himself  says  to  us,  addressing     ' 
 himself  as  to  God  the  Father :  Teach  me,  0  Lord,  in  Thy  Ps.  xxvii. 
 way :  for  he  is  desirous  to  be  instructed  in  the  laws  that  (^^^  ^ 
 are  given  by  Christ,  as  one  who  is  not  unaware  that  he  LXX.) 
 will  travel  onward  even  to  the  city  above,  if  led  by  the 
 Evangehc  teaching,  journeying  straight  towards  every 
 blessing.    And  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  bring  forward 
 also  many  other  testimonies  out  of  the  prophets,  from 
 which  we  might  know  assuredly  that  Jesus  was  called 
 by  them  the  holy  "  Way  "  ;  but  I  consider  that  there  is 
 
240  We  must  not  reject  Chi^ist —the  Way. 
 
 Book  0.  DO  necessity  for  laying  excessive  stress  on  arguments 
 c-  XIV.  4.  -^ijQge  effective  use  is  so  self-evident.  "  Ye  know  there- 
 fore," He  says,  "  the  way  by  which  you  yourselves  also 
 may  pass  to  the  mansions  above ; "  signifying  thereby 
 just  this,  and  nothing  else:  "There  are  indeed  resting- 
 places  in  God  the  Father's  home,  many  and  glorious ; 
 and  I  am  going  on  before  you  to  prepare  for  you  a 
 means  of  access  whereby  you  may  in  all  boldness  enter 
 the  regions  yonder.  But  be  well  assured  that  no  man 
 would  ever  be  able  to  reach  those  courts  save  through 
 Me,  and  Me  alone."  If  therefore  any  one  fall  away  from 
 the  love  of  Christ,  or  (giving  way  to  profane  babblings 
 and  to  impure  and  unnatural  suggestions  on  the  part  of 
 men  whose  hearts  are  set  on  false  slanders)  venture  to 
 degrade  to  the  condition  of  slavery  His  nature  so  in- 
 effable and  incomprehensible,  numbeiing  among  those 
 born  in  the  world  Him  Who  is  the  Word  begotten  of 
 the  Father's  essence  in  perfect  freedom,  or  having  any 
 like  base  thoughts  ;  let  that  man  be  well  assured  that 
 he  has  lost  the  track  of  the  journey  to  heaven  above,  and 
 that  he  has  been  "  deceived  as  to  the  waggon-wheels  of 
 his  own  farm,"  according  to  the  saying  of  some  one,  and 
 will  most  certainly  undergo  the  penalties  that  are  merited 
 by  those  who  cling  to  the  world  below.  Therefore  also 
 the  most  wise  Paul  says  of  those  who  in  madness  have 
 refused  to  order  their  lives  in  the  manner  of  Christ, 
 rushing  back  to  the  shadows  of  the  law,  that  they  have 
 Gal.  V.  4.  been  alienated  from  Christ,  and  have  fallen  from  grace 
 in  their  desire  to  be  justified  by  the  latu.  For  even  as 
 he  who  strays  from  the  direct  and  beaten  path  will 
 certainly  be  exposed  to  the  disastrous  consequences  of 
 his  wandering,  just  so  methinks  and  in  the  same  degree 
 will  they  who  have  rejected  the  righteousness  that  is 
 in  Christ,  and  have  set  at  nought  the  teaching  of  the 
 Evangelic  dispensation,  never  see  the  city  above,  and 
 never  dwell  with  the  saints.  For  Christ  alone  is  the 
 Way  that  can  bring  them  thither. 
 
Christ  selects  His  appellations.  241 
 
 c.  xi 
 5,(3. 
 
 5  Thomas  saith  unto  Him,  We  Jcnow  not  whither  Thou  goest, 
 
 6  and  how  know  we  tlie  way  ?  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  I  am 
 the  Way,  and  the  Truth,  and  the  Life :  no  one  cometh  unto 
 tJie  Father,  but  by  Me. 
 
 Christ  willed  not  as  yet  to  tell  His  disciples  in  so 
 many  words  that  He  was  going  away  to  the  world 
 above  and  returning  to  His  Father,  although  in  dark 
 hints  and  through  many  impressive  sayings  He  had 
 been  referring  to  the  event.  But  one  of  His  disciples, 
 that  one  being  Thomas,  now  questions  Him  directly, 
 and  by  introducing  at  the  same  time  a  sort  of  argument, 
 all  but  forces  Him  in  spite  of  Himself  to  tell  them 
 plainly  both  whither  it  is  that  He  is  going,  and  where 
 the  path  of  His  journey  lies.  For  we  know  not,  said 
 he,  tvhither  Thou  goest :  so  then,  how  could  tve  know  the 
 tuay  ?  Christ  in  His  reply  evades  the  excessive  curi- 
 osity of  His  disciple,  for  He  does  not  give  the  desired 
 answer  at  all,  but  treasuring  up  the  question  in  His 
 all-knowing  mind,  and  rather  reserving  it  for  a  more 
 convenient  moment,  He  in  His  kindness  unfolds  a  truth 
 which  it  was  essential  for  them  to  learn.  He  says, 
 therefore :  /  am  the  Way,  I  the  Truth,  I  the  Life.  Now 
 as  to  the  truth  of  the  Lord's  saying  in  these  words  con- 
 cerning Himself,  no  reasonable  person  can  ever  have 
 felt  the  slightest  shadow  of  doubt ;  yet  I  conceive  it  is 
 needful  to  examine  the  question  attentively.  For  how 
 comes  it  that,  whereas  in  the  inspired  Scriptures  He  is 
 spoken  of  as  Light,  and  Wisdom,  and  Power,  and  by 
 ftiany  other  names.  He  selects  a  few  only  as  being  of 
 very  especial  significance  for  the  present  occasion,  calling 
 Himself  the  Way,  and  the  Truth,  and  the  Life  ?  For  the 
 real  force  of  the  words  is  deep  and  not  easily  discernible,  as 
 it  seems  to  me ;  yet  still  we  must  not  shrink  from  attempt- 
 ing to  discover  it.  I  shall  say  exactly  what  occurs  to  my 
 own  mind,  commending  to  those  who  are  wont  to  speculate 
 more  keenly  the  task  of  thinking  out  a  higher  meaning. 
 
 VOL.  II.  R 
 
23 
 
 243  How  Christ  is 
 
 Book  9,  There  are  then  three  means  whereby  we  shall  reach 
 5g*^'  the  Divine  courts  that  are  above  and  enter  the  Church 
 Heb.  xii.  of  the  firstbom ;  namely,  by  practice  in  virtue  of  every 
 kind,  by  faith  in  rightness  of  doctrine,  and  by  hope  of 
 life  to  come.  Is  there  any  one  else  than  our  Lord  Jesus 
 the  Christ,  who  could  ever  be  a  leader,  a  helper,  or  a 
 means  for  granting  us  success  in  such  matters  as  these  ? 
 Surely  not :  do  not  think  it.  For  He  Himself  has  taught 
 us  things  that  are  beyond  the  Law ;  He  has  pointed  out 
 to  us  the  way  that  any  one  might  safely  take  as  leading 
 to  a  virtue  mighty  in  operation,  and  to  a  zealous  and 
 unhindered  performance  of  those  acts  that  are  after  the 
 pattern  of  Christ.  And  so  He  Himself  is  the  Truth, 
 He  is  the  Way ;  that  is,  the  true  boundary  of  faith, 
 and  the  exact  rule  and  standard  of  an  unerring  con- 
 ception concerning  God.  For  by  a  true  belief  in  the 
 Son,  namely  as  begotten  of  the  very  essence  of  God  the 
 Father,  and  as  bearing  the  title  of  Son  in  its  fullest  and 
 truest  meaning,  and  not  even  in  any  sense  a  made  or 
 created  being,  we  shall  then  clothe  ourselves  in  the  con- 
 fidence of  a  true  faith.  For  he  who  has  received  the  Son 
 as  a  Son,  has  fully  confessed  a  belief  also  in  Him  of 
 Whose  essence  the  Son  is,  and  knows  and  will  straight- 
 way accept  God  as  the  Father.  Therefore  He  is  the 
 Truth,  He  is  the  Life ;  for  none  other  will  restore  to  us 
 the  life  which  is  within  our  hopes,  namely,  that  life 
 which  is  in  incorruption,  and  blessedness,  and  sanctifica- 
 tion :  for  He  it  is  that  raises  us  up,  and  will  bring  us 
 back  again  from  the  death  we  died  under  the  ancient  curse, 
 to  the  state  in  which  we  were  at  the  beginning.  In  Him 
 therefore  and  through  Him,  all  that  is  best  and  all  thaz 
 is  precious  has  already  appeared,  and  will  appear  for  us. 
 And  notice  again  that  the  meaning  connected  with  these 
 words  is  very  suitable  to  the  idea  involved  in  the  previous 
 verses.  For  while  the  disciple  was  still  in  doubt,  and 
 saying :  Row  knoiv  ive  the  way  ?  He  shewed  him  briefly 
 that  since  they  knew  Himself  to  be  the  motive  cause,  the 
 leader,  and  the  prince  of  the  blessings  that  would  bring 
 
the   Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life.  243 
 
 them  to  the  world  above,  they  would  have  no  further  need  c.  xiv. 
 of  knowing  the  way.  '    " 
 
 But  since  He  has  added  hereunto  the  words :  No  one 
 Cometh  unto  the  Father  hut  by  Me,  let  us  give  some  atten- 
 tion to  this  point  in  what  we  are  about  to  say ;  first 
 examining  the  question  how  one  could  go  to  the  Father. 
 We  approach  Him  in  two  ways  :  either  by  becoming  holy, 
 as  far  as  is  possible  for  humanity,  we  thus  are  led  to  cleave 
 to  a  holy  God,  for  it  is  written :  Ye  shall  he  holy,  for  I  Lev.  xix. 
 am  holy ;  or  else  we  arrive,  through  faith  and  contem- 
 plation, at  that  knowledge  of  the  Father  which  is  as  it 
 were  in  a  mirror  darkly,  as  it  is  written.  But  no  man  iCor.xiii. 
 would  ever  be  holy  and  make  progress  in  a  life  according 
 to  the  rule  of  virtue,  unless  Christ  were  the  guide  of  his 
 footsteps  in  everything :  and  none  would  ever  be  united 
 to  God  the  Father  save  through  the  mediation  of  Christ. 
 For  He  is  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  through  Him- 
 self and  in  Himself  uniting  humanity  to  God.  For  since 
 He  is  born  of  the  essence  of  God  the  Father,  in  that  He 
 is  the  Word,  the  Effulgence,  and  the  very  Image,  He  is 
 one  with  the  Father,  being  wholly  in  the  Father,  and 
 having  the  Father  in  Himself ;  while  in  that  He  has  be- 
 come a  man  like  unto  us.  He  is  united  to  all  on  the  earth 
 in  everything  except  in  our  sin :  and  so  He  has  become 
 a  sort  of  border -ground,  containing  in  Himself  all  that 
 concurs  to  unity  and  friendship. 
 
 No  man  therefore  will  coiine  to  the  Father,  that  is,  will 
 appear  as  a  partaker  of  the  Divine  nature,  save  through 
 Christ  alone.  For  if  He  had  not  become  a  Mediator  by 
 taking  human  form,  our  condition  could  never  have  ad- 
 vanced to  such  a  height  of  blessedness  ;  but  now,  if  any 
 one  approach  the  Father  in  a  spirit  of  faith  and  reverent 
 knowledge,  he  will  do  so,  by  the  help  of  our  Saviour 
 Christ  Himself.  For  even  as  I  said  just  now,  so  I  will 
 say  again,  the  course  of  the  argument  being  in  no  wise 
 different.  By  accepting  the  Son  truly  as  Son  a  man  will 
 arrive  also  at  the  knowledge  of  God  the  Father :  for  one 
 could  not  be  looked  upon  as  a  son,  except  the  father  who 
 
 R  2 
 
244  A  knowledge  of  the  Son 
 
 Book  9.  begat  him  were  fully  acknowledged  at  the  same  time. 
 
 C.  XIV.   /  . 
 
 The  knowledge  of  the  Father  is  thus  necessarily  concur- 
 rent with  belief  in  the  Son,  and  knowledge  of  the  Son 
 with  belief  in  the  Father.  And  so  the  Lord  says  most 
 truly  :  No  man  coineth  unto  the  Father  hut  hy  Me.  For 
 the  Son  is  in  nature  and  essence  an  Image  of  God  the 
 Father,  and  not  (as  some  have  thought)  a  Being  moulded 
 merely  into  His  likeness  by  attributes  specially  bestowed. 
 Himself  being  by  nature  something  essentially  different, 
 and  being  so  esteemed. 
 
 7     Jf  ye  had  knoucn  Me,  ye  would  have  known  My  Father  also. 
 
 Some  may  perchance  say  and  think  that  the  Son  is 
 here  speaking  of  His  own  accord,  and  at  His  own 
 suggestion.  But  it  is  not  so.  For  He  never  uttered  any- 
 thing in  an  uncalled-for,  or  merely  casual  way  ;  though 
 He  does  occasionally  repeat  Himself  in  a  most  instruc- 
 tive manner,  especially  because  of  the  utter  inability  of 
 some  to  follow  His  teaching.  But  in  the  present  in- 
 stance His  words  are  most  profitable  to  us  in  connection 
 with  what  He  had  said  just  before.  For  when  Thomas 
 questioned  Him,  asking :  "  Whither  wilt  Thou  depart ;  or 
 how  can  we  know  the  way,  if  we  know  not  whither  Thou 
 wilt  go  ? "  He  thereupon  answered  him  most  eflfectively 
 Supra  in  the  words  :  /  ar)i  the  Way,  and  the  Life,  and  the 
 Truth  ;  and  again :  No  7)ian  cometh  unto  the  Father  hut 
 by  Me  ;  thereby  shewing  that  if  any  one  willed  to  know 
 the  way  which  would  lead  to  eternal  life,  he  would  strive 
 with  all  diligence  to  know  Christ.  But  since  it  was 
 likely  that  some,  who  had  been  trained  in  Jewish  rather 
 than  in  Evangelic  doctrine,  might  suppose  that  a  con- 
 fession of  faith  in  and  a  knowledge  of  One  Person  only 
 out  of  all  was  sufficient  for  a  right  belief,  and  that  it  was 
 needless  to  learn  the  doctrine  concerning  the  Holy  and 
 Consubstantial  Trinity ;  Christ  seems  to  absolutely  ex- 
 clude those  who  hold  this  opinion  from  a  true  knowledge 
 concerning  God,  unless  they  would  also  accept  Himself. 
 For  it  is  through  the  Son  that  we  must  draw  near  to 
 
 ver.  6. 
 
begets  a  knotvledge  of  the  Father.  245 
 
 God  the  Father.  For  in  a  manner  analogous  to  our  o.  xiv.  7. 
 acceptance  of  the  Offspring,  we  shall  arrive  at  our  belief 
 in  the  Parent  also.  For  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  doubt 
 that  a  belief  in  the  sonship  of  Son,  as  begotten  of  the 
 essence  of  the  Father,  will  certainly  lead  to  a  knowledge 
 of  the  Father. 
 
 According  then  to  the  simpler  and  more  obvious  in- 
 terpretation, He  must  be  supposed  to  have  spoken  with 
 this  meaning:  but  if  any  one  believes  that  He  is  em- 
 ploying subtle  ideas  so  as  to  penetrate  to  the  very  root 
 of  the  whole  matter,  he  will  find  once  more  that  the  Son 
 is  teaching  truth.  The  Divine  Nature,  indeed,  is  utterly 
 incomprehensible  by  any  human  intellect ;  and  to  claim 
 for  oneself  to  have  fully  discovered  Who  and  What  in 
 very  essence  the  Creator  of  the  universe  is,  would  in- 
 volve a  display  of  absolute  folly.  Still,  it  is  not  im- 
 possible for  us,  though  in  a  shadowy  and  uncertain 
 manner,  to  obtain  some  kind  of  knowledge  by  holding 
 up  as  a  mirror  to  our  mind's  eye  the  catalogue  of  Divine 
 attributes  which  are  inherent  by  nature  in  the  Son.  For 
 from  a  knowledge  of  what  Christ  is  in  Himself,  and  of 
 the  works  He  has  wrought  when  He  became  Incarnate 
 as  well  as  before  His  Incarnation,  one  might  afterwards 
 ascend  by  analogous  reasoning  to  a  contemplation  of  the 
 Father  Who  begat  Him.  Behold,  I  pray  thee,  the  glory 
 and  the  power  that  were  His  :  gaze  on  His  authority, 
 that  extended  without  hindrance  over  all.  Tell  me,  is 
 there  anything  conceivable  or  inconceivable  that  He  does 
 not  appear  to  have  achieved  with  perfect  success  at  His 
 own  free  will,  both  before  and  since  His  Incarnation  ? 
 Nay,  more,  He  Who  shewed  Himself  to  us  so  mighty  by 
 the  evidence  of  His  works,  says  expressly :  /  and  the  Supra 
 Father'  are  One,  and :  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  ^' 
 Father.  We  must  therefore,  in  reliance  on  what  we  have  ver.  9. 
 just  quoted,  pass  onward  from  the  Likeness  to  the 
 Archetype,  and  from  the  Very  Image  to  the  full  realisa- 
 tion of  Him  Whom  the  Vei^y  Image  represents.  We  do 
 not  say,  as  some  of  the  heterodox  would  have  us  say, 
 
246  Christ  is  very  God. 
 
 Book  9,  that  the  Son  is  fashioned  after  the  Father's  likeness  by 
 c.  XIV.  7.  jjjgans  of  certain  attributes  bestowed  upon  Him  from 
 without ;  nor  even  would  we  admit,  as  some  in  error 
 suppose,  that  He  is  styled  the  Image  of  God  the  Father 
 as  possessing  His  glory,  His  power,  and  His  wisdom, 
 although  being  Himself  really  of  a  different  nature  :  these 
 are  the  foolish  babblings  of  the  heretics,  sheer  nonsense 
 delicately  veiled,  or  rather  absolute  impiety,  designed 
 according  to  their  unholy  and  ungodly  object  to  over- 
 throw and  destroy  the  doctrine  of  the  Son's  Consub- 
 stantiality  with  the  Father.  But  Christ  is  a  Son  in  very 
 truth,  begotten  ineffably  and  incomprehensibly  of  the 
 essence  of  God  the  Father,  and  as  such  is  the  Very 
 Image  and  Likeness  and  Effulgence  of  Him,  bearing 
 innate  within  Himself  the  proper  characteristics  of  His 
 Father's  essence,  and  possessing  in  all  their  beauty  the 
 attributes  that  are  naturally  the  Father's.  For  we  will 
 not  imitate  the  heretics  in  their  extravagant  madness, 
 and  degrade  our  own  minds  to  such  a  depth  of  foolish- 
 ness as  to  say  that  Christ  in  any  respect  differs  from 
 a  Being  Who  is  in  very  nature  God,  or  to  deny  that  He 
 is  begotten  of  the  essence  of  God  the  Father,  and  so  re- 
 fuse to  attribute  to  Him  the  glory  of  God  ;  neither 
 would  we  allow  that  any  nature  which  was  created  and 
 brought  into  existence  out  of  nothing  could  ever,  without 
 undergoing  change,  be  endowed  with  the  Divine  power 
 and  wisdom,  or  ever  be  such  as  the  Divine  and  ineffable 
 nature  of  God  the  Father  may  be  imagined  to  be.  For 
 else,  what  distinction  could  any  longer  exist  between  the 
 Creator  and  the  creature ;  or  what  could  intervene  or 
 sever,  that  is  to  say,  between  the  thing  made  and  Him 
 Who  made  it,  in  regard  to  identity  and  essence  ?  For  if 
 a  creature  possesses  glory  and  power  and  wisdom 
 exactly  to  the  same  degree  as  God  the  Father,  I  should 
 be  utterly  unable  to  say,  and  I  conceive  the  heretics 
 would  be  in  the  same  perplexity,  wherein  God's  supe- 
 riority can  possibly  consist,  or  how  He  can  be  gi-eater 
 than  we  or  than  His  creature.     Therefore  we  maintain 
 
An  assurance  to  comfort  the  disci'ples.         247 
 
 that  the  Son  is  in  no  wise  fashioned  so  as  to  resemble  c.  xiv.  7. 
 the  Father  by  the  addition  of  attributes  from  without, 
 nor  is  He  like  a  representation  in  a  picture,  adorned  by 
 us  with  merely  ideal  colours  which  gloss  over  and 
 falsely  indicate  the  royal  dignity ;  but  He  is  truly  the 
 Very  Image  and  Likeness  of  His  Father,  displaying  to 
 us  the  Father's  nature  in  clearest  light  by  the  graces 
 that  are  His  own  by  nature.  And  this  is  why  Christ  pro- 
 nounces it  impossible  for  any  to  have  fully  known  the 
 Father  without  first  knowing  Himself,  that  is,  the  Son. 
 
 And  from  henceforth  ye  knoio  Him,  and  have  seen  Him. 
 
 Wonderful,  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  gracious  intention 
 and  the  unspeakably  profound  purpose  that  underlies 
 this  saying  also.  For  after  having  just  said  :  If  ye  had 
 knoum  Me,  ye  would  have  knoiun  My  Father  also,  and 
 seeming  thus  to  reproach  His  disciples  for  their  ignorance 
 of  truths  so  essential,  He  immediately  passes  on  to  com- 
 fort them  with  the  assurance :  From  henceforth  ye  know 
 Him  and  have  seen  Him.  For  since  they  were  destined 
 to  become  rulers  of  the  Churches  throughout  the  world, 
 in  obedience  to  the  Saviour's  commission :  Go  ye  and  S.  Matt. 
 make  disci'ples  of  all  nations,  for  this  reason  above  all  ^^^"^'  • 
 others,  as  I  think.  He  first  utters  a  most  useful  truth  of 
 universal  reference  to  all  time,  that  whosoever  knoweth 
 the  Son  will  most  assuredly  also  know  God  the  Father 
 of  Whom  the  Son  is  begotten ;  and  then  in  His  kindness 
 He  goes  on  to  testify  that  His  disciples  possess  this 
 knowledge :  not  speaking  at  all  by  way  of  compliment, 
 for  He  could  never  utter  aught  but  truth,  but  inasmuch 
 as  they  really  knew  Him  and  had  most  fully  acknow- 
 ledged Him.  For  that  they  knew  and  had  believed  that 
 the  Lord  was  really  Son  of  God  can  by  no  means  be  a 
 matter  of  doubt  to  right-minded  persons.  For  how  came 
 it  that  Nathaniel  the  Israelite,  when  he  heard  Christ  say  : 
 Before  that  Philip  called  thee,  when  thou  tvast  under  the  Supra 
 fig-tree,  I  saw  thee,  immediately  put  forth  his  full  con-  ^-  ^^' 
 fession  of  faith,  saying  :  Rabhi,  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  ibid.  49. 
 
248  The  assurance  ivas  general. 
 
 Book  9.  Thou  art  the  King  of  Israel  t     Moreover,  when  the  sea 
 c.  xiv.  7.  ^a^g  marvellously  and  supernaturally  calmed,  how  was 
 it  that  those  who  were  in  the  ship  worshipped  Him, 
 s.  Matt,  saying:  Truly  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God?     Will  any  one 
 maintain  that  this  saying  was  uttered  by  men  who  did 
 not  know  that  He  was  God  and  begotten  of  God  the 
 Father?    Surely  such  an  one  would  give  a  most  con- 
 vincing proof  of  his  want  of  intelligence.     When,  in  the 
 district  of  Csesarea  Philippi,  they  were  asked  by  Christ 
 ibid.xvi.  Himself:   Who  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  Man  am? 
 did  not  they  first  of  all  give  the   opinions  of  others? 
 Ibid.  14.  Some,   they  say,    think    Thou   art    Elijah,   and    others 
 Jeremiah,  or  one  of  the  'prophets.     But  Who  they  them- 
 selves said  that  He  was,  they  shrank  not  from  telling 
 Him  plainly,  all  speaking  by  the  mouth  of  their  chief. 
 Ibid  16.  and  that  was  Peter,  affirming  positively:  Thou  art  the 
 Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living  God.     Yet  when  Christ 
 says:  //  ye  had  known  Me,  ye  woidd  have  knoiun  My 
 Father  also,  do  not  suppose  that  the  saying  is  uttered 
 entirely  for  the  sake  of  the  disciples:    it  is   rather    a 
 general  declaration  laid  down  for  all,  the  holy  disciples 
 being  taken  as  representatives  of  all  mankind. 
 
 Notice  carefully  then  how  clearly  we  shall  find  that 
 they  have  not  been  ignorant  that  He  is  God  and  the  Son 
 of  God  ;  but  when  He  spoke  of  Himself  as  "  the  Way  "  of 
 God,  then  they  did  not  understand  what  seemed  to  be 
 spoken  enigmatically :  and  this  will  comprise  the  full 
 extent  of  any  charge  of  ignorance  that  can  be  brought 
 against  them.  For  this  reason  surely,  having  briefly  re- 
 futed the  idea  of  their  inability  to  understand  what  was 
 told  them  indirectly,  and  then  grounded  on  this  a  de- 
 claration affecting  all  men,  teaching  plainly  that  whoso- 
 ever knows  not  the  Son  will  also  lose  his  knowledge  of 
 the  Father  ;  He  then  most  justly  testifies  to  the  disciples' 
 knowledge  of  Him,  inasmuch  as  they  had  already  mad« 
 open  confession  of  their  faith :  and  this  He  does  in  the 
 words :  From  henceforth  ye  knoiv  Him  and  have  seen 
 Him.      And  He  uses  the  word  "  henceforth,"  not  with 
 
Christ's  ivorks  coyiveyecl  knoidedge  of  the  Father.  249 
 
 reference  to  that  hour  or  that  day  on  which  He  was  c.  xiv.  7. 
 uttering  His  teaching  on  these  matters :  but  He  uses  the 
 word  in  order  to  contrast  with  the  days  of  the  old  and 
 first  dispensation  the  new  and  recently-arisen  season  of 
 His  own  presence,  whereby  the  knowledge  of  the  Father 
 as  seen  through  the  Son  has  been  made  clearer  for  all 
 men  throughout  the  world.  Therefore  also  in  the  Book 
 of  Psalms,  as  speaking  to  God  the  Father,  He  says :  The  Ps. 
 knowledge  of  Thee  has  been  qreatly  niaqnified  by  Me.  ^xxxix.  6. 
 
 o        J  d  o  a      J  a   ^  (cxxxviii. 
 
 For  having  seen  the  Son  excelling  in  deeds  incredibly  6.LXX.) 
 marvellous,  and  with  God-befitting  authority  easily 
 accomplishing  His  own  good  pleasure,  we  have  been 
 led  on  thereby  to  accept  in  reverent  admiration  the 
 knowledge  of  the  Father,  believing  it  to  be  no  other 
 than  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  Who  came  forth  from 
 Him.  From  henceforth,  therefore,  ye  knoiu  Him  and 
 have  seen  Him.  For  through  the  Son  we  have  been 
 led,  as  I  said  just  now,  to  know  Who  the  Father  is,  and 
 not  only  have  we  known,  but  we  have  also  beheld  or 
 seen.  For  knowledge  indicates  that  mental  contempla- 
 tion at  which  one  may  very  well  arrive  concerning  the 
 Divine  and  ineffable  nature  that  is  above  all,  and  through 
 all,  and  in  all.  But  to  have  seen  the  Truth  signifies  the 
 fulfilment  of  our  knowledge  by  the  vision  of  the 
 miraculous  works.  For  we  have  not  simply  known  the 
 bare  fact  that  the  Father  is  in  His  nature  Life  ;  nor 
 have  we  had  within  ourselves  the  knowledge  of  the 
 matter  ideally  and  theoretically  only  :  we  have  seen  the 
 truth  carried  out  by  the  Son,  in  giving  life  to  the  dead, 
 and  restoring  to  existence  those  who  had  seen  corrup- 
 tion. We  have  not  simply  known  the  fact  that  the  God 
 and  Father  of  all  is  in  His  nature  Life,  and  has  the 
 whole  creation  in  subjection  beneath  His  feet ;  and  that 
 He  rules  in  sovereign  authority  over  all  things  made  by 
 Him,  so  that,  as  it  is  written :  All  His  works  shake  and  lEsdr. 
 tremble  at  Him,  we  have  seen  evidence  of  the  truth  in 
 the  action  of  the  Son,  when,  in  rebuking  the  sea  and  the 
 
 winds.  He  said  with  all  authority.  Peace,  be  still.  S.  Mark 
 
 '  J '  '  Iy.  39. 
 
250  Christ  revealed  the  Son. 
 
 Book  9.  Since  therefore  He  was  intending  to  say  that  "  you 
 c.  xiv.  8,  j^ave  not  only  known,  but  have  even  seen  the  Father," 
 He  considered  it  essential  to  prefix  the  word  "  hence- 
 forth ;  "  and  why  so  ?  The  reason  was  this  :  the  law  of 
 Deut.  vi.  Moses  declared  to  the  childi^en  of  Israel,  The  Lord  thy 
 ^'  God  is  one  Lord,  and  never  offered  the  doctrine  con- 
 
 cerning the  Son  to  the  men  of  old  time  ;  it  was  content 
 with  driving  them  away  from  the  worship  of  many  gods 
 and  calling  them  to  adore  One,  and  One  only :  but  our 
 Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  by  His  Incarnation  made  known 
 to  us  the  Father  through  Himself  by  many  signs  and 
 mighty  works,  and  has  shown  that  the  nature  of  the 
 Godhead  which  we  believe  to  be  contained  in  the  Holy 
 Trinity  is  in  truth  One.  And  so  He  does  well  to  say 
 "  henceforth,"  on  account  of  the  imperfection  of  know- 
 ledge possessed  by  those  who  walk  after  the  law,  and 
 order  their  lives  in  that  system.  And  we  must  note 
 well  that  in  saying  that  He  Himself  and  not  the  Father 
 has  been  seen,  He  in  no  way  denies  the  real  and  indi- 
 vidual existence  of  the  God  and  Father  from  Whom  He 
 is  ;  nor  does  He  even  say  that  He  Himself  is  the  Father, 
 inasmuch  as  He  claims  to  have  come  to  represent  the 
 Father's  Person.  But  since  He  is  Consubstantial  with  the 
 Father,  He  says  that  His  Father  is  seen  in  His  Person ; 
 just  as  if  an  ordinaryman's  son,  wishing  to  indicate  plainly 
 the  nature  of  his  father,  were  to  point  to  himself  and  say 
 to  any  chance  inquirer  in  the  matter :  "  In  me  thou  hast 
 seen  my  father."  Here  again,  however,  the  Godhead  will 
 entirely  transcend  the  power  of  the  example  to  illustrate. 
 
 8       PJiilip  saith  unto  Him,  Lord,  shew  us  the  Father,  and  it 
 
 sufficeth  us. 
 
 Philip  is  anxious  to  learn,  but  not  very  keen  in  that 
 
 understanding  which  is  adapted  to  Divine  vision :   for 
 
 else    he  would  never  have  supposed   it   possible   with 
 
 bodily  eyes  to  behold  in  its  fulness  the  Divine  nature  in 
 
 Exodus    spite  of  the  plain  declaration  of  God :  No  inian  shall  see 
 
 XXX111.20.  j^£y  Face  and  live.     For  even  if  God  in  days  of  old 
 
 appeared  to  the  saints,  as  the  inspired  Scripture  tells  us, 
 
No  man  has  seen  God.  251 
 
 3^et  no  one  I  think  would  suppose  that  the  Divine  c.  xiv.  8. 
 nature  was  ever  made  manifest  in  its  full  perfection, 
 but  rather  that  it  moulded  itself  into  that  peculiar 
 fashion  of  outward  appearance  which  was  more  specially 
 suitable  for  each  occasion.  For  example,  the  Prophets 
 have  seen  Him  in  different  manners,  and  their  descrip- 
 tion of  God  varies  greatly.  For  Isaiah  beheld  Him  in 
 one  way,  and  Ezekiel  again  in  a  manner  not  resembling 
 the  wonder  recorded  in  Isaiah.  Philip  therefore  ought 
 to  have  understood  that  it  was  absolutely  impossible 
 that  he  could  see  the  Divine  Essence  in  the  flesh  and  yet 
 in  no  fleshly  form ;  especially  as  it  was  far  from  wise, 
 with  the  Likeness  and  Very  Exact  Image  of  God  the 
 Father  present  before  his  eyes,  to  seek  to  penetrate 
 onward  to  the  presence  of  the  Archetype,  as  though  it 
 were  not  then  visible  before  him  and  manifested  in  the 
 most  fitting  manner.  For  surely  the  contemplation  of 
 Christ  is  most  fully  sufficient  as  a  representation  of  the 
 Essence  of  God  the  Father,  unfolding  most  beautifully 
 and  most  exactly  the  marvellous  grace  of  the  Kingly 
 Essence  from  which  He  was  begotten.  For  the  tree  is  S.  Matt. 
 known  by  its  fruit,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  ^"" 
 Saviour  Himself.  Seeing  therefore  that  to  one  who  is 
 really  thoughtful  the  contemplation  of  the  Son  suffices 
 to  represent  to  us  in  perfect  fulness  the  nature  of  Him- 
 self and  of  His  Father,  we  may  in  all  probability  reckon 
 the  saying  of  the  disciple  as  out  of  place  ;  but  still  it 
 will  be  found  meet  to  be  reckoned  within  the  number  of 
 things  that  deserve  the  highest  praise.  For  I  think  we 
 must  admire  him,  and  that  more  than  moderately,  for 
 saying :  Sheiu  us  the  Father,  and  it  suficeth  us.  For  it 
 is  as  though  he  had  said :  "  We  should  acknowledge  that 
 we  were  in  the  enjoyment  of  every  pleasure,  and  there 
 would  be  nothing  for  us  to  seek  to  fill  our  cup  of  happi- 
 ness, if  we  ourselves  also  were  deemed  worthy  of  the 
 longed-for  sight  of  God  the  Father."  But  a  man  who 
 preferred  to  every  blessing,  and  to  everything  that  could 
 be  imagined  to  contribute  to  his  pleasure,  the  sight  of 
 
252  Tlie  arguments  of  the  Jeius 
 
 3?ooK  9.  God  the  Father,  would  surely  be  acknowledged  to  be 
 
 ^-  ^1^'-  •  -worthy  of  all  admiration.  In  this  sense  we  shall  under- 
 stand the  meaning  in  this  passage,  as  I  think,  according 
 to  the  obvious  and  simpler  view  taken  by  most  men. 
 But  if  it  is  needful  to  glance  at  a  more  elaborated  sense, 
 and  perhaps  to  speak  of  some  of  the  hidden  meanings, 
 we  may  suppose  that  Philip  both  spoke  and  also 
 thought  something  on  this  wise.  The  leaders  of  the 
 Jews,  and  besides  them  the  scribes  also  and  Pharisees, 
 were  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  Saviour's  wondrous 
 works,  and  pierced  as  by  stones  cast  into  their  heart  by 
 His  immeasurable  proofs  of  Divine  power  ;  they  were 
 bursting  with  jealousy  and  knew  that  they  were  utterly 
 powerless  either  to  perform  such  wonders  themselves 
 or  to  prevent  Him  from  working  them.  And  so  they 
 cavilled  at  His  miraculous  acts,  seeking  to  make  light 
 of  His  glory  by  deceitful  words ;  and  running  up  and 
 down  the  whole  territory  of  Judsea  and  Jerusalem  itself, 
 they  spread  reports,  at  one  time  that  He  wrought  His 
 
 S.  Luke  signs  in  the  power  of  Beelzebub  ;  at  another  time,  in  the 
 fury  of  their  uncontrollable  madness,  that  He  had  a  devil 
 and  knew  not  what  He  said.    For  they  kept  rebuking  the 
 
 Supra  X.  multitudes,  saying :  He  hath  a  devil,  and  is  mad :  whyhea  r 
 ye  Hhn  ?  Moreover  [there  was  another  plan  of  theirs] 
 devised  in  an  insufferable  manner  to  ruin  His  good  repu- 
 tation ;  and  what  this  was,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  explain. 
 For  they  tried  to  persuade  the  people,  as  we  showed 
 just  now,  not  to  attend  to  our  Saviour's  discourses,  but 
 to  desert  His  teaching  as  contrary  to  the  law  ;  hastening 
 to  avoid  Him  as  much  as  possible,  and  to  adhere  more 
 firmly  to  the  precepts  given  as  from  God  by  Moses. 
 And  on  what  grounds  did  they  urge  this?    They  said 
 
 Ex.  xix.  that  the  great  Moses  led  forth  the  people  of  old  to  meet 
 with  God,  as  it  is  written,  and  presented  them  at  the 
 Mount  Sinai,  showing  to  them  God  in  the  mountain,  and 
 preparing  them  to  hear  His  words,  and  assuring  them 
 most  fully  and  clearly  that  God  was  uttering  the  laws : 
 whereas  Christ  gave  no  such  proofs  of  His  authority, 
 
pei'haps  'p'^'ompted  Philip's  request.  253 
 
 and  did  nothing  at  all  of  the  like.  And  that  this  com-  c.  xiv.  8. 
 parison  was  currently  accepted  among  them  thou  wilt 
 learn  from  hence.  For  thou  wilt  behold  them  saying  to 
 the  man  born  blind  whom  the  Saviour  healed  by 
 ineffable  power :  Thou  art  His  disciple,  hut  we  are  Supra  ix. 
 disciples  of  Moses.  For  we  know  that  God  hath  spoken  ' 
 unto  Moses ;  hut  as  for  this  Man,  lue  know  not  tuhence 
 He  is.  Those  therefore  who  were  arguing  with  Jewish 
 pleas  considered  that  their  argument  on  this  head  was 
 difficult  to  meet  and  impossible  for  most  men  to  refute ; 
 and,  as  is  probable,  they  did  thereby  confound  and  en- 
 snare many.  Bearing  this  in  mind,  and  thinking  that 
 all  the  gainsaying  of  the  Jews  would  be  stopped  if 
 Christ  Himself  also  would  show  the  Father  to  those 
 who  believe  on  Him,  Philip  addi*esses  Him  in  the  words : 
 Lord,  show  us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us.  For 
 conceive  him  to  imply  this  much :  "  All  things,  O 
 Master,  that  are  conducive  to  faith  are  effected  by  Thy 
 authority,  and  by  wonders  innumerable  one  might 
 rebuke  the  immoderate  extravagance  of  the  Jewish 
 gibings.  But  nothing  whatever  will  fail  us,  if  Thou 
 Thyself  wilt  show  forth  to  us  God  the  Father  ;  for  this 
 will  be  sufficient  for  Thy  disciples,  so  as  to  enable  them 
 in  the  future  very  successfully  to  arm  themselves  in 
 defence  with  the  very  arguments  of  those  who  put  forth 
 the  former  objections."  By  applying  some  such  view  as 
 this  to  the  passage  before  us,  we  shall  I  think  succeed 
 in  arriving  at  the  argument  suitable  to  the  occasion. 
 For  Philip  himself  invites  our  attention  to  this  view  of 
 ths  case,  by  saying,  "  It  sujfficeth  us  to  see  God  the 
 Father,"  as  though  this  and  this  alone  were  wanting 
 to  those  who  have  believed.  And  the  Saviour  Himself 
 also  may  seem  to  suggest  the  same  idea,  by  saying  in 
 what  follows :  The  words  that  I  say  unto  you,  I  speak  Infra 
 not  from  Myself:  hut  the  Father  abiding  in  Me,  He^*^^' 
 doeth  the  works.  But  the  sense  we  should  attribute  to 
 this  saying  will  be  explained  not  in  the  present  but  in 
 the  more  suitable  and  neighbouring  passage. 
 
254  The  vision  is  not  corporeal. 
 
 Book  9.  9  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Have  I  been  so  long  time  ivith  you, 
 and  dost  thou  not  know  lie,  PhUij)  ?  He  that  hath  seen 
 Me  hath  seen  the  Fatlver. 
 
 In  an  unexpected  way  He  convicts  the  disciple  of 
 ignorance.  For  the  less  easily  discernible  portions  of 
 the  meanings  implied,  in  the  apprehension  of  which  our 
 mental  faculties  are  necessarily  put  to  a  more  subtle 
 test,  will  certainly,  although  possibly  not  in  any  short 
 period  yet  still  in  a  longer  extension  of  time,  be  grasped 
 by  those  who  are  desirous  to  learn,  and  will  explain 
 themselves  most  clearly  ;  and  those  whose  minds  are  not 
 hardened  and  whose  knowledge  is  unobstructed,  may  at 
 once  be  expected  to  perceive  such  meanings  and  accept 
 them  with  perfect  ease.  "  What  is  it  therefore,"  He 
 seems  to  say,  "  that  hinders  you,  O  Philip,  from  arriving 
 at  perfection  of  knowledge  of  Myself?  Tell  Me.  For 
 although  so  long  a  time  has  elapsed  since  I  have  been 
 with  you  as  to  suffice  for  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  that 
 it  was  needful  for  thee  to  learn,  nevertheless  thou  art 
 still  in  doubt,  or  rather  art  convicted  of  absolute 
 ignorance,  as  to  Who  I  am  by  nature,  and  whence  I 
 come ;  and  yet  thou  findest  Me  to  be  the  Creator  of  all 
 that  is  more  especially  admired  in  thy  sight.  How  was 
 it  that  thou  didst  not  know  that  he  who  hath  seen  Me 
 hath  seen  the  Father  ?  Thou  supposest  that  the  Jews  of 
 old  saw  the  Divine  Nature  on  Mount  Sinai,  and  heard  it 
 speaking  in  delivering  the  laws  that  govern  men's  con- 
 duct ;  but  not  yet  hast  thou  realised  that  through  Me 
 and  in  Me  thou  hast  seen  the  Father.  For  he  that  hath 
 seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father."  And  to  show  my  hearers 
 that  it  is  no  corporeal  contemplation  that  Christ  here  in- 
 dicates, needs  I  think  not  many  words.  For  no  thought- 
 ful person  would  ever  maintain  that  the  Divine  Nature 
 can  be  made  an  object  of  corporeal  vision  ;  nay,  no  one 
 could  endure  to  behold  with  the  eyes  of  the  body  that 
 which  is  now  apprehended  dimly  as  in  a  mirror:  for 
 we  see  darkly,  and  I  believe  that  even  the  man  who 
 
The  falsity  of  heretical  arguments.  255 
 
 boasts  of  the  very  highest  knowledge  has  but  a  faint  c.  xiv.  9. 
 idea  concerning  God. 
 
 But  this  also  we  must  say  to  the  enemies  of  the  truth, 
 who  are  profuse  in  their  railings  against  us,  or  rather 
 against  the  very  essence  of  the  Only-begotten.  For  if  it 
 is  untrue  that  the  Son  is  of  the  very  essence  of  God  the 
 Father,  so  as  to  be  by  generation  That  which  He  is, 
 namely  in  His  nature  and  in  very  truth  God  ;  and  if 
 He  is  made  illustrious  by  the  mere  addition  to  Himself 
 of  features  that  were  not  originally  His  own,  so  that 
 He  shines  as  it  were  by  reflected  light  from  glories 
 bestowed  upon  Him,  and  not  by  His  own  natural  lustre, 
 while  appearing  all  the  while  as  a  true  Likeness  of  the 
 Father  and  an  unchanging  Image  of  God ;  then  surely 
 in  the  first  place  He  could  not  be  in  His  nature  a  Son, 
 or  even  in  any  true  sense  an  Offspring,  but  He  must  be 
 either  a  created  object  like  unto  ourselves,  or  some  other 
 being  standing  in  a  similar  relation :  and  this  much 
 being  admitted  and  accepted  as  true,  we  shall  then,  it 
 seems,  have  established  this  consequence  also,  that  the 
 Father  could  never  be  really  and  naturally  a  Father, 
 but  only  so  in  '^  will  and  in  semblance,  just  as  He  is ''  0(\r]ais 
 reckoned  a  Father  of  us  also.  And  what  will  be  the 
 natural  sequence  of  this  ?  We  shall  still  necessarily  have 
 to  acknowledge  a  Trinity :  only  no  longer  do  we  express 
 any  belief  whatever  in  the  Holy  Trinity,  but  rather  in 
 three  utterly  distinct  Persons,  each  having  nothing 
 essentially  in  common  with  any  other,  each  one  of  those 
 named  receding  as  it  were  into  the  special  peculiarity 
 of  His  own  nature,  each  totally  separate  from  the  other. 
 For  the  weightiness  of  the  subject  forces  us  to  speak 
 even  more  firmly  still  on  the  point.  And  if  we  allow 
 that  this  is  true,  and  confess  that  it  follows  as  we  have 
 said,  and  admit  that  the  Son  is  utterly  different  from  the 
 essence  of  God  the  Father,  surely  then  Christ  will  be 
 speaking  falsely  in  the  words :  He  that  hath  seen  Me 
 hath  seen  the  Father.  For  since  the  Father  is  from 
 the  beginning  in  His  nature  God,  how  could  the  Son, 
 
256  Christ  is  necessarily  Hiiniself  God. 
 
 Book  9.  although  not  being  (according  to  the  view  of  these 
 c.  XIV.  9.  iieretics)  in  His  nature  God,  shew  forth  the  Father  in 
 Himself?  For  how  shall  we  behold  the  Uncreated  in 
 the  created  1  And  in  one  who  once  was  not  (according 
 to  their  theory),  how  could  any  man  possibly  behold 
 Him  Who  was  from  all  eternity  ?  For  let  not  any  of 
 these  blasphemers  tell  me,  in  his  sophistical  declamations 
 against  the  power  of  truth,  that  because  Christ  is  endued 
 with  the  glory  of  God  and  His  power  and  wisdom  and 
 good  and  omnipotence,  so  that  He  can  bring  into  being 
 things  that  never  before  existed,  therefore  He  is  also  an 
 Image  of  Him  :  but  first  let  such  an  one  prove  whether 
 Chi'ist  does  not  display  Himself  as  in  His  nature  God, 
 and  that  so  irrefutably  that  there  is  nothing  which  im- 
 pairs the  universal  and  absolute  resemblance  of  the 
 Image  to  the  Archetype.  And  if  he  hesitates  in  per- 
 plexity and  is  unwilling  to  prove  this,  we  will  in  the 
 next  place  ask  him  to  tell  us  what  explanation  will 
 allow  of  one  who  (according  to  their  accursed  notions)  is 
 not  in  His  nature  God,  being  enabled  to  fulfil  the  works 
 that  belong  to  the  Godhead :  for  this  is  what  they  mean 
 by  saying  that  He  bears  the  Image  of  the  Father.  For 
 if  the  Son,  without  possessing  as  His  own  a  power 
 sufficient  for  the  purpose,  borrows  the  power  from  the 
 Father,  and  is  by  Him  supplied  with  wisdom  and  might, 
 so  as  to  be  able  to  perform  actions  which  we  shall  allow 
 to  be  beyond  the  power  of  any  nature  save  that  of  the 
 Father  alone  ;  then  in  so  doing  He  will  be  falsely  repre- 
 senting the  Image  and  the  Likeness.  And  if  we  refuse 
 to  admit  that  He  (being  of  the  nature  we  have  just  been 
 describing)  is  guilty  of  falsehood,  and  accept  the  truth  of 
 His  words,  we  shall  then  find  ourselves  convicted  of 
 wronging  the  glory  of  God  the  Father  in  a  manner  that 
 I  will  now  explain.  We  are  constrained  to  admit  one  of 
 two  things :  either  He  falsely  represents  the  Image  of 
 God  the  Father,  in  that  He  possesses  not  in  Himself  the 
 might  sufficing  for  His  acts,  but  is  supplied  therewith 
 from  another,  whereas  it  is  not  so  with  the  Archetype ; 
 
The  Son  is  uncTeate.  257 
 
 or  else,  if  it  is  true  as  He  says  that  in  Him  the  Father  c.  xiv.  9. 
 is  seen  by  us,  and  that  there  is  really  nothing  whatever 
 that  disfigures  or  obscures  or  perverts  His  perfect 
 similarity,  it  is  absolutely  necessary,  willingly  or  unwill- 
 ingly, to  admit  that  the  Father  Himself  holds  His  power 
 as  something  received  from  another.  For  in  this  way 
 He  willed  to  display  to  us  Himself  in  the  Image  of  His 
 own  nature  and  of  His  glory. 
 
 "  Is  it  possible  then,"  one  might  go  on  to  say  to  these 
 heretics,  "  that  you  do  not  perceive  whither  your  theory, 
 when  once  it  quits  the  safe  path,  will  lead  you  on,  and 
 into  what  an  abyss  of  error  it  will  plunge  those  who 
 have  held  such  views  1 "  "  But,"  say  they,  "  surely  it  is 
 possible  that  the  Son,  although  a  created  being,  may  yet 
 fulfil  the  works  whereof  by  His  nature  He  is  capable, 
 and  so  advance  the  glory  of  God  the  Father  1 "  Now 
 what  suggestion  can  appear  more  impious  than  this  ■?  If 
 this  be  as  they  say,  there  can  no  longer  be  any  supe- 
 riority or  any  higher  dignity  by  which  God  excels  His 
 creatures,  if  even  one  of  them  is  to  be  invested  with  the 
 glory  and  power  of  the  Godhead.  For  let  no  one  be  so 
 excessively  deranged  in  mind  as  to  suppose  that  he  is 
 imagining  and  uttering  a  marvellous  and  magnificent 
 compliment  concerning  the  Son  in  thinking  or  saying 
 that  "  He  is  a  creature,  but  not  as  one  of  the  creatures." 
 Let  him  be  well  assured  that  he  is  thus  in  no  small 
 degree  disparaging  His  glory.  For  the  question  is  not 
 whether  His  nature  is  specially  superior  beyond  all 
 other  creatures,  but  whether  He  is  at  aU  a  created  being. 
 For  how  could  He  avoid  the  consequences  of  being  a 
 creature,  even  though  He  were  the  noblest  of  all  crea- 
 tures? And  if  the  glory  of  the  Son  is  disparaged  by 
 saying  that  He  was  brought  into  existence,  why  do  they 
 vainly  advance  (to  heal  as  it  were  His  offended  dignity) 
 the  statement  that  He  was  created  in  the  highest  of  all 
 possible  ranks  ?  It  follows  therefore  that  we  shall  offer 
 insult  to  the  essence  of  God  the  Father  if  we  bestow  such 
 power  on  the  Son,  supposing  the  Son  (according  to  their 
 
 VOL.  II.  S 
 
258  Christ   i>>  God  of  God. 
 
 Book  9.  ignorant  and  unskilful  reasoning)  is  Himself  a  created 
 
 c.  XIV.  9.  ijgi^g^  ^j^j  "wre  shall  not  tolerate  them  when  they  tell 
 us  that  the  Son  performs  the  acts  of  the  Godhead, 
 though  Himself  in  His  nature  a  creature,  so  as  to  glorify 
 God  the  Father.  If  they  can  prove  as  much  from  the 
 Divine  Scripture,  let  them  bring  forward  their  citations, 
 and  let  them  observe  the  sayings  of  the  holy  writers  in 
 all  sincerity:  but  if  these  are  inventions  of  their  own 
 brains,  and  if  they  have  themselves  manufactured  their 
 arguments  in  this  matter,  we  shall  salute  them  with  the 
 
 Ezek.       words:  Woe  to  tJiose luho prophesy  after  their  oivn  heart! 
 
 ('lxx  ^  ■^*^^'  ^®  shall  allow  that  the  Father  ever  is  desirous  of 
 whatsoever  He  knows  will  maintain  in  integrity  His 
 Divine  glory  and  preserve  the  absolute  truth  of  the  de- 
 clarations made  concerning  Himself.  And  so  we  shall 
 now  bid  farewell  to  the  ignorant  suggestions  of  those 
 heretics  and  pass  on  to  the  real  truth  concerning  Christ, 
 believing  that  He  is  in  truth  begotten  as  Son  of  the 
 essence  of  God  the  Father,  and  that  He  is  in  His  nature 
 God  of  God.  For  thus  He  speaks  in  perfect  truth,  in 
 that  He  is  both  the  Very  Image  and  the  Likeness  of  God 
 the  Father,  when  He  says  :  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath 
 seen  the  Father. 
 
 How  sayest  thou  then,  Shew  us  the  Father  ? 
 
 "  Thou  mightest,  Philip,"  He  would  say,  "  have  beheld 
 the  glory  of  the  Father  in  Me,  and  from  what  I  am  have 
 perceived  the  nature  of  My  Parent :  for  I  have  appeared 
 in  My  true  character  as  a  Very  and  Exact  Image  and  as 
 a  Perfect  Likeness  of  His  essence,  bearing  engraved  on 
 Myself  the  entire  nature  of  God  the  Father.  What  addi- 
 tional manner  of  Divine  vision  other  than  this  couldst 
 thou  ask  for,  at  least  if  thou  wouldst  display  thy  ability 
 to  estimate  things  in  true  proportion ;  or  tell  Me  what 
 kind  of  contemplation  thou  dost  require  %  Dost  thou 
 really  suppose  that  a  better  and  fuller  manifestation  was 
 granted  to  the  men  of  former  times,  when  I  came  down 
 on  Mount  Sinai  in  a  vision  of  fire  ? "     For  this  above 
 
God'i<  Nature   not  prevloiif^ly  manifested.      259 
 
 all  else  was  the  greatest  and  most  usual  boast  of  the  c.  xiv.  a. 
 Jews. 
 
 This  we  may  in  all  probability  suppose  to  have  been 
 the  meaning  of  Christ's  answer.  We  must  now,  I  con- 
 ceive, feel  it  our  duty  to  state  in  all  boldness  that  the 
 manifestation  of  the  miracles  of  our  Saviour  Christ  was 
 a  better  guide  to  the  knowledge  of  God  the  Father  than 
 the  vision  that  appeared  on  Mount  Sinai.  For  thus  thou 
 wilt  see  that  Philip,  when  the  true  Image  was  before  his 
 eyes,  was  in  no  way  constrained  to  ask  for  that  other 
 sight  of  God  the  Father  which  on  Mount  Sinai  was 
 granted  to  those  of  former  time.  For  there  the  Lord  de- 
 scended, as  it  is  written,  in  a  form  of  fire,  while  the  Ex.  xix. 
 
 18 
 
 Israelites  were  looking  on.  But  no  one  could,  I  think, 
 thereby  be  made  to  advance  to  a  right  conception  con- 
 cerning God,  or  to  ascend  with  one  bound  to  a  fitting 
 comprehension  of  the  Godhead.  For  how  by  means  of 
 fii-e  as  an  image  could  we  be  led  to  realise  the  existence 
 of  God  the  Father  as  the  Archetype  [thereby  shadowed 
 forth]  ?  For  God  is  naturally  good,  and  moreover  is  a 
 Creator,  calling  previously  non-existent  things  into 
 being,  bringing  together  the  universe  into  consistence, 
 and  quickening  all  things :  He  is  also  Wisdom  and 
 Power,  kind,  compassionate,  and  merciful.  And  none  of 
 these  attributes  belong  to  fire.  For  no  one  would  sup- 
 pose, at  least  if  he  were  gifted  with  sense,  that  fire  was 
 kind  and  compassionate  to  men  ;  nor  would  any  one 
 soberly  maintain  that  it  was  a  creative  influence,  en- 
 dowed with  wisdom  and  the  power  of  bestowing  life. 
 If  this  be  so,  tell  me  how  any  one  could  possibly  from  a 
 vision  of  fire  gather  any  ideas  concerning  the  true  nature 
 of  the  Godhead.  Or  how  could  one  behold  in  a  rtiirror 
 darkly  any  of  those  attributes  that  are  inherent  in  it  ? 
 What  then,  one  may  say,  was  the  ground  or  reason  that 
 induced  God  to  declare  Himself  in  the  form  of  fire  on 
 Mount  Sinai"?  We  shall  answer  that  as  the  childi-en  of 
 Israel  were,  at  that  moment  above  all  others  in  their 
 career,  beginning  their    education  in  the  way  of  godli- 
 
 S2 
 
260  Chrid  is  the  perfect  oiianifestatioii 
 
 Book  9.  ness,  and  were  about  to  draw  up  the  law  which  was  to 
 
 c.  XIV.  9.  i^g  observed  as  a  strict  rule  to  govern  their  own  lives ;  it 
 was  most  especially  needful  that  God  should  appear  as  a 
 Chastiser  and  a  Terrible  One  to  them,  so  that  transgres- 
 sors might  be  able  to  realise  that  they  had  to  do  with  a 
 Fire.     Therefore  surely  it  was  that  the  great  Moses  also 
 
 Dent. iv.  in  speaking  to  the  children  of  Israel  said:  Our  God  is  a 
 consuming  Fire.  And  we  should  not  at  all  be  inclined 
 to  say  that  it  was  in  order  to  exhibit  to  us  the  nature  of 
 God  that  the  very  wise  writer  thus  compared  Him  to 
 fii-e,  but  that  he  bestowed  this  title  on  God  from  the 
 fact  that,  owing  to  His  excessive  hatred  of  wickedness, 
 God  shrinks  not  from  wasting  and  consuming,  like  an 
 all-devouring  fire,  those  who  despise  Him.  Therefore  it 
 is  not  in  consequence  of  what  He  is  in  His  nature  that 
 God  makes  Himself  known  in  a  vision  of  fire :  but  it  was 
 found  to  conduce  to  the  profit  of  those  who  listened,  that 
 He  should  be  thus  named,  and  that  He  should  have  then 
 appeared  as  fire.  Let  us  pass  now  to  that  true  and  most 
 exact  vision  of  the  Father  granted  to  us  in  the  Son.  For 
 we  shall  see  Him  to  be  an  Image  of  the  One  Who  begat 
 Him,  if  we  gaze  intently  with  the  eye  of  our  minds  on 
 the  extraordinary  powers  that  are  displayed  in  Him. 
 Goodness  belongs  naturally  to  God  the  Father,  and  the 
 same  we  shall  find  in  the  Son.  For  surely  He  is  good, 
 Who  endured  so  great  humiliation  for  our  sakes,  coming 
 
 1  Tim.  i.  into  the  luorld  to  save  sinners,  and  laying  down  His  life 
 for  them.  Similarly  the  Father  is  powerful,  and  so  it  is 
 with  the  Son.  For  what  power  could  be  greater  than 
 that  which  commanded  even  the  elements  themselves, 
 rebuking  the  sea  and  the  winds,  and  transforming  the 
 nature  of  substances  at  His  will  ;  bidding  the  leper  be 
 cleansed,  and  giving  sight  to  the  blind :  and  all  with 
 God-befitting  authority  ?  The  Father  is  in  His  nature 
 Life  :  the  Son  also  is  equally  Life,  quickening  those 
 who  have  been  turned  to  corruption,  overthrowing  the 
 power  of  death,  and  thereby  raising  the  dead  to  life. 
 Rightly  then  does  he  say  to  Philip :  He  that  hath  seen 
 
of  the  Nature  of  the  Father.  261 
 
 Me  hath  seen  the  Father.  "  For  whereas,"  He  would  say,  c.  xiv.  lo. 
 "  thou  mightest  in  Me  and  through  Me  behold  very 
 clearly  My  Father,  what  other  manner  of  Divine  vision 
 dost  thou  ask  for,  when  thou  hast  received  a  far  better 
 one  than  that  vouchsafed  to  the  men  of  former  time,  and 
 hast  met  with  a  most  true  Likeness  of  the  Father,  namely 
 Mine  own  Self? " 
 
 10     Believest  thou  not  that  I  mn  in  the  Father  and  the  Father 
 
 in  Me  ? 
 
 '•  I  indeed,  O  Philip,"  He  would  say,  "  in  depicting  in 
 Myself  the  nature  of  My  Father,  am  the  Image  of  His 
 essence,  moulded  as  that  implies  after  His  likeness,  not 
 (as  might  be  supposed)  by  the  bestowal  of  glories  that 
 once  were  not  Mine,  nor  even  by  the  reflected  brilliancy 
 of  Divine  endowments  that  once  were  unfamiliar  but 
 have  been  granted  from  without :  but  rather  in  My  own 
 nature  are  contained  the  qualities  peculiar  to  My  Father ; 
 and  whatsoever  He  may  be,  that  in  very  truth  am  I,  in 
 regard  to  sameness  in  essence.  To  this  thou  wilt  surely 
 reply  :  for  it  seems  thou  didst  not  go  on  to  realise  that  / 
 am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me.  And  yet  the 
 force  of  my  words  shall  constrain  thee  henceforth,  even 
 in  spite  of  thyself,  to  acknowledge  thy  assent  to  this. 
 Therefore,  whatsoever  I  say  is  spoken  as  the  words  of 
 the  Father ;  and  whatsoever  I  do,  is  done  by  the  Father 
 also."  And  Christ  says  this,  not  as  one  making  use  of 
 the  words  of  another,  nor  even  as  speaking  in  the  office 
 and  capacity  of  a  prophet  to  interpret  the  commands  that 
 came  from  the  Father  above :  for  the  prophets  ever  spake, 
 not  their  own  words,  but  the  words  which  they  received 
 by  inspiration  from  God.  Again,  He  attributes  to  His 
 Father  the  successful  performance  of  His  miracles,  not 
 implying  that  He  works  His  wonders  by  a  power  not 
 His  own,  as  did  for  instance  those  Apostles  who  said  to 
 the  people  :  "  Give  not  heed  to  us,  as  though  by  our  oun  Acts  iii. 
 'poiver  or  godliness  we  had  healed  the  sick  man."  For 
 the  saints  are  wont  to   use  no  power  of  their  own  in 
 
262  Tlte  Gudhead  la  One. 
 
 Book  9.  working  their  miracles,  but  rather  the  power  of  God : 
 c.  XIV.  10.  £^j,  ^Y^^y  appear  as  ministers  and  servants,  showing  forth 
 the  words  and  also  the  works  of  God.  But  since  the 
 Son  is  Consubstantial  with  the  Father,  differing  from 
 Him  in  no  respect  except  as  to  distinct  personality,  He 
 says  that  His  own  words  are  those  of  the  Father,  since 
 the  Father  could  in  no  wise  make  use  of  words  differing 
 from  those  of  the  Son.  And  fui'ther,  thou  wilt  under- 
 stand the  same  to  be  signified  in  the  majesty  of  His 
 works.  For  since  the  Father  could  never  by  any  possi- 
 bility carry  into  effect  any  work  without  the  Son's 
 knowledge  and  co-operation,  Christ  attributes  His  works 
 to  His  Father.  For  consider  Him  as  saying  more  clearly 
 this :  "  I  am  in  all  respects  like  to  Him  Who  begat  Me, 
 and  an  Image  of  His  essence ;  not  merely  adorned  with 
 the  outward  appearance  of  a  glory  that  is  not  Mine,  but, 
 owing  to  the  identity  of  essence,  containing  within  My- 
 self My  Father  in  all  His  fulness." 
 
 The  words  that  I  s])eak,  I  speah  not  from  Myself :  but  the 
 Father  abiding  in  Me  Himself  doeth  the  works. 
 
 "If,"  He  would  say,  "My  Father  had  spoken  anything 
 to  you.  He  would  have  used  words  no  other  than  these 
 which  I  now  speak.  For  so  great  is  the  equality  in 
 essence  between  Myself  and  Him,  that  My  words  are  His 
 words,  and  whatsoever  I  do  may  be  believed  to  be  His 
 actions :  for  abiding  in  He,  by  reason  of  the  exact 
 equivalence  in  essence.  He  Himself  doeth  . the  ivories'' 
 For  since  the  Godhead  is  One,  in  the  Father,  in  the  Son, 
 and  in  the  Spirit,  every  word  that  cometh  from  the 
 Father  comes  always  through  the  Son  by  the  Spirit : 
 and  every  work  or  miracle  is  through  the  Son  by  the 
 Spirit,  and  yet  is  considered  as  coming  from  the  Father. 
 For  the  Son  is  not  apart  from  the  essence  of  the  Father, 
 nor  indeed  is  the  Holy  Ghost ;  but  the  Son,  being  in  the 
 Father,  and  having  the  Father  again  in  Himself,  claims 
 that  the   Father  is   the  doer    of  the  works.     For  the 
 
The  Father  works  in  the  Son.  263 
 
 nature  of  the  Father  is  mighty  in  operation,  and  shines  c.  xiv.  lo. 
 out  clearly  in  the  Son. 
 
 And  one  might  add  to  this  another  meaning  that  is 
 involved,  suggested  clearly  by  the  principles  that  under- 
 lie the  Incarnation.  He  says :  /  speak  not  of  Myself, 
 meaning  "not  in  severance  from  or  in  lack  of  accordance 
 with  God  the  Father."  For  since  He  appeared  to  those 
 who  saw  Him  in  human  form,  He  refers  His  words  back 
 to  the  Divine  nature,  as  speaking  in  the  Person  of  the 
 Father ;  and  the  same  with  His  actions :  and  He  almost 
 seems  to  say :  "  Let  not  this  human  form  deprive  Me  of 
 that  reverent  estimation  which  is  due  and  befitting  to 
 Me,  and  do  not  suppose  that  My  words  are  those  of  a 
 mere  man  or  of  one  like  unto  yourselves,  but  believe 
 them  to  be  in  very  truth  Divine,  and  such  as  befit  the 
 Father  equally  with  Myself.  And  He  it  is  Who  works, 
 abiding  in  Me:  for  I  am  in  Him,  and  He  is  in  Me. 
 Think  not  therefore  that  a  mighty  and  extraordinary 
 privilege  was  granted  to  the  men  of  former  days,  in 
 that  they  saw  God  in  a  vision  of  fire,  and  heard  His 
 voice  speaking  unto  them.  For  ye  have  in  reality  seen 
 the  Father  through  Me  and  in  Me  ;  since  I  have  appeared 
 among  you,  being  in  My  nature  God,  and  have  come  Ps.  xlix. 
 visibly,  according  to  the  words  of  the  Psalmist.  And  (lxx  ) 
 be  well  assured  that  in  hearing  My  words,  ye  heard  the 
 words  of  the  Father ;  and  ye  have  been  spectators  of 
 His  works,  and  of  the  might  that  is  in  Him.  For  by 
 Me  He  speaks,  as  by  His  own  Word ;  and  in  Me  He 
 carries  out  and  achieves  His  wondrous  works,  as  though 
 by  His  own  Power." 
 
 And  so  I  suppose  that  no  reasonable  theory  would 
 ever  separate  Him  Who  is  the  Word  of  the  Father  and 
 the  mighty  Power  of  His  essence,  from  the  essence  of 
 the  Father.  Rather  would  every  one  freely  confess  that 
 the  Word  ever  was  from  the  beginning  in  His  nature 
 contained  in  the  Father's  essence,  every  one  at  least 
 who  is  anything  but  distraught  in  mental  perplexity. 
 
264  The  identity  of  Nature 
 
 CHAPTER    I. 
 
 Book  9.  f|^|,at  i^y  reason  of  the  identity  of  Their  nature,  the  Son  is  in  the 
 0.  XIV.  11.  "^  , 
 
 Father,  and  the  Father  again  is  in  the  Son, 
 
 1 1     Believe  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  atid  the  Father  is  in  Me. 
 
 He  now  admits  plainly,  or  rather  enjoins  on  the 
 disciples  henceforth,  that  it  is  fitting  that  we  should  be 
 no  otherwise  minded  than  as  the  Word  of  Truth  Himself 
 may  desire.  For  He  is  Consubstantial  with  His  Father, 
 nothing  whatever  intervening  or  in  any  way  separating 
 One  from  the  Other  into  a  diversity  of  nature.  He  is  One 
 with  Him,  so  that  the  Son's  nature  appears  in  the  essence 
 of  the  Father,  and  in  the  essence  of  the  Offspring  appears 
 conspicuously  that  of  God  the  Father  ;  just  as  one  might 
 see  happen  in  the  case  of  human  relations.  For  we  are 
 in  no  way  different  in  our  nature  from  our  offspring, 
 nor  are  we  sundered  from  them  in  an  alienation  of  na- 
 ture, although  we  are  distinguished  by  a  difference  of 
 outward  personality  ;  in  illustration  of  which,  let  any 
 man  who  has  looked  upon  the  son  begotten  by  himself 
 consider  the  history  of  the  blessed  Abraham.  But  in  the 
 case  of  men  the  difference  is  often  very  considerable, 
 each  one  tending  definitely,  in  a  way,  towards  a  retire- 
 ment and  withdrawal  of  himself  into  a  peculiar  line  of 
 *  crwfiaTi-  jjfg  ^j^(j  manners,  without  feeling  ^  personally  bound  up 
 in  the  other ;  although  their  unity  of  essence  may  be 
 certain  and  evident  to  all.  But  in  the  case  of  God,  Who 
 is  ever  in  perfect  accordance  with  His  nature,  thou  wilt 
 believe  it  to  be  otherwise.  The  Father  indeed  is  in 
 individual  personality  Father  and  not  Son  ;  and  again 
 similarly  He  Who  cometh  forth  from  the  Father  is  Son 
 and  not  Father ;  and  the  Spirit  is  peculiarly  Spirit.  But 
 
of  Father  and  Son.  265 
 
 since  the  Holy  Trinity  is  united  and  joined  together  into  Chap,  i, 
 a  oneness  of  Godhead,  there  is  among  us  One  God  alone:  ''•''''^•ii- 
 and  it  would  be  impossible  to  attribute  to  each  one  of 
 the  Persons  here  indicated  the  habit  of  secession  from 
 the  others,  and  neither  will  ever  withdraw  into  absolute 
 separation ;  but  we  believe  that  each  Person  is  in  very 
 substance  exactly  what  we  have  here  entitled  Him.  We 
 consider  that  the  Son,  being  of  the  Father,  that  is,  of 
 His  essence,  proceeded  forth  from  Him  in  a  manner  in- 
 effable, and  yet  abides  in  Him.  Likewise  also  concerning 
 the  Holy  Spirit :  He  proceeds  in  very  truth  from  God  as 
 He  is  by  nature,  and  yet  is  in  no  wise  severed  from  His 
 essence  ;  but  rather  proceeds  forth  from  Him,  still  a- 
 biding  ever  in  Him,  and  is  supplied  to  the  saints  through 
 Christ ;  for  all  things  come  through  the  Son  by  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  Such  is  the  true  and  upright  teaching  that 
 the  wisdom  of  the  holy  fathers  has  taught  us :  thus  we 
 have  been  trained  also  by  the  Holy  Scriptures  themselves 
 to  speak  and  to  think.  And  the  Lord  would  cheer  us 
 onward  to  accept  this  unreviled  faith,  when  he  says : 
 Believe  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me. 
 
 Or  else  believe  for  the  very  works    sake, 
 
 '  Li  these  words  He  distinctly  says  that  He  could  never 
 have  worked  out  and  achieved  those  miracles  which 
 were  characteristic  of  the  Divine  nature  alone,  if  He  had 
 not  been  Himself  essentially  of  that  nature.  And  see  on 
 what  sure  grounds  and  also  with  what  truth  He  makes 
 this  declaration.  He  does  not  claim  credence  for  His 
 words  alone,  although  He  knew  no  deceit,  so  much  as 
 for  His  actions.  And  why  this  is  so  I  will  tell  you. 
 There  would  be  nothing  to  prevent  any  man,  however 
 mad  and  however  foolish,  from  falsely  using  God-befitting 
 words  and  speeches,  and  uttering  such  expressions  in  a 
 most  reckless  manner :  but  who  could  ever  display  a 
 God-befitting  power  of  action  ?  And  to  whom  of  created 
 beings  will  the  Father  grant  that  glory  which  is  espe- 
 cially His  own  ?   Do  we  not  always  say  that  the  power 
 
266  Heretical  ojyinions  render 
 
 Book  9.  of  doing  all  things  and  the  possession  of  an  all-supreme 
 c.xiv.  11.  might  is  the  glory  of  God  alone,  attaching  to  no  other 
 being,  at  least  to  no  one  ever  numbered  among  the 
 creatures  of  God?  Therefore  it  is  that  Christ,  -wishing 
 to  give  a  proof  of  His  Divinity  resting  on  cogent 
 and  unquestionable  arguments,  urged  them  to  believe 
 the  evidence  of  His  actual  works  that  He  was  in  the 
 Father,  and  that  the  Father  again  was  in  Him  :  that 
 is,  •  that  he  bears  in  His  own  substance  the  nature  of 
 the  Father,  as  being  His  very  own  Offspring  and  most 
 truly  His  Fruit,  and  appearing  in  natural  relation  to  Him 
 as  Son  to  Father.  But  while  the  Church  of  Christ,  in 
 perfect  confidence  in  the  Tightness  of  her  teaching,  holds 
 in  this  form  her  doctrine  concerning  the  Only-begotten, 
 on  the  other  hand  the  ungodly  heretics  have  attempted 
 to  seduce  to  a  different  belief  those  who  follow  after  and 
 attend  to  their  pernicious  teachings.  For  the  miserable 
 creatures  are  furious  in  theii*  outcries  against  Christ, 
 Heb.  X.  and  consider  one  another  not  to  provoke  unto  godliness, 
 but  to  the  end  that  each  one  may  appear  more  godless 
 than  another,  and  may  utter  something  yet  more  un- 
 Cf.  Deut.  seemly.  For  since  they  drink  the  wine  of  Sodom  and 
 ^^''  ""  gather  the  bitter  clusters  of  Gomorrah,  because  they 
 receive  not  from  the  Divine  Spirit  their  knowledge 
 concerning  Him,  nor  yet  by  revelation  from  the  Father, 
 but  from  the  dragon  himself ;  they  can  conceive  in  their 
 minds  nothing  that  is  sound  and  right,  but  they  utter 
 saj'ings  which  bring  to  absolute  wretchedness  the  souls 
 of  those  who  hear  them,  hurling  them  down  to  Hades 
 and  the  abyss  below.  They  venture  moreover  to  publish 
 these  opinions  in  books,  thus  stereotyping  their  own 
 wickedness  for  all  time.  It  ought  to  have  been  sufficient 
 for  us  to  have  said  just  so  much  on  the  present  passage 
 as  would  have  been  likely  to  benefit  those  who  may  chance 
 to  read  it,  by  way  of  establishing  in  absolute  accuracy 
 the  true  conception  concerning  the  Son,  without  making 
 any  allusion  whatever  to  the  heretical  writings.  But  as 
 it  is  in  no  way  improbable  that  some  persons  of  feeble 
 
further  investigation  necessary.  267 
 
 intelligence  may,  on  chancing  to  meet  with  their  mise-  Chap.  i. 
 rable  sayings,  be  carried  away  by  them  ;  I  considered  it  ^'  ^^^"  ^^' 
 necessary  to  put  an  end  to  the  harm  that  might  result 
 from  their  foolish  talk,  by  exposing  the  utter  weakness 
 of  the  slanders  they  wish  to  raise  in  their  vehement 
 attack  on  the  Son,  or  rather,  for  that  is  the  truer  way  of 
 putting  the  case,  on  the  whole  Divine  nature. 
 
 I  happened  then  to  meet  with  a  pamphlet  of  our  oppo- 
 nents, and  on  investigating  what  they  had  to  say  on  the 
 text  now  before  us,  I  found,  in  the  course  of  reading  it, 
 these  words  used  after  certain  others :  "  The  Son  there- 
 fore being  essentially  encompassed  by  the  Father,  has 
 within  Himself  the  Father,  and  it  is  the  Father  Who 
 utters  the  words  and  accomplishes  the  miracles.  This  is 
 the  interpretation  of  His  words :  The  things  that  I  speak 
 unto  you,  I  speak  not  from  Myself ;  hut  the  Father 
 abiding  in  il/e,  He  doeth  the  ivorhs." 
 
 Such  are  the  exact  expressions  of  the  author's  quib- 
 bling jugglery.  Now  since  it  is  my  duty  to  mention 
 this  view,  which  is  opposed  to  the  language  of  Scripture, 
 and  which  may  very  well  perplex  an  inexperienced 
 mind,  I  make  this  assertion.  As  to  their  phrase,  that 
 "  the  Son  is  essentially  encompassed  by  the  Father,"  I  do 
 not  in  the  least  understand  what  in  the  world  it  means, 
 or  what  it  signifies, — I  speak  the  truth,  as  I  feel  it  my 
 duty  to  do, — so  great  is  the  obscurity  of  the  expression. 
 The  real  sense  of  the  words  seems  ashamed  of  itself,  and 
 inclined  to  veil  itself  in  overmuch  dimness,  not  daring 
 to  explain  itself  openly  and  clearly.  For  even  as  he  that  Supra  iii. 
 doeth  ill  hateth  the  light,  and  cometh  not  to  the  light,  lest  ' 
 he  should  be  reproved,  according  to  the  Saviour's  word  ; 
 even  so  every  argument  with  an  ill  tendency  is  wont  to 
 move  through  dark  ideas,  and  will  not  go  towards  the 
 light  of  plain  speaking,  lest  the  meanness  of  its  in- 
 herent unsoundness  should  be  reproved.  What  then 
 may  we  suppose  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  Son's  being 
 "  essentially  encompassed  by  the  Father  ?  "  For  I  will 
 spare  no  pains  to  discover  reasonings  which  may  sift  in 
 
268  Tlie  Son  is  not  '' enco^npassed''' 
 
 Book  9.  every  possible  way  the  real  import  of  that  which  is  here 
 c.  xiv.  11,  gQ  dimly  expressed,  and  which  perhaps  shrinks  from 
 being  understood  lest  it  may  then  reveal  the  folly  of 
 its  aiithor.  If  then  the  meaning  be  this,  that  the  Son, 
 appearing  in  the  essence  of  the  Father  as  Consubstantial 
 with  Him,  displays  also  in  His  own  Person  the  Father 
 brilliantly  shining  in  the  nature  of  His  Offspring,  Ave 
 also  will  assent  to  the  truth  of  the  statement :  still,  the 
 use  of  the  word  "  encompass  "  would  perchance  do  more 
 than  a  slight  injustice  in  its  application  to  the  Son.  But 
 if  this  be  not  the  meaning,- — and  surely  it  cannot  be,  for 
 never  would  it  be  admitted  that  the  Son  is  begotten  of 
 the  essence  of  the  Father  by  one  who  has  vomited  such 
 blasphemy  against  Him,  insisting  that  like  some  finite 
 body  the  nature  of  the  Son  is  enclosed  within  that  of  the 
 Father, — certainly  such  an  one  will  be  convicted  of 
 evident  blasphemy,  and  will  be  shown  to  be  full  of  the 
 most  excessive  madness.  For  while  admitting  in  words 
 that  the  Son  is  God,  they  endeavour  most  illogically  to 
 invest  Him  with  properties  peculiar  to  [created]  bodies. 
 For  the  being  parted  off  by  a  boundary  line  and 
 separated  by  a  definitely  conceived  measure,  the  starting 
 from  a  fixed  origin  and  ceasing  at  a  fixed  limit,  all  this 
 surely  implies  existence  conditioned  by  place  and  size 
 and  fashion  and  form.  And  these  are  surely  attributes 
 of  [created]  bodies.  Shall  we  not  then  in  this  way  be 
 thinking  of  Him  Who  is  above  us  as  though  He  were  on 
 a  level  with  us  as  one  of  ourselves  1  Would  He  not  then 
 be  a  brother  to  the  rest  of  creation,  having  henceforth 
 nothing  in  Himself  by  way  of  superiority  to  it,  inasmuch 
 as  this  theory  has  come  to  speak  of  His  existence  as 
 merely  finite  ?  And,  being  so,  at  least  according  to  the 
 foolish  supposition  of  our  opponents,  why  did  He  vainly 
 Supra  reproach  us  in  the  words :  Ye  are  from  beneath ;  I  ain 
 viii-  -  •  y^.Q^i,  above,  and  again  :  Ye  are  of  this  world  ;  I  am  not 
 of  this  luorld  ?  For  in  saying  that  He  Himself  is  "  from 
 above,"  He  does  not  simply  mean  that  He  came  from 
 heaven :  else,  how  would  He  excel  the  holy  angels,  since 
 
by  the  Father.  269 
 
 we  shall  fiiid  that  they  also  are  "  from  above,"  if  we  in-  Chap.  i. 
 terpret  the  meaning  in  a  merely  local  sense  ?  But  He  '  ^'^' 
 signifies  that  He  is  the  Offspring  of  that  essence  which 
 is  from  above,  and  which  is  more  excellent  than  all  else 
 in  the  universe.  How  then  after  this  can  He  be  speak- 
 ing the  truth,  if  He  possesses  the  peculiar  attributes  of 
 [created]  bodies  in  common  with  all  creation,  and  is 
 "  encompassed  "  by  the  Father,  even  as  those  things  that 
 are  brought  into  existence  out  of  nothing  ?  For  of  course 
 we  are  ready  to  agree  that  no  created  thing  can  be 
 situated  outside  of  the  Father.  And  the  inspired 
 Psalmist  also,  speaking  surely  by  the  Spirit  deep  truths 
 and  hidden  mysteries,  says  that  the  Son  is  all-pervading, 
 attesting  thereby  His  incorporeal  and  illimitable  nature, 
 and  that  as  God  He  is  confined  to  no  one  locality.  For 
 his  words  are :  Whither  can  I  go  fro'ni  Thy  Spirit,  and  Ps. 
 whither  can  I  fly  from  Thy  Presence  ?  If  I  ascend  into  yliol^' 
 heaven,  Thou  art  there ;  if  I  descend  into  Hades,  Thoio 
 art  present:  if  I  take  m/y  wings  in  the  morning,  and 
 go  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea,  even  there  also 
 Thy  hand  shall  guide  me,  and  Thy  right  hand  shall  hold 
 me.  But  these  heretics,  in  utter  recklessness  ranging 
 their  own  opinions  in  antagonism  to  the  words  of  the 
 Spirit,  subject  the  Only-begotten  to  limitations  and 
 boundaries,  although  they  ought  to  have  understood  the 
 matter  from  the  cogent  and  instructive  reasoning  of  this 
 Scripture.  For  if  He  has  filled  the  heavens  and  the 
 uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  and  therefore  also  the 
 regions  of  Hades,  is  it  not  excessively  unreasonable  to 
 apply  to  Him  the  word  "  encompassed,"  without  reflect- 
 ing that  if  His  Presence,  that  is,  if  the  Spirit — for  the 
 Psalmist  calls  the  Spirit  the  Presence  of  the  Son — fills 
 all  things,  it  is  inconceivable  that  Christ  Himself  should 
 be  "  encompassed  "  within  any  boundary,  even  though 
 it  be  in  the  substance  of  God  the  Father  1  Nay,  it  will 
 be  no  less  outrageous  to  limit  within  a  confined  space 
 that  which  is  incorporeal  than  to  include  in  a  measure 
 that  which  exists  in  no  finite  form.     For  to  say  that  He 
 
270  If  the  Son  he  "  enconqmssed," 
 
 Book  9.  is  "essentially  encompassed  by  God  the  Father"  is 
 c.  xiv.ii.  g^^,gly  nought  else  than  to  imply  that  His  essence  is 
 finite,  exactly  like  any  individual  thing  of  the  works 
 that  were  made  by  Him :  and  these  we  shall  safely 
 and  truly  allow  to  be  capable  of  being  "  encompassed  "  : 
 for  they  are  [created]  bodies,  even  though  perchance  not 
 all  such  as  ours. 
 
 But  besides,  there  is  this  also  to  be  thought  of.  If 
 we  maintain  that  it  is  necessary  that  whatever  is  en- 
 folded by  anything  lies  entirely  within  the  limits  of  that 
 which  is  said  to  "  encompass  "  it,  will  it  not  certainly 
 follow  that  we  should  think  of  that  which  is  "  encom- 
 passed "  as  something  loss  than  that  which  "  encom- 
 passes" it,  and  should  speak  of  it  as  limited  thereby, 
 and  as  it  were  enclosed  within  the  compass  of  that  which 
 is  greater  than  itself?  What  sayest  thou  now,  my 
 friend  ?  Here  we  have  Christ  presenting  Himself  before 
 us  as  a  Likeness  of  God  the  Father,  and  plainly  saying : 
 Supra      He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father,  and  again 
 
 vcr,  9.  , 
 
 Ibid  10  straightway  adding  :  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father 
 is  in  Me.  Let  us  assume  then  that  He  means,  as  you 
 would  understand  Him  to  say,  that  "  although  I  am  the 
 Very  Image  and  Likeness  of  My  Father,  yet  I  am 
 essentially  encompassed  by  Him."  Surely  it  is  acknow- 
 ledged by  all  men  that  He  would  have  us  hold  just  such 
 ideas  concerning  the  Father  as  we  would  conceive  con- 
 cerning Himself  also.  Therefore  it  would  follow  that 
 the  Father  also  is  subject  to  limitation,  for  He  is  in 
 the  Son :  and  let  the  heretic  search  if  he  will  and  find 
 out  who  or  what  is  greater  than  the  Father ;  I  should 
 deem  it  impious  to  express  or  even  to  conceive  such  an 
 idea.  The  Son  can  never  be  a  Likeness  of  the  Father  in 
 one  way  and  not  so  in  another.  For  if  He  has  in  Him- 
 self anything  at  all  that  would  alter  or  interfere  with 
 His  resemblance  in  all  points,  He  would  be,  as  a  conse- 
 quence of  that,  a  partial  and  not  a  perfect  Likeness. 
 But  where  could  you  show  us  the  Holy  Scripture  teaching- 
 such  a  doctrine  as  this  ?     For  most  certainly  we  are  not 
 
then  the  Father  also  is  so.  271 
 
 going  to  be  led  astray  by  your  words  so  as  to  reject  the  Chap.  i. 
 plain  truth  of  the  Sacred  ^statements.  And  I  wonder  *^■^^^•^^■ 
 how  it  is  they  did  not  shrink  in  dismay  from  adding  to  '^'^"■'^"^ 
 their  former  arguments  the  following :  "  Just  as  Paul  Cf.  2  Cor. 
 had  Christ  speaking  in  him  and  effecting  the  mighty 
 deeds,  exactly  in  the  same  way  also  the  Son  had  the 
 Father  speaking  in  Him  and  working  the  miracles ; 
 wherefore  He  says  :  Believe  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
 the  Father  in  Me :  or  else  believe  Me  for  the  very  luorks' 
 saJce."  After  this,  who  will  any  longer  allow  the  name 
 of  Christian  to  one  who  holds  such  views  and  thinks 
 such  thoughts  concerning  Christ  ?  For  behold  how  very 
 evidently  he  maintains  that  Christ  is  no  longer  truly 
 God  :  recklessly  He  invests  Him  with  the  limitations 
 properly  characteristic  of  creatures,  proclaiming  Him  to 
 be  a  sort  of  God-bearer,  or  one  who  participates  in  God, 
 rather  than  One  begotten  God  of  God.  To  put  it  briefly, 
 his  aim  is  throughout  the  utter  severance  of  Christ,  in 
 every  way  and  in  every  respect,  from  the  essence  of 
 God  the  Father  ;  and  to  cut  Him  off  altogether  from 
 that  intimate  relationship  in  nature  and  essence  which 
 He  has  with  God  His  own  Father. 
 
 Now  what  could  be  conceived  to  surpass  such  views 
 as  these  in  the  immense  amazement  they  are  calculated 
 to  excite  ?  How  could  one  refrain  from  shedding  in  tor- 
 rents uncontrollable  tears  of  love  over  men  so  utterly 
 abandoned  to  ungodliness,  as  though  they  were  already 
 dead  and  perished  ?  One  might  say,  and  that  very  appro- 
 priately :  Who  will  give  to  my  head  water,  and  to  mine  JeT.ix.l. 
 eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  and  I  will  weep  for  this  people  ^ 
 day  and  night?  For  over  those  who  have  chosen  to  think 
 such  thoughts  as  these,  one  might  fitly  shed  innumerable 
 tears.  But  since  it  is  by  means  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
 truth  that  I  conceive  we  ought  to  refute  their  slanders, 
 for  the  sake  of  that  which  is  profitable  to  simple  folk, 
 come  now,  and  let  us  answer  them  by  saying  that  we  have  l  Kings 
 been  very  jealous  for  the  Lord.  For  assuredly,  my  friends, 
 the  inspired  Paul  or  any  other  among  the  saints,  while 
 
272  T]i(^  heretical  analogy  is  incorrect. 
 
 Book  9.  they  had  in  themselves  Christ  tabernacled  in  their  hearts 
 c.  XIV.  11-  }jy  the  Spirit,  very  easily  did  such  things  as  seemed  good 
 unto  God,  and  appeared  as  workers  of  miraculous  deeds. 
 It  is  an  established  fact  therefore,  and  one  that  thou 
 wouldst  thyself  admit  to  be  true,  that  being  really  human 
 in  nature,  and  different  in  essence  from  the  Holy  Spirit 
 of  Christ  that  dwelt  within  them,  they  were  fearers  of 
 God,  and  were  glorious  by  reason  of  the  grace  bestowed 
 on  them  by  Christ.  And  thou  wilt  altogether  agree  with 
 us  in  saying  that  they  were  at  one  time  destitute  of  this 
 gift,  and  were  called  thereunto  when  it  seemed  good  to 
 God,  Who  directs  all  things  well,  that  thus  it  should  be. 
 It  was  then  not  impossible  that,  by  some  untoward  action, 
 or  deed  not  well  done,  the  blessed  Paul,  or  any  other  of 
 those  similarly  favoured,  should  after  being  joined  unto 
 God  be  capable  of  losing  again  the  grace  given  to  him, 
 and  being  thrust  back  again  to  return  to  the  humiliation 
 whence  he  had  arisen.  For  that  which  is  wholly  adven- 
 titious and  from  without  may  easily  be  spurned  away, 
 and  is  capable  of  being  taken  back  even  as  it  was  given. 
 Now  then,  my  good  sir :  for  my  question  is  coming  back 
 to  thee :  if  it  is  true,  according  to  thy  ignorant  notions 
 and  most  impious  imagination,  that  even  as  Christ  was 
 speaking  and  working  wonders  in  Paul,  so  one  must 
 admit  that  the  Father  is  in  the  Son  ;  what  manner  of 
 doubt  can  there  be  that  He  must  be  in  no  sense  what- 
 ever in  His  nature  God,  but  rather  something  different 
 from  the  Father  indwelling  in  Him,  the  Father  being 
 God  in  very  truth  1  For  thus  it  was  that  Christ  was  in 
 Paul.  So  then,  [according  to  you,]  the  Only-begotten  is 
 a  sort  of  instrument  or  implement  [in  the  hand  of  the 
 Father],  cunningly  devised  to  set  forth  His  glory,  in  no 
 wise  differing  from  a  flute  or  a  lyre,  giving  utterance  to 
 whatsoever  the  mouth  of  the  player  might  breathe  into 
 it  or  the  touch  of  his  finger  call  forth  in  rhythmic  melody. 
 And  He  will  be  acceptable  to  the  Father  as  an  assistance 
 in  the  performance  of  His  wonders,  as  one  might  conceive 
 of  a  saw  or  an  axe  in  the  hands  of-  a  skilful  carpenter. 
 
The  Son— like  the  Father— is  God.  273 
 
 And  then  what  can  be  more  paradoxical  than  this  ?  For  Chap.  i. 
 if  He  is  by  nature  as  those  heretics  say,  He  must  be  '^^^'  ' 
 altogether  alien  from  God  the  Father ;  whereas  in  our 
 opinion  He  is  by  nature  God,  and  none  other  than  God. 
 But  if  the  Son  is  severed  from  the  essence  of  the  Father, 
 as  far  at  least  as  pertains  to  His  being  in  nature  God, 
 surely  we  are  correct  in  inferring  that  the  Son  Who  sits  at 
 the  Father's  right  hand  is  placed  in  the  same  rank  with 
 the  created  world,  and  reckoned  among  the  results  of 
 God's  workmanship,  and  regarded  in  the  light  of  a 
 mechanical  instrument,  and  looked  upon  henceforth  as 
 a  servant  to  ourselves  rather  than  as  a  master  ;  or  in- 
 deed that  He  is  in  strict  truth  not  actually  a  Son  at  all. 
 For  never  could  one  regard  or  accept  in  the  light  of  a 
 Son  a  being  who  was  placed  in  the  rank  of  a  mere 
 instrument.  The  Father,  it  would  appear,  has  begotten 
 an  instrument  to  show  forth  His  wisdom  and  skill,  and 
 is  deemed  to  have  generated  something  quite  different 
 from  that  which  He  is  Himself.  How  could  this  possibly 
 happen  ?  Surely  it  is  the  height  of  folly  to  conceive  such 
 a  notion.  If  therefore  thou  refusest  to  surrender  that 
 opinion  concerning  the  Son  which  regards  Him  as  an 
 instrument  or  a  servant,  and  if  thou  art  unwilling  to 
 acknowledge  Him  as  at  all  in  truth  a  Son,  and  deniest 
 His  ineffable  generation  from  the  essence  of  God  the 
 Father  ;  thou  wilt  be  doing  injustice  to  the  glory  even 
 of  the  Father  Himself:  for  then  the  Father  will  cease  to 
 be  Father  in  veritable  reality ;  for  how  could  one  who 
 had  not  begotten  a  son  of  his  own  essence  be  at  all  in  his 
 nature  a  father  ?  It  would  follow  that  the  Holy  Trinity 
 is  altogether  falsely  named,  if  neither  the  Father  is  trul}^ 
 Father,  nor  the  Son  in  His  nature  Son.  And  the  logical 
 sequence  to  this  view  will  be  blasphemy  against  the  Holy 
 Ghost  as  well. 
 
 It  would  therefore  follow  in  this  case  that  we  have 
 been  grossly  deceived :  our  faith  is  a  falsehood :  the  Holy 
 Scripture  is  coining  a  lie  when  it  calls  God  by  the  name 
 of  the  Father.    And  if  the  Son   is  not  in  His  nature 
 
 VOL.  II.  T 
 
274  Christ  is  Divine, 
 
 Book  9.  God,  as  having  been  begotten  of  God  the  Father,  we  have 
 
 ^"  '^'^"  ■  been  led  astray,  and  together  with  us  the  citizens  of  the 
 world  above  have  erred  also,  even  the  undefiled  multi- 
 tude of  the  holy  angels,  when  they  joined  us  in  glorify- 
 ing and  adoring  the  Son  as  One  Who  is  in  His  nature 
 God  ;  being  led  on  in  some  mysterious  manner  to  sing 
 the  praise  of  one  who  (if  we  speak  after  the  manner  of 
 the  heretics'  accursed  folly)  is  a  God-bearing  vessel,  the 
 work  of  God's  hands.  And  if  the  Father  ever  willed  to 
 withdraw  from  His  relationship  to  the  Son  and  His 
 indwelling  in  Him,  the  Son  would  then  be  in  no  respect 
 different  from  others  who  have  fallen  away  from  their 
 original  sovereignty,  with  nothing  to  distinguish  Him, 
 no  trace  within  His  nature  of  the  Father  Who  begat 
 Him ;  but  rather  one  like  ourselves  in  all  things,  who 
 had  only  been  strengthened  by  the  Divine  grace,  and 
 indeed  honoured  with  the  title  of  sonship,  in  the  same 
 degree  as  ourselves.  Tell  me  then,  why  does  He  not 
 Himself  acknowledge  His  natural   relationship   to  us  1 
 
 Bar.iii.3.  Why  is  it  written:  We  'perish  for  ever,  ivhereas  Thou 
 ahidest  for  ever?  And  why  are  we  "servants"  and  He 
 "  Lord  "  ?  For  even  if  we  are  called  the  sons  of  God,  yet 
 by  acknowledging  none  the  less  our  own  proper  nature 
 we  do  not  disgrace  the  honour  done  to  us :  but  tell  me  the 
 reason  why — if  He  is  like  unto  us  and  not  at  all  superior 
 to  His  creatures,  inasmuch  as  He  is  not  in  nature  God 
 (for  this  is  their  ignorant  opinion) — He  does  not  confess 
 His  community  with  us  in  being  a  servant  ?  Rather  we 
 find  Him  investing  Himself  with  the  honour  and  glory 
 that  peculiarly  befit  and  are  specially  ascribed  to  the 
 
 Supra  Divine  nature,  and  saying  to  the  holy  disciples :  Ye  call 
 Me  Lord  and  Master,  and  ye  say  luell;  for  so  I  am.  This 
 is  the  Saviour's  saying:  but  our  illustrious  expositors, 
 who  introduce  these  doctrines  attacking  His  Divinity, 
 accept  his  words  and  affirmation  asserting  that  He 
 was  truly  called  Lord,  and  yet  thrust  Him  away  from 
 His  natural  lordship,  because  they  are  unwilling  to 
 confess  Him  as  in  His   nature    God    of  God ;    though 
 
 xiii.  13. 
 
since  He  is  superior  to  man.  275 
 
 they  are  not   bold   enough  to  bring  against  Him   the  Chap.  i. 
 worst  of  all  the  charges  that  their  accursed  blasphemy- 
 implies. 
 
 For  that  He  wills  not  to  be  reckoned  among  those  who 
 hold  the  rank  of  servants,  or  even  in  the  category  of 
 created  objects,  but  rather  that  He  ever  looks  to  the 
 freedom  inherent  in  Himself  by  nature,  even  at  the  time 
 when  He  was  made  in  the  form  of  a  servant — all  this 
 thou  wilt  learn  in  the  following  manner.  He  had 
 arrived  at  Capernaum,  as  we  read  in  the  Gospels :  the 
 collectors  of  the  legal  tribute-money  came  to  Peter,  and 
 said  :  Doth  not  your  Master  pay  the  half-shekel  ?  And  s.  Matt. 
 when  Christ  heard  of  this,  it  is  right  that  we  should  ^^"' 
 notice  the  question  He  addressed  to  Peter :  The  kings  of  ibid.  25. 
 the  earth,  from  ivhorii  do  they  receive  toll  or  tribute? 
 from  their  sons  or  from  strangers  ?  And  after  Peter  had 
 wisely  and  sensibly  acknowledged  that  it  was  a  stranger 
 to  the  kingdom,  as  regards  birth  and  kinship  as  it  is 
 reckoned  among  us,  who  would  be  compelled  to  submit 
 to  ordinances  and  taxation ;  Christ  forthwith  brought 
 forward  His  claim  that  a  God-befitting  nature  was  truly 
 existent  in  Himself,  by  adding  the  words  :  Therefore  the  ibid.  26. 
 sons  are  free.  Whereas  if  He  had  been  a  fellow-servant, 
 and  not  a  Son  truly  begotten  of  the  essence  of  the  Father, 
 with  no  intimate  natural  relationship  to  the  Father  ; 
 why  is  it  that,  after  implying  that  all  besides  are  subject 
 to  the  tribute,  inasmuch  as  their  nature  is  foreign  to  that 
 of  Him  Who  of  right  receives  the  tribute,  and  they  are  only 
 in  the  rank  of  servants.  He  has  claimed  freedom  for 
 Himself  alone  ?  For  it  is  by  an  inaccurate  use  of  terms 
 that  attributes,  which  mainly  and  truly  are  befitting  to 
 the  Godhead  alone,  are  ascribed  to  us  ;  whereas  in  Him 
 they  are  in  very  truth  inherent.  And  so  if  any  one  were 
 to  investigate  accurately  the  nature  of  things  created,  he 
 would  perceive  that  to  that  nature  the  title  as  well  as 
 the  fact  of  slavery  most  appropriately  belongs  ;  whereas 
 if  any  like  ourselves  have  been  decorated  with  the 
 glorious   name   of  freedom,  an  honour  that  is  due   to 
 
 T  2 
 
276  The  Son  /«  hejotten  of  the  Father, 
 
 B  lOK  9.  God  alone  is  attributed  to  them  only  by  an  inexact  use 
 
 C.  xiv.  11.     /•  1 
 
 01  language. 
 
 Now  here  again  is  another  question  I  should  be  very 
 glad  to  ask  them.  Will  they  allow  to  Paul  the  epithet 
 *  eeo<j)6pos  of  ^  God-bearer,  seeing  that  Christ  dwells  in  him  through 
 the  Holy  Spirit,  or  will  they  be  silly  enough  to  deny 
 this?  For  if  they  shall  say  that  he  is  not  in  truth  a 
 God-bearer,  this  will  be  sufficient  I  think  to  persuade 
 all  men  for  the  future  to  reject  the  nonsense  they  talk, 
 and  to  hate  them  utterly,  as  men  who  shrink  from  saying- 
 no  absurd  thing.  And  if,  avoiding  this,  they  shall  turn 
 to  the  duty  of  saying  the  truth,  and  confess  him  to  be 
 truly  a  God-bearer,  because  that  Christ  dwells  in  him, 
 will  they  not  be  convicted  of  very  impiously  saying  that 
 the  Son  is  alien  from  the  essence  of  God  the  Father  ? 
 For  Paul  is  no  longer  a  God-bearer,  if  the  Son  is  not  in 
 His  nature  God.  Put  sometimes  they  blush,  and  say — 
 for  they  are  also  characterised  by  recklessness  and  per- 
 verseness  in  argument — that  the  Son  is  truly  God,  yet 
 not  in  His  nature  begotten  of  God.  And  there  is  no 
 manner  of  doubt  that  any  man  whatever  will  exclaim 
 against  them  on  this  point  too  ;  for  how  could  one  who 
 is  not  in  his  nature  begotten  of  God  be  God  ?  Further, 
 we  add  this.  You  say  that  the  Son  is  in  His  nature 
 God  :  how  then  could  He  Who  is  in  His  nature  God  be 
 a  God-bearer  or  a  partaker  of  God  ?  For  no  one  could 
 ever  be  a  partaker  of  himself.  For  to  what  end  will 
 God  dwell  in  God,  as  though  in  something  different  ? 
 For  if  the  recipient  is  in  nature  just  the  same  as  the 
 indweller  may  be  conceived  to  be,  what  henceforth 
 becomes  of  the  need  of  the  participation  ?  And  if  in  the 
 same  way  that  Christ  dwelt  in  Paul,  the  Father  also 
 dwelt  in  Him,  will  not  Christ  be  a  God-bearer  in  the 
 same  way  as  Paul  1  And  He  will  not  in  any  other  sense 
 possess  the  quality  of  being  in  His  nature  God,  through 
 His  having  the  need  of  a  greater  one,  namely,  the  in- 
 dwelling God.  Then  again  this  noble  friend  of  ours  goes 
 further  in  his  clever  inventions,  and  by  many  proofs  (as 
 
and  is  of  His  Essence.  277 
 
 he  seems  to  think  them)  he  attempts  to  talk  people  round  Chap.  i. 
 to  his  peculiar  doctrine.  For  I  think  it  is  worth  while  ^'  ^^^'  ' 
 to  go  through  all  his  words  in  detail,  and  to  make  a  direct 
 investigation  of  the  impious  plot  that  he  has  laid,  in  order 
 that  he  may  be  clearly  convicted  of  numbering  the  Only- 
 begotten  among  things  created.  And  the  wretched  man, 
 having  buried  his  impiety  towards  Christ  beneath  a  heap 
 of  cleverly  devised  conceits,  confesses  Him  to  be  God, 
 and  yet,  excluding  Him  from  the  Divinity  that  is  truly 
 and  naturally  His,  imagines  that  he  will  elude  the  ob- 
 servation of  those  who  are  looking  for  the  real  truth. 
 
 Accordingly  he  writes  thus:  "But  even  as  we,  while  we 
 are  said  to  be  in  Him,  have  our  substance  in  no  way 
 mingled  with  His ;  in  the  same  way  also  the  Son,  while 
 He  is  in  the  Father,  has  His  essence  entirely  different 
 from  the  Uncreated  One." 
 
 What  lamentable  audacity!  Whatextravagantlanguage, 
 and  how  full  of  folly,  or  rather  of  all  perversity  and 
 madness !  Professing  themselves  to  be  luise  they  in  reality  Rom.  i. 
 became  fools ;    and  holding  these  views  concerning  the  ^^" 
 Only-begotten,  they  denied  the  Master  that  bought  them,  2  Pet.  ii. 
 as  it  is  written.     For  if  they  say  that  the  Word  of  God   ' 
 is  a  man  and  one  like  ourselves,  there  remains  nothing 
 that  prevents  them  from  saying  that  He  is  in  God  in  the 
 same  way  that  we  are :    but  if  they  believe  Him  to  be 
 God,  and  have  learnt  to  worship  Him  as  being  so  by 
 nature,  why  do  they  not  rather  ascribe  to  Him  existence 
 in  a  God-befitting  way  in  His  own  Father,  and  also  the 
 possession  of  the  Father  in  Himself  ?     For  this  I  think 
 would  be  more  fitting  for  those  who  are  really  lovers  of 
 God  to  think  and  say.    And  if  we  find  them  still  cherish- 
 ing their  shamelessness  undaunted,  and  persisting  in  the 
 words  they  have  uttered, — saying  that  the  Father  is  in 
 the  Son  in  the  same  manner  as  may  be  the  case  with  any 
 one  of  us,  who  have  been  created  out  of  nothing  and 
 formed  out  of  the  earth  by  Him, — why  is  it  not  permis- 
 sible for  those  who  wish  to  do  so,  to  say  henceforth  with  „ 
 impunity :    He  that  hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father,  ver.  y. 
 
278  The  my'tny  of  S.  Paul 
 
 Book  y.  and :  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  is  in  me  ?   Eut 
 c.  XIV.  11.  -j-  ^]^jj^]^  ^]jj^^  Ij^  ^]^ig  ^a^y  a^Qy  Qj2e  -vvould  be  condemned, 
 
 ver.  10.  and  very  properly,  on  a  charge  of  the  most  utter  folly 
 possible.  For  not  only  is  it  absurd,  but  such  a  thing  was 
 never  said  by  any  of  the  saints  in  the  inspired  Scripture. 
 On  the  other  hand,  they  all  concede  to  Him  Who  is  in 
 His  nature  Lord  and  God,  the  Only-begotten,  an  incom- 
 parable excellence  above  all  good  men  ;  yea,  verily,  they 
 Pf.  proclaim  aloud  and  say  :    Who  among  the  sons  of  God 
 
 (ixxxviii!  shall  be  likened  unto  the  Lord  ?  How  then  is  the  Only- 
 7-  LXX.)  begotten  any  longer  like  us,  if  (according  to  the  language 
 of  the  saints)  no  one  is  His  equal  or  His  peer  1  Whereas 
 if  He  is  in  God  in  just  the  same  way  that  we  are,  we  shall 
 in  consequence  be  compelled  to  say  that  the  company  of 
 the  saints  are  untruthful,  and  to  ascribe  to  Him  Who  is 
 in  His  nature  Son  nothing  extraordinary  which  might 
 distinguish  Him  as  of  a  different  rank  from  those  who 
 are  sons  only  by  adoption.  Away  with  the  loathsome 
 idea,  man !  For  we  will  not  be  so  persuaded ;  God  forbid ! 
 On  the  contrary,  following  the  opinions  of  the  holy  fathers, 
 we  believe  that  we  shall  be  well-pleasing  unto  God. 
 
 But  seeing  that  they  brought  forward,  as  a  proof  of  what 
 they  think  and  say,  that  well-known  saying  of  Paul,  that 
 Actsxvii.  in  God  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being,  arguing 
 that  when  the  Son  is  said  to  be  in  the  Father  the  expres- 
 sion lacks  precision,  being  adopted  from  our  everyday 
 life  ;  come  and  let  us  subject  their  statement  to  the  re- 
 quisite investigation,  and  so  convict  them  of  deliberately 
 misrepresenting  the  mind  of  the  holy  Apostle  and  most 
 foolishly  perverting  to  their  own  views  what  was  said  in 
 absolute  truth.  For  when  the  blessed  Paul  was  at 
 Athens  and  saw  the  inhabitants  abjectly  devoted  to 
 polytheistic  error,  although  the  people  in  that  city  were 
 reputed  wise,  he  attempted  to  lead  them  back  from  their 
 ancient  delusion,  seeking  (by  argumentative  exhortations 
 to  true  piety)  skilfully  to  convince  them  of  the  necessity 
 for  the  future  of  knowing  one  God  and  one  only,  Who 
 bestows  on  those  that  have  been  made  by  Him  the  power 
 
to  the  Athenians  considered.  279 
 
 of  moving  and  living  and  having  their  being.  For  the  Chap.  i. 
 Creator  of  all,  being  in  His  nature  Life,  implants  life  in  •^•'^^"^•i^- 
 all,  infusing  into  them  by  an  ineffable  process  the  power 
 of  His  own  Individuality.  For  in  no  other  way  was  it 
 possible  that  things  which  had  received  their  allotted 
 birth  out  of  nothing  should  preserve  their  capability  of 
 existence :  for  surely  each  would  have  returned  to  its  own 
 nature,  I  mean  back  again  to  non-existence,  unless,  by  the 
 help  of  its  relationship  to  the  Self-Existent  One,  it  had 
 overcome  the  weakness  of  its  own  condition  at  birth. 
 Therefore  the  inspired  Paul  very  rightly  and  properly 
 said,  by  way  of  showing  that  God  is  the  life  of  the 
 universe,  that  in  Him  ive  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
 being  :  not  at  all  meaning  what  the  heretics  invented  for 
 themselves,  in  corrupting  (to  suit  their  own  peculiar 
 theories)  the  true  signification  of  the  Holy  Scriptures ; 
 but  rather  saying  exactly  what  was  true,  and  also  highly 
 profitable  for  those  who  were  just  being  trained,  up  to  a 
 knowledge  of  God.  And,  if  it  is  needful  to  put  it  even 
 more  plainly,  he  has  never  wished  to  imply  that  we,  who 
 are  in  our  nature  men,  are  jQt  contained  in  the  essence  of 
 the  Father,  and  appear  as  existing  in  Him  ;  but  rather 
 that  we  live  and  move  and  have  our  being  in  God,  that  is, 
 our  life  consists  in  Him. 
 
 For  notice  that  Paul  did  not  say  simply  and  unreserv- 
 edly, "  We  are  in  God,"  and  nothing  more.  This  was  on 
 account  of  thy  ignorance,  my  good  friend,  and  most 
 naturally  so.  But  he  employed  different  expressions,  by 
 way  of  interpreting  the  exact  meaning  of  his  words. 
 After  beginning  with  the  statement :  "  We  live,''  he  added 
 thereto  the  further  idea :  "  We  move,"  and  thirdly  he 
 brought  in  the  phrase  :  "  We  have  our  being  ;"  presenting 
 this  also,  so  as  to  supplement  the  meaning  of  the  previous 
 words.  And  I  think  that  the  correct  argument  we  shall 
 use  concerning  this  matter  will  very  probably  put  to 
 shame  the  ungodly  heretic :  but  if  he  insists  in  his  oppo- 
 sition, and  drags  round  the  words  '•  in  God  "  to  the  mean- 
 ing which  pleases  himself  and  no  one  else,  we  will  set 
 
280  The  Scrlptaixd  lueanlity  of 
 
 l3(KiK  9.  forth  the  common  use  of  the  inspired  Scripture.  Scripture 
 ^'  ''^^'  ■  is  wont  occasionally  to  use  the  words  "  in  God  "  in  the 
 sense  of  "  by  God."  For  let  that  man  tell  us  what  is  the 
 meaning  of  a  certain  Psalmist's  declaration,  when  he  says: 
 Ps.ix.i2. "  7^1  GocV  let  us  do  valiardly ;  and  again,  addressing 
 Ps.xliv.5.  God :  "  III  Thee  "  will  ive  push  doivn  our  enemies.  For 
 surely  no  one  will  suppose  that  the  Psalmist  means  this, 
 that  he  promises  to  accomphsh  something  valiantly  "  in 
 the  essence  of  God,"  nor  even  that  "  in  that  essence  "  we 
 shall  discover  our  own  enemies  and  push  them  down : 
 but  he  uses  the  words  "  in  God  "  in  the  sense  of"  by  [the 
 help  of]  God,"  and  again,  "  in  Thee  "  in  the  sense  of  "  by 
 Thee."  And  why  also  did  the  blessed  Paul  say  in  his 
 ic'or.i.i.  letter  to  the  Corinthians:  /  thank  my  God  concerning 
 you  all  for  the  grace  which  luas  given  you  ^^  in  Christ 
 Ibid.  30.  Jesus,"  and  again:  But  of  Him  are  ye  "  in  Christ  Jesus,'' 
 Who  was  made  unto  us  wisdom  from  God,  and  righteous- 
 ness, and  sanctification,  and  redemption?  For  will  any 
 one  reasonably  maintain  that  the  Spirit-bearer  says  that 
 the  grace  which  was  bestowed  on  the  Corinthians  from 
 above  was  given  "  in  the  actual  essence  of  Christ,"  or  to 
 quote  the  authority  of  Paul  in  support  of  heterodoxy  ? 
 Surely  such  a  one  would  be  evidently  talking  nonsense. 
 Why  therefore,  setting  aside  the  ordinary  usage  of  terms  in 
 the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  misrepresenting  the  intention 
 of  the  blessed  Paul,  dost  thou  say  that  wo  are  "  in  God," 
 that  is,  "in  the  essence  of  the  Father,"  because  thou 
 hearest  him  say  to  those  in  Athens,  that  ni  Him  we  live, 
 and  move,  and  have  our  being  ? 
 
 "  Yes,"  says  the  defender  of  the  pernicious  opinions, 
 "  but  if  it  seems  to  thee  right  and  proper  that  the  words 
 '  in  God '  should  bear  and  be  acknowledged  to  bear  the 
 sense  of  '  by  God,'  why  dost  thou  make  so  much  need- 
 less ado  1  And  why  dost  thou  bring  against  us 
 charges  of  blasphemy  when  we  maintain  that  the  Son 
 was  made  '  by  the  Father '  ?  For  behold,  He  Himself 
 says  :  I  am  '  in  the  Father,'  in  the  sense  of  '  by  the 
 Father,'  at  least  according  to  thy  explanation,  Sir,  and 
 
"  in  God  "  and  "  hy  God."  281 
 
 according  to  the  common  usage,  which  thou  hast  just  chai'.  l. 
 laid  before  us  in  thy  quotations  from  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
 tures." 
 
 But  I  say  that  it  is  necessary  to  defend  myself  again 
 in  reply  to  this,  and  lay  bare  their  mischievous  inten- 
 tions and  pernicious  notions.  For  I  am  astonished  that, 
 after  hearing  gladly  that  it  is  a  usage  of  the  Sacred 
 Scripture  to  use  the  words  "  in  God "  as  equivalent  to 
 "  by  God,"  and  after  approving  and  accepting  the  phrase 
 merely  for  the  sake  of  being  able  to  say  something 
 against  the  glory  of  the  Only-begotten,  they  have  by 
 no  means  become  conscious  of  the  fact  that  they  will 
 again  be  convicted  of  talking  as  foolishly  as  before, 
 although  they  claim  to  be  wise  and  acute.  For  if  our 
 opponents  were  the  only  ones  entrusted  with  the  duty 
 of  defending  from  time  to  time  the  usage  of  the  inspired 
 Scripture  in  reference  to  the  essence  of  the  Only-begotten, 
 and  of  saying  that  He  was  made  by  the  Father,  because 
 of  this,  that  He  says  He  is  "in  God,"  and  we  have 
 allowed  that  ''in  God"  is  to  be  understood  in  the  sense 
 of  "  by  God ;  '  then  it  might  have  seemed  at  least  pro- 
 bable that  their  mischievous  intention  rested  on  grounds 
 not  altogether  unreasonable.  But  if  in  truth  there  is 
 nothing  which  can  prevent  us  also,  in  our  eagerness  to 
 refute  by  a  reductio  ad  absurdum  the  unsoundness  of 
 the  sentiments  they  hold,  from  carrying  on  the  force  of 
 the  meaning  implied  so  as  to  make  it  refer  to  the  Father 
 Himself,  and  from  saying  plainly  that  since  Christ  also 
 adds  this  :  The  Father  is  '•  in  Me,"  we  must  understand 
 it  in  the  sense  of  "  by  Me,"  so  that  as  a  consequence  the 
 Father  Himself  also  will  be  a  creature  ;  surely  then  they, 
 having  relied  on  arguments  so  very  foolish,  will  be 
 universally  condemned  as  guilty  of  unmitigated  folly. 
 For  just  as  the  Son  says  that  He  Himself  is  "  in  "  the 
 Father,  so  also  He  said  that  the  Father  is  "  in "  Him : 
 and  if  they  wish  the  words  "  in  the  Father  "  to  be  under- 
 stood in  the  sense  of  "  by  the  Father,"  what  is  there  that 
 prevents  us  from  saying  that  the  words  "  in  the  Son  " 
 
282  The  heretical  argutnent 
 
 Book  0.  shall  be  understood  in  the  sense  of  "  by  the  Son  "  ?  But 
 c.xiv.  11.  ^g  will  not  suffer  ourselves  again  to  be  drawn  down 
 with  them  into  such  an  abyss  of  folly.  For  neither  will 
 we  say  that  the  Son  is  made  by  the  Father,  nor  indeed 
 that  He  from  Whom  are  all  things,  namely  God  the 
 Father,  was  brought  into  existence  by  the  Son ;  but 
 rather,  referring  the  usage  of  the  inspired  Scripture  in 
 due  proportion  to  each  occasion  or  person  or  circumstance, 
 we  shall  thus  weave  together  our  theory  so  as  to  make  it 
 on  all  essential  points  faultless  and  indisputable.  For 
 with  regard  to  those  who  out  of  nothing  have  been 
 created  into  being,  and  have  been  brought  into  existence 
 by  God,  surely  it  would  be  most  fitting  that  we  should 
 regard  them  and  speak  of  them  as  being  "  in  God "  in 
 the  sense  of  "  by  God  :  "  but  with  regard  to  Him  Who  is 
 in  His  nature  Son  and  Lord,  and  God  and  Creator  of 
 the  universe,  this  signification  could  not  be  specially  or 
 truly  suitable.  The  real  truth  is  that  He  is  naturally  in 
 the  Father,  and  in  Him  from  the  beginning,  and  has  Him 
 in  Himself,  by  reason  of  His  showing  Himself  to  possess 
 identity  of  essence,  and  because  He  is  subject  to  no 
 power  that  can  sever  between  Them,  and  divide  Them 
 into  a  diversity  of  nature. 
 
 And  perhaps  it  might  seem  to  minds  more  open  to 
 conviction  that  this  matter  has  been  sufi^iciently  dis- 
 cussed, as  indeed  I  think  myself:  yet  our  opponent  will 
 by  no  means  assent  to  this  ;  but  he  will  meet  us  again 
 with  the  objection,  dishing  up  again  the  argument  intro- 
 duced by  him  at  the  first,  that  the  Father  is  in  the  Son 
 in  the  same  manner  as  we  are  in  Him. 
 
 "  What  then,"  we  might  say,  judiciously  rebuking  the 
 unsoundness  and  childishness  of  his  thoughts  and  words, 
 "  dost  thou  say  that  the  Son  is  in  the  Father  even  as  we 
 are  in  Him?  Be  it  so.  What  limit  to  our  natural 
 capacity  then,"  we  shall  reply,  "  is  there,  that  prevents 
 us  from  using  expressions  with  respect  to  ourselves  as 
 exalted  as  any  of  those  which  Christ  is  seen  to  have 
 used  ?     For  He  Himself,  seeing  that  He  is  in  the  Father 
 
shown  to  be  absurd.  283 
 
 and  has  the  Father  in  Himself,  inasmuch  as  He  is  thereby  Chap.  i. 
 both  an  Exact  Likeness  and  Very  Image  of  Him,  uses  ^'  ^'^'  ' 
 the  expressions :  He  that  hath  seen  He  hath  seen  the 
 Father  :  I  and  the  Father  are  One.  But  -with  regard  to 
 ourselves,  tell  me,  if  we  are  in  Him  and  if  we  have  Him 
 in  ourselves  exactly  in  the  same  way  that  Christ  Him- 
 self is  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  Him,  why  do  we 
 not  extend  our  necks  as  much  as  we  can,  and,  holding 
 our  heads  high  above  those  around  us,  say  with  boldness  : 
 "  I  am  in  Christ  and  Christ  in  me :  He  that  hath  seen  me 
 hath  seen  Christ :  I  and  Christ  are  one  "  1  Then  what 
 would  come  next  ?  No  one,  I  think,  would  any  longer 
 have  any  just  cause  for  alarm,  or  any  sufficient  ground 
 for  hesitation,  to  prevent  his  speaking  as  follows,  daring 
 henceforth  to  say  concerning  the  Father  Himself :  "  I 
 and  the  Father  are  one."  For  if  the  Father  is  one  with 
 the  Son,  surely  such  a  man,  having  become  an  exact 
 image  of  the  Exact  Image,  namely  of  the  Son,  will  share 
 henceforth  in  all  the  Son's  relations  to  the  Father  Himself. 
 Who  therefore  will  ever  descend  to  such  a  depth  of  mad- 
 ness as  to  dare  to  say :  "  He  who  hath  seen  me  hath  seen 
 Christ :  I  and  Christ  are  one  "  ?  For  if  thou  attributest 
 to  the  Son  the  being  in  the  Father  and  the  having  the 
 Father  in  Himself  in  some  non-essential  manner  and  not 
 in  His  nature,  and  supposest  that  we  in  like  manner  are 
 in  Christ  and  Christ  in  us ;  in  the  fii'st  place  the  Son 
 will  be  on  the  same  footing  as  ourselves,  and  in  the 
 next  place  there  is  nothing  that  prevents  us  at  our 
 pleasure  from  passing  by  the  Son  Himself  as  though  He 
 were  an  obstacle  in  our  way,  and  rushing  straight  on  to 
 the  Father  Himself,  and  claiming  that  we  are  so  exactly 
 assimilated  to  Him  that  nothing  can  be  found  which  dis- 
 tinguishes us  from  Him.  For  the  being  said  to  be  one 
 with  anything  would  naturally  bear  this  meaning.  Do  ye 
 not  then  see  into  what  a  depth  of  folly  and  at  the  same 
 time  of  impiety  their  minds  have  sunk,  and  of  what 
 absurd  arguments  the  wild  attack  upon  us  has  consisted  ? 
 What  their  excuse  is  therefore  for  saying  and  uphold- 
 
284  He  that  denieth  the  So7i 
 
 Book  9.  ing  such  things,  and  for  buoying  themselves  up  on  such 
 c-  XIV.  .  j.Q^^gj^  arguments,  I  will  now  again  tell.  Their  one  en- 
 deavour is  to  show  that  the  Son  is  altogether  alien  and 
 ^  (ic(i>v\os  altogether  ^  foreign  to  the  essence  of  the  Father.  For  wo 
 shall  know  that  we  are  speaking  the  truth  in  saying 
 this,  by  reference  to  the  words  that  follow  after  and  are 
 closely  connected  with  the  heretic's  previous  blasphemies. 
 For  he  proceeds  thus :  "  But  even  as  we,  while  we  are 
 in  Him,  have  our  substance  in  no  way  mingled  with 
 His ;  in  the  same  way  also  the  Son,  while  He  is  in  the 
 Father,  has  His  essence  entirely  different  from  the  Un- 
 begotten  God."  What  sayest  thou,  O  infatuated  one  ? 
 Hast  thou  made  thy  blasphemy  against  the  Son  in  such 
 plain  language  ?  Will  any  one  therefore  venture  to  say 
 that  we  are  trying  to  heap  upon  the  heads  of  the  God- 
 opposers  groundless  and  false  accusations  ?  For  see 
 cleai'ly,  they  attribute  to  Him  no  superiority  whatever 
 over  those  who  have  been  made  of  earth  and  have  been 
 by  Him  brought  into  existence.  And  although  I  can 
 scarcely  endure  the  things  which  the  wretched  men  have 
 dared  to  say,  I  will  endeavour  to  prove  this,  as  being  in 
 accordance  with  the  scope  of  Divine  Scripture,  namely, 
 that  since  they  deny  the  Son  they  deny  at  the  same 
 
 Eph.  ii.    time  the  Father  also,  and  thenceforth  are  tvithout  God 
 12 
 
 and  without  hope  in  this  wo7id,  as  it  is  written.     And 
 
 to  prove  that  we  are  right  in  saying  this,  the  God-beloved 
 
 John  will  come  forward  as  a  trustworthy  witness  on  our 
 
 I  s.  John  side,  for  he  wi'ote  thus :  He  that  denieth  the  Father  and 
 
 II  99    9^ 
 
 ■  '  '  the  Son.  Wliosoever  denieth  the  Son,  the  same  hath  not  tie 
 Father ;  he  that  confesseth  the  Son  hath  the  Father  also. 
 And  surely  the  Spirit-bearer  speaketh  very  rightly,  not 
 failing  to  make  his  statement  conform  fittingly  to  his 
 argument.  For  because  he  knows  that  [God  the  Father] 
 is  essentially  in  His  nature  what  He  is  said  to  be, 
 namely  a  Father,  and  that  not  merely  in  name  but 
 rather  in  reality,  he  consequently  says  that  the  One  is 
 necessarily  denied  when  the  Other  is  denied.  For  con- 
 currently in  some  wa}^  or  other  with  One  Who  is  really 
 
denieth  the  Father.  283 
 
 in  His  nature  a  Father  and  is  so  conceived  of,  there  must  Chap.  i. 
 always  be  the  knowledge  and  manifestation  of  the  Off- 
 spring that  proceedeth  from  Him  ;  and  One  Who  has 
 been  in  very  truth  begotten  involves  the  Personal 
 existence  of  Another  capable  by  nature  of  begetting. 
 For  no  sooner  do  we  recognise  a  man  as  a  father  than 
 we  understand  him  to  have  begotten  olTspring,  and  we 
 can  by  no  means  consider  the  idea  of  an  offspring  without 
 implying  that  some  father  has  begotten  it.  Thus  by 
 either  term  the  other  conception  is  produced  in  the  minds 
 of  those  who  hear  it,  and  so  any  one  who  denies  that 
 God  is  truly  a  Father  makes  out  the  generation  of  the 
 Son  to  be  altogether  impossible,  and  similarly  any  one 
 who  does  not  confess  the  Son  to  be  an  Offspring  must  by 
 implication  lose  all  knowledge  of  the  Father.  When 
 therefore,  as  from  a  sling,  he  hurls  at  us  his  unholy 
 arguments,  and  maintains  that  the  Son  has  His  essence 
 quite  distinct  from  that  of  the  Unbegotten  God,  why 
 does  He  not  openly  deny  that  the  Son  is  really  a  Son  ? 
 And  if  there  is  not  a  Son,  the  Father  Himself  can  no 
 longer  be  conceived  of  as  truly  a  Father.  For  whose 
 Father  will  He  be,  if  He  has  not  begotten  any  Offspring  ? 
 What  we  say  is,  that  the  Son  is  quite  distinct  from  the 
 Person,  but  not  from  the  essence,  of  the  Father ;  not 
 being  alien  from  Him  in  His  nature,  as  forsooth  these 
 God-opposers  think,  but  being  possessed  of  His  own 
 Person  and  His  own  distinct  subsistence,  inasmuch  as 
 He  is  Son  and  not  Father.  But,  if  we  understand  our 
 own  mind  rightly,  we  would  not  ourselves  say,  nor 
 would  we  assent  to  any  of  the  brethren  who  say,  that 
 He  is  distinct  from  the  Father  in  regard  to  essence.  For 
 how  can  distinction  exist  in  that  one  thing,  with  refer- 
 ence to  which  each  individual  has  some  special  character- 
 istic '?  For  Peter  is  Peter,  and  not  Paul,  and  Paul  is  not 
 Peter ;  yet  they  remain  without  distinction  in  their 
 nature.  For  both  possess  one  kind  of  nature,  and  the 
 individuals  who  are  associated  in  a  uniformity  of  nature 
 have  that  same  kind  without  any  difference  at  all. 
 
286  We  are  in  the  Son  in  one  ivay, 
 
 Book  9.  For  what  reason  are  we  saying  such  things  as  this  1 
 c.  XIV.  11.  ^Y^  confess  that  our  object  is  to  show  that  those  who 
 hold  such  blasphemous  opinions  rob  the  Son  of  the  God- 
 head which  is  His  by  nature,  when  they  (as  we  have 
 already  explained)  ascribe  to  Him  nothing  more  than  a 
 non-essential  relationship  to  God  the  Father,  Else  why 
 do  they  put  forward  ourselves  in  illustration  of  their 
 argument,  and  say :  "  Even  as  we  have  our  substance  in 
 no  way  mingled  with  His,  while  we  are  in  Him  ;  so  also 
 He  Himself  has  His  essence  entirely  different  from  God, 
 although  He  is  said  to  be  in  Him"  ?  Is  not  their  crafti- 
 ness patent  to  all  men?  WiU  not  any  one  be  right  in 
 saying  that  the  man  who  vomited  forth  such  an  abomin- 
 able statement  as  this  must  surely  be  one  of  the  "  mock- 
 ers "  announced  beforehand  by  the  Spirit  ?  For  what 
 does  Jude,  the  disciple  of  the  Saviour,  write  to  us  in  his 
 S.  Jude  epistle  ?  But  ye,  beloved,  remember  ye  the  words  ivhich 
 ^'^~^^'  have  he^n  spoken  before  by  the  apostles  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ ;  haiu  that  they  said  to  you,  that  in  the  last  time 
 there  shall  come  mockers,  ivcdking  after  their  oivn  un- 
 godly lusts.  These  are  they  who  make  separations, 
 sensucd,  having  not  the  Spirit.  For  no  man  whatsoever, 
 Avho  speaks  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  will  say  anything  against 
 the  glory  of  the  Only-begotten.  For  I  maintain  that 
 iCor.xii.  this  is  just  the  same  as  saying :  Jesus  is  ancdhema.  On 
 the  other  hand,  sensual  and  worthless  men,  and  those 
 whose  hearts  are  devoid  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  make  separa- 
 tions between  the  Father  and  the  Son ;  asserting  that 
 the  latter  is  as  essentially  and  completely  severed  from 
 the  former  as  are  created  things  and  each  of  the  works 
 made  by  Him,  and  believing  Him  to  be  in  the  Father 
 only  in  the  same  way  that  we  are  in  Him. 
 
 And  that  they  who  have  dared  to  write  such  things 
 have  thereby  reached  the  furthest  verge  of  folly,  let  us  if 
 you  please  proceed  to  show  in  another  way,  as  is  quite 
 possible,  from  the  Divine  Scripture ;  and  let  us  hasten  to 
 prove  to  our  hearers  that  we  are  in  the  Son  in  one  way^ 
 whereas  the  Son  is  in  His  own  Father  in  another  way. 
 
the  Son  is  in  the  Father  in  another  ivay.       287 
 
 For  one  person  is  not  a  likeness  of  another's  substance  Chap.  i. 
 when  he  conforms  himself  to  that  other  by  the  exercise  "  ^^^'  " 
 of  a  virtuous  will,  nor  is  he  on  that  account  said  to  be 
 in  the  other ;  but  when  he  is  in  natural  identity  with  the 
 other,  and  possesses  one  essence  with  him.  And  let  the 
 most  wise  John  be  called  in  as  a  witness  for  us  on  this 
 point,  since  he  says  :  Yea,  and  our  felloivshij)  is  luith  }  S.  John 
 the  Father  and  ivith  His  Son  Jesus  Christ.  How  then, 
 pray,  do  they  say,  and  in  what  manner  do  they  think  fit 
 to  assert,  that  we  have  feUoivshij)  luith  the  Father  and 
 ivith  His  Son  Jesus  Christ  ?  For  if  we  are  considered  to 
 be  in  Them,  as  having  our  own  essence  commingled  with 
 the  Divine  nature,  that  is,  with  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
 and  if  the  expression  "  fellowship  "  does  not  rather  refer 
 to  the  similarity  of  our  wills  ;  how  can  we  have  it  with 
 the  Father  and  with  the  Son,  when  (according  to  these 
 heretics)  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  not  Consubstantial? 
 For  in  that  case  we  must  hold  opinions  worthy  of  ridicule, 
 and  say  that  we  have  cleft  our  own  nature  asunder  into 
 two  parts,  and  given  one  half  to  the  Father  and  the 
 other  to  ourselves  and  to  the  Son,  and  thus  we  consider 
 ourselves  to  be  in  Them.  Or  else  we  must  reject  such 
 absurdity  of  statement,  and  say  that  by  doing  our  best 
 to  make  our  own  disposition  brightly  radiant  through  the 
 exercise  of  a  virtuous  will  and  through  conformity  to  the 
 Divine  and  ineffable  beauty,  we  obtain  for  ourselves  the 
 grace  of  fellowship  with  Them,  But  shall  we  therefore 
 say  that  the  Son  is  in  the  Father  after  a  similar  manner 
 to  this,  and  that  He  only  possesses  a  non-essential  and 
 artificially-added  fellowship  with  the  One  Who  begat 
 Him  ?  And  yet,  if  so,  why  in  the  world  does  He  wish, 
 through  the  similarity  and  indeed  identity  of  their  works, 
 to  lead  our  mind  to  feel  the  necessity  of  believing  with- 
 out any  hesitation  that  He  is  Himself  in  the  Father,  and 
 that  He  again  has  also  the  Father  in  Himself?  For  is  it 
 not  seen  by  every  one  to  be  perfectly  evident  and  true 
 that,  wishing  the  brilliancy  of  His  deeds  to  be  inves- 
 tigated by  us,  He  shows  Himself  equal  in  strength  to 
 
288  Hoiv  tve  are  in  God. 
 
 Book  9.  His  own  Father,  as  if  the  severance  as  regards  essence 
 ■  and  the  difference  as  to  nature  no  longer  maintained 
 their  position ;  since  both  Himself  and  the  Father  glorify 
 themselves  by  similar  achievements  ? 
 
 For  observe  how  we  who  constantly  strive  after 
 conformity  with  God  do  (so  to  say)  render  ourselves 
 worthy  of  fellowship  with  Him,  not  in  such  ways  as 
 these,  but  in  certain  other  ways.  For  when  we  show 
 pity  to  one  another,  are  ardently  devoted  to  works 
 of  love,  and  practise  all  that  is  truly  respectable  in 
 our  ordinary  life,  even  then  we  can  hardly  venture 
 to  pronounce  ourselves  "  in    God."     And   John   is   our 
 
 IS  Jolm  witness,  sajdng:  Hereby  hnoiv  ive  that  ive  are  in  Him: 
 '   '     he  tliat  saith  he  ahideth  in  Hiinoiight  himself  also  to  ti'alk 
 
 Ibid.  24.  even  as  He  tualked  ;  and  again  :  As  for  y.ou,  he  says,  let 
 that  abide  in  you  ivhich  ye  heard  from  the  beginning. 
 For  if  that  which  ye  heard  from  the  beginning  abide  in 
 you,  ye  also  shall  abide  in  the  Son,  and  in  the  Father. 
 And  what  he  means  by  '^that  ivhich  ye  heard  from  the 
 beginning^'  which  he  bids  to  remain  in  us  in  order  that 
 we  may  be  in  God,  he  himself  will  make  no  less  clear  to 
 
 Ibid.  iii.   us  when  he  says :  For  this  is  the  ^  command  vjhich  ye 
 
 3,"  heard,   from   the    beginning ,    that   ye    should   love    one 
 
 tnayye-  •'  o  o'  o 
 
 Ma  another.     Thou  hearest   how  we    are  in   God,  namely, 
 
 by  practising  love  one  towards  another,  and  striving 
 to  the  utmost  of  our  power  to  walk  in  the  footsteps 
 of  our  Saviour,  imitating  His  virtue.  When  I  say 
 virtue,  I  do  not  mean  such  as  was  shown  by  Him 
 in  being  able  to  create  heaven,  and  make  angels,  and 
 set  fast  the  earth,  and  spread  out  the  sea ;  nor  that 
 which  He  exhibited  when,  in  His  ineffable  and  simple 
 majesty,  by  a  word  He  lulled  the  violence  of  the  winds, 
 and  raised  up  the  dead,  and  graciously  bestowed  sight 
 on  the  blind,  and  with  great  authority  bade  the  leper 
 be  cleansed :  but  rather  that  virtue  which  may  be 
 suitable  to  the  capacities  of  our  humanity.  We  shall 
 1  S.Pet.  find  Him,  as  indeed  Paul  says,  reviled  by  the  unholy 
 "■ "         Jews,  yet  not  reviling  again;    instead  of  that,  we  see 
 
Tlte  Father  and  the  Son  are  Consiibstantiul.     289 
 
 Him  sufFering,  yet  not  threatening,  but  rather  committing  Chap.  i. 
 Himself  to   Him   that  judgeth  rigJdeously.     Again,  we 
 shall  find  Him  saying :   Learn  of  Me ;  for  I  am  meek 
 and  loivly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
 souls. 
 
 So  then,  when  we  strive  by  such  conduct  as  this 
 to  imitate  Christ  Who  is  our  guide  unto  all  virtue, 
 we  are  said  to  abide  both  in  the  Father  and  in  Him, 
 obtaining  this  distinction  as  a  reward  and  compensation 
 for  the  *  worthiness  of  our  life.  But  the  Son  does  not  ^(re/ii/oTT^s 
 wish  us  to  estimate  in  this  way  the  brilliance  that  is 
 inherent  in  Him :  He  bids  us  direct  our  natural  shrewd- 
 ness of  attention  to  the  magnificence  of  His  miracles,  and 
 infer  from  thence  the  exact  resemblance  which  He  has 
 to  His  own  Father ;  so  that  henceforth  we  may  believe 
 that,  as  they  are  Consubstantial,  it  is  thus  that  He  has 
 in  Himself  the  One  Who  begat  Him,  a,nd  that  He  Him- 
 self is  also  in  the  Father,  i  r  let  our  opponents  come 
 forward  and  teach,  that  when  the  Son  is  conceived  of  as 
 being  in  the  Father,  He  too  in  common  with  ourselves 
 has  this  distinction  as  a  reward,  and  as  a  fair  payment 
 for  conducting  His  life  according  to  the  law  of  the 
 Gospel.  But  I  suppose  that  even  this  appears  to  them 
 nothing  dreadful:  for  to  men  by  whom  no  form  of 
 talking  is  unpractised,  what  expression,  however  extra- 
 vagant and  monstrous,  seems  unfit  for  use  ?  It  is  possible 
 therefore  that  they  will  say  even  this,  that  the  Son  is  in 
 the  Father  and  again  has  also  the  Father  in  Himself 
 on  this  account,  namely,  because  He  fashions  Himself 
 like  to  the  Father  by  practising  the  virtues  that  are  also 
 attainable  by  us.  And  we  would  reply,  "  Why  then, 
 honoured  Sirs,  when  Philip  said :  Lord,  shew  us  the  Supra 
 Father,  did  not  the  Christ  put  forward  all  the  holy  ^^'^'  ' 
 Apostles  as  a  likeness  and  accurate  representation  of 
 Him  Whom  they  meant,  and  say, '  Have  we  [all]  been  so 
 long  time  with  one  another,  and  dost  thou  not  know  the 
 Father  ■?"  Whereas  He  does  not  associate  with  Himself 
 a  single  one  of  the  others,  but  comparing  Himself  alone 
 
 YOL.  II.  U 
 
290  A  natural  illustration. 
 
 Book  9.  to  the  Father  alone,  He  passes  over  our  attributes  as 
 c.  XIV.  11.  gjjriall  matters  altogether  ;  and  not  willing  that  the 
 Divine  essence  should  be  thought  accurately  imaged 
 in  human  attributes,  He  has  reserved  to  Himself  alone 
 Supra  the  perfection  of  resemblance.  For  He  says  :  He  that 
 hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father.  Then  to  these  words 
 Ibid.  11.  He  straightway  added:  Believe  that  I  am  in  the  Father 
 and  the  Father  is  in  Me.  For  seeing  that  He  possesses 
 resemblance  in  the  most  absolute  exactness.  He  must  as 
 a  necessary  consequence  possess  in  Himself  the  Father, 
 and  be  possessed  (so  to  speak)  by  the  Father.  For  think 
 of  something  of  the  same  kind,  and  accept  it  as  an  illus- 
 tration of  the  words  we  are  considering.  If,  for  instance, 
 any  one  were  by  chance  to  bring  into  our  presence  the 
 son  of  Abraham  or  of  any  other  man,  and  then  were  to 
 question  him  as  to  the  nature  of  his  parent,  desiring  to 
 learn  precisely  who  and  what  kind  of  person  the  parent 
 was ;  would  not  the  youth  employ  reasonable  language 
 if  he  were  to  point  to  his  own  nature  and  say,  "  He  that 
 hath  seen  me  hath  seen  my  father :  I  am  in  my  father, 
 and  my  father  is  in  me  ?  "  Then  as  a  proof  of  his  speak- 
 ing the  truth,  would  it  not  be  fitting  that  he  should 
 draw  attention  to  the  identity  with  his  father  exhibited 
 in  his  human  doings  and  his  physical  peculiarities,  and 
 say  :  "  Believe  me  for  the  very  works'  sake,  seeing  that 
 I  have  all  the  qualities  and  can  perform  all  the  actions 
 which  pertain  to  human  nature  ? "  Indeed  I  think  every 
 one  will  say  and  will  justly  allow,  both  that  he  speaks 
 the  truth  and  that  (in  alleging  the  identity)  he  puts 
 forward  an  accurate  indication  of  the  relationship  in- 
 volved in  their  particular  actions.  Why  then  do  not  they, 
 Mic.iii.9.  who  'perveH  such  things  as  are  right,  persuade  their  own 
 (LXX.)  jiscipigs  to  travel  on  the  straight  path  of  reasoning, 
 instead  of  thrusting  them  off  from  the  well-trodden 
 king's  highway,  and  taking  an  untrodden  and  rugged 
 route,  both  deceiving  themselves  and  destroying  those 
 who  feel  it  their  duty  to  follow  them?  We,  however, 
 not  taking  their  road,  will  keep  along  the  direct  path  ; 
 
Tlie  identity  of  ivorka.  291 
 
 and,  giving  credit  to  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  we  believe  Chap.  i. 
 that  the  Son,  Who  is  in  His  nature  begotten  of  God  the  ^g^^^"  "' 
 Father,  is  of  equal  strength  and  Consubstantial  with  the 
 Father,  and  essentially  His  Image ;  and  therefore  that 
 He  is  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  Him. 
 
 1 2  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  believeth  on  Me,  the 
 works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also ;   and  greater  works  than 
 
 13  these  shall  he  do  ;  because  I  go  unto  the  Father.  And  what- 
 soever ye  shall  ask  in  My  Name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the 
 Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son. 
 
 If  anyone  should  think  to  discourse  hereon  commen- 
 surately  with  the  extent  of  the  meaning  of  what  is  here 
 submitted  to  us,  the  task  would  be  broad  and  deep.  But 
 if  we  consider  what  is  rather  profitable  for  the  hearers, 
 we  shall  think  it  beseems  us  to  grasp  in  general  wise 
 the  things  signified,  and  to  curtail  the  length  of  our 
 discourse.  For  so  would  the  meaning  be  most  easy  to 
 be  received  by  most  men.  So  then,  wishing  to  show 
 forth  that  He  was  Consubstantial  with  His  own  Father, 
 and  that  He  is  a  Very  Image  of  Him ;  carried  in  the 
 Father  as  in  an  Archetype,  albeit  having  the  Archetype 
 in  Himself,  as  being  a  Very  Image  both  naturally  and 
 essentially,  and  not  in  virtue  of  any  shaping  Avhich 
 implies  a  process  of  moulding  and  fashioning  ;  for  the 
 Divinity  transcends  shape,  inasmuch  as  it  is  incorporeal 
 withal :  /,  He  says,  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  is  Supra 
 in  Me.  But  to  the  end  that  we  may  not  look  for  the  ^^^' 
 identity  of  the  resemblance  and  the  exact  conformity 
 thereof  in  any  other  sort  than  as  a  conclusion  from 
 those  prerogatives  alone  that  attach  to  His  nature  ;  for 
 it  was  possible  therefrom  to  see  that  the  similarity  is 
 essential  and  natural;  He  says:  Or  else,  believe  ^by^dnd 
 reason  of  the  tvorks.  For  indeed  He  very  rightly  thought 
 that  of  a  surety  if  any  man  beheld  Him  radiant  with  the 
 like  mighty  works  to  those  of  God  the  Father,  He  would 
 accept  Him  for  a  really  natural  Image  and  Likeness  of 
 His  essence ;  for  nought  save  what  is  naturally  of  God 
 
 u  2 
 
292  Tlte  LorcVs  words 
 
 Book  9.  would  ever  do  equivalent  deeds  to  those  of  God ;  nay, 
 c^xiv.  12,  jjgij^i^ej.  could  the  power  to  work  wonders  on  any  wise 
 in  equal  measure  with  the  Divine  nature  come  to  belong 
 to  any  created  thing.    For  utterly  unapproachable  and 
 beyond  reach  to  them  that  have  been  called  into  being 
 out  of  nothing  are  the  proper  excellences  of  the  Eternal. 
 And  in  no  wise  was  it  likely  that  any  would  doubt  that 
 the   Saviour's  saying  would   be  utterly  irreproachable, 
 at  least  in  the  eyes  of  the  right-minded ;  yet,  as  God,  He 
 was  not  ignorant  that  even  what  was  well  said  would 
 be,  to  them  that  held  opposite  opinions,  an  occasion  and 
 a  pretext  for  strange  teaching.   With  intent  then  that  no 
 place  for  loquacity  might  be  left  herein  for  them  that 
 pervert  such  things  as  are  right,  and  lest  they  should  say 
 it  was  not  of  His  immanent  might  nor  of  His  own  power 
 that  the  Son   became   a  worker  of  wonders,  but  only 
 inasmuch  as  He  had  within  Him  the  Father  doing  the 
 works :  on  this  account,  as  He  Himself  said  and  insisted, 
 the  Lord  (when  need  arose)  courted  them  with  words  that 
 might  allure  their  minds :  for  He  promises  herein  that 
 He  will  be  to  them  that  believe  on  Him  a  Supplier  of 
 what  things  soever  they  will  ask,  and  promises  that  He 
 will  supply  to  them  not  merely  an  equal  power  and 
 authority  but  the  same  with  increase :  for  greater  things, 
 He  says,  than  I  have  done,  shall  he  do.     Seest  thou  then 
 how  He  cuts  short,  and  profitably  so,  the  boldness  of  our 
 opponents,  and  by  His  refutations  of  error  reins  in  men 
 (as  it  were)  when  they  are  rushing  over  precipices  1    For 
 anyone  will  say  to  them :  "  O  fools  and  blind,  whereas 
 ye  suppose  the  Son  to  have  been  able  to  effect  nothing  of 
 Himself,  but  rather  to  have  been  supplied  by  the  Father 
 with  the  power  and  authority  for  all  those  things  that 
 have  been  wondrously  accomplished;  how  does  He  pro- 
 mise that  He  will  grant  to  them  that  believe  on  Him  to 
 effect  even  greater  things  ?     How  shall  another,  by  bor- 
 rowing the  power  from  Him,  effect  what  He  has  not  done 
 Himself?    For  notice  that  He  has  not  said  herein  that  the 
 Father  will   supply  power   to  them   that    believe  ;    but, 
 
forestall  'perverse  criticism.  293 
 
 Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  My  Name,  I  will  do  it.  But  Chap.  i. 
 He  Who  as  God  imparts  to  others  the  power  to  effect  even  ^-^^^^-l-' 
 those  greater  things,  how  could  He  have  been  Himself 
 supplied  with  the  power  by  another  ? "  So  that  what 
 they  say  is  utter  nonsense,  and  thoughtless  trash,  and  in- 
 ventions of  a  devilish  perversity.  But  no  man  would 
 contemplate  the  power  of  the  Son  as  in  any  wise  limited, 
 nor  as  extending  to  one  thing  but  insufficient  to  reach 
 things  still  greater  ;  nay,  but  as  doing  easily  whatsoever 
 it  will,  and  bestowing  on  the  worthy  the  power  to  glory 
 in  thrones,  it  may  be  of  equal  honour,  or  it  may  be  even 
 more  highly  exalted.  And  let  none  suppose  us  to  say 
 that  any  of  those  who  have  set  store  by  their  faith  in 
 Him  will  ever  have  such  excess  of  power  as  to  be  able  to 
 fashion  a  heaven,  or  to  make  a  sun  and  a  moon,  or  the 
 brilliant  choir  of  the  stars,  or  peradventure  to  create 
 angels,  or  an  earth,  or  such  things  as  are  therein.  For 
 the  aim  of  His  words  is  not  directed  towards  these  things, 
 but  is  bent  upon  the  things  whereon  it  was  reasonable 
 that  so  it  should  be  ;  and  He  overpasses  not  the  measure 
 of  the  splendour  that  beseems  mankind,  in  glory  to  wit, 
 and  holiness.  For  surely  it  is  for  this  cause,  by  way  of 
 restraining  His  words  from  ranging  as  it  were  whither- 
 soever a  man  might  desire,  and  of  confining  Himself  to 
 those  wondrous  works  which  He  did  while  on  earth  after 
 He  became  man,  when  He  draws  the  contrast  with  the 
 greatness  of  the  still  greater  deeds,  that  He  says :  "  He 
 shall  do  the  things  which  I  have  done,  and  greater  things 
 than  these.''  For  it  was  not  because  He  was  too  weak  to 
 accomplish  the  greater  things,  that  He  held  back  His  own 
 power  within  the  bounds  of  the  things  which  He  accom- 
 plished ;  but  when  He  has  done  what  was  needful,  and 
 all  perchance  for  which  opportunity  offered.  He  kindly 
 gives  us  to  understand  by  these  words,  that  the  reach  of 
 the  incomprehensible  greatness  of  His  immanent  power 
 is  not  limited  to  those  things.  But  to  the  end  that,  pre- 
 serving the  order  of  the  thoughts  presented  to  us,  we  may 
 get  the  minds  of  our  hearers  on  the  contemplation  of  His 
 
294  (Jhrisfs  'perfect  glory  is  disclosed 
 
 Book  9.  utterance,  [we  will  repeat  that]  He  says :   Verily,  I  say 
 l^^""'  "'  unto  you,  he  that  helieveth  on  Me,  the  works  that  I  do 
 shall  he  do  also;  and  greater  ivories  than  these  shall  he 
 do ;  because  I  go  unto  the  Father. 
 
 Then,  "  What  is  this  ?  "  one  of  the  hearers  might  say 
 with  some  reason,  "  I  mean  the  Son's  going  to  the  Father 
 in  order  that  they  who  believe  on  Him  may  be  able  to 
 effect  things  even  still  greater  than  the  deeds  exhibited 
 by  Himself?  Surely  the  saying  introduces  some  hidden 
 subject  for  contemplation,"  To  learn  what  it  is  that  He 
 says,  consider  Him  as  perhaps  meaning: — "O  ministers 
 and  genuine  pupils  of  My  words,  so  long  as  I  abode  with 
 you  on  the  earth,  and  had  My  conversation  as  a  man,  I 
 did  not  exhibit  the  power  of  the  Godhead  undimmed 
 before  you :  I  both  spake  and  acted  as  befitted  the  mea- 
 sure of  My  humiliation  and  the  condition  of  a  slave. 
 But  thereafter,  when  those  things  shall  have  been  be- 
 seemingly  accomplished,  then  also  will  the  mystery  of 
 the  dispensation  in  the  flesh  be  completed  for  Me.  For 
 almost  immediately  I  shall  suffer  death  and  shall  rise  to 
 life  again.  And  I  promise  to  then  bestow  on  you  the 
 power  to  accomplish  works  still  greater  than  My  own 
 miracles.  And  the  time  for  this  is  even  now  at  hand, 
 and  so  is  the  glory  of  their  accomplishment.  For  I  am 
 going  to  the  Father,  that  is,  to  sit  down  with  Him  and  to 
 reign  with  Him  as  God  of  God  in  unveiled  power  and 
 authority,  [and  in  the  fulness]  of  My  own  nature  to  give 
 good  things  unto  My  friends.  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask," 
 He  says,  "  in  My  Name,  I  ivill  do  it,  when  the  time  has 
 been  completed  wherein  it  was  necessary,"  He  says, 
 "that  I  should  show  Myself  in  the  garb  of  humiliation.  I 
 have  observed  all  that  was  requisite  to  the  proper  carry- 
 ing out  of  the  scheme  of  the  Incarnation ;  and  now  hence- 
 forth I  promise  that  unveiledly  as  God  I  will  work  the 
 works  of  God,  not  thrusting  out  the  Father  from  the 
 glory  so  God-befitting,  but  with  intent  that  He  may  be 
 glorified  in  the  Son."  For  if  the  Offspring  is  glorified,  the 
 Parent  also  shall  assuredly  be  glorified  in  Him.    For  the 
 
after  His  liuniiliation.  295 
 
 Son,  being  ever  in  His  nature  God,  would  have  been  de-  Chap.  i. 
 clared  by  many  other  signs ;  yet  no  less  also  is  He  dis-  ^g^^^"  ' 
 closed  by  receiving  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  and  granting 
 them  whatsoever  they  might  ask  and  wish.  How  then 
 should  not  the  Father  b^  glorified  in  Him  ?  For  like  as 
 He  would  have  been  grievously  blamed,  and  naturally 
 so,  if  the  Offspring  that  came  forth  from  Him  had  not 
 been  in  His  nature  God ;  in  like  manner  He  will  be 
 exceeding  glorious  in  that  He  has  for  the  Fruit  that  came 
 forth  from  His  essence  One  Who  is  God  and  can  skill  so 
 well  to  do  all  things  and  to  enable  others  to  do  them. 
 
 But  if  it  tends  to  the  glory  of  the  Father  that  the  Son 
 should  be  seen  possessed  of  God-befitting  prerogatives, 
 what  manner  of  punishment  shall  fasten  upon  the  heretic, 
 forasmuch  as  he  dreads  not  to  disparage  Him  with 
 shameless  blasphemies  in  divers  manners  ?  And  I  will 
 further  say  another  thing,  in  no  small  measure  (as  I  deem) 
 at  issue  with  their  crude  ignorances.  For  if  we  pray  to 
 the  Son  and  seek  our  petitions  from  Him,  and  He  pledges 
 His  promise  to  grant  them ;  how  could  it  be  that  He  is 
 not  by  nature  God,  and  begotten  of  One  Who  is  in  His 
 nature  God  ?  For  if  they  conceive  Him  not  so  to  be,  and 
 say  that  He  was  created,  how  shall  we  any  longer  be 
 distinguished  from  those  who  invoke  the  sun,  or  the 
 heaven,  or  any  other  of  the  creatures  ?  For  if,  exceeding 
 mischievously,  ashamed  of  the  ungainliness  of  their  own 
 folly,  they  say  that  albeit  a  creature  equally  with  the 
 rest  of  the  creatures  yet  He  hath  a  certain  incomparable 
 supereminence  over  all ;  notwithstanding  let  them  be 
 assured  that  none  the  less  will  they  outrage  the  glory  of 
 the  Father,  that  is,  the  Son,  so  long  as  ever  they  say  that 
 He  is  one  in  the  number  of  the  things  that  have  been 
 made.  For  the  issue  is,  not  whether  He  is  haply  a  great 
 or  a  small  creature,  but  whether  He  is  a  creature  at  all, 
 and  is  not  rather  in  His  nature  God ;  which  indeed  is 
 the  truth. 
 
296  The  Godhead  is  One. 
 
 Book  9. 
 c.  xiv.  14.        14     If  ye^  shall  ask  anything  in  My  Name,  that  vnll  I  do. 
 
 Undisguisedly  now  He  says  that,  being  Very  God,  He 
 will  accept  exceeding  readily  the  prayers  of  His  own 
 people,  and  will  supply  right  gladly  what  things  soever 
 they  desire  to  receive,  meaning  of  course  spiritual  gifts 
 and  such  as  are  worthy  of  the  heavenly  munificence. 
 And  not  as  the  minister  of  another's  benevolence,  nor 
 yet  as  subserving  another's  kindness,  does  He  say  such 
 things  ;  but  as,  with  the  Father,  having  all  things  in  His 
 1  Cor.  power ;  and  as  Himself  being  the  One  through  Whom, 
 ^"^'  ■  are  all  things,  both  from  us  to  God-ward,  and  to  us-ward 
 from  Him.  For  this  cause  Paul  also  prays  on  behalf  of 
 the  worthy  for  such  supplies  of  benefits  as  are  by  him 
 ever  mentioned  in  conjunction,  in  the  following  words: 
 Phil.  i.  2.  Grace  to  you  and  peace  from  God  our  Father  and  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  surely  no  man  in  his  senses  will 
 ever  in  the  face  of  this  suppose  that  the  Father  by 
 Himself  separately  grants  a  grace,  and  again  the  Son  by 
 Himself  separately  and  as  it  were  in  turn  does  so ;  but 
 the  grace  is  one  and  the  same,  albeit  it  is  spoken  of  as 
 coming  through  Both.  Notwithstanding,  it  is  by  the 
 Father  through  the  Son  that  all  good  things  are  wi'ought 
 for  the  worthy,  and  the  distribution  of  the  Divine  gifts 
 is  made ;  through  the  Son,  I  say,  not  as  accepted  in  the 
 rank  of  a  servant,  as  we  have  already  explained,  but  as 
 conceived  to  be  Co-Giver  and  Co-Supplier,  and  more- 
 over as  being  so  of  a  truth.  For  the  nature  of  the  God- 
 head is  one,  and  also  is  believed  so  to  be.  For  although 
 it  is  extended  to  Father  and  Son  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 yet  it  has  no  absolute  and  entire  severance  ;  I  mean,  into 
 each  of  the  Persons  indicated.  For  we  shall  be  orthodox 
 in  believing  that  the  Son  is  naturally  both  of  the  Father 
 and  in  the  Father,  and  that  the  own  Spirit  of  the  Father 
 and  of  the  Son,  that  is,  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  both  of  and  in 
 the  Father.  So  then,  forasmuch  as  the  Godhead  of  Their 
 nature  both  is  and  is  conceived  of  as  One,  Their  gifts  will 
 be  supplied  to  the  worthy  through  the  Son  from  the 
 
The  Son  is  the  Way.  297 
 
 Father  in  the  Spirit,  and  our  offerings  will  be  carried  to  Chap.  i. 
 God  manifestly  through  the  mediation  of  the  Son :  for  no  g'upra 
 one  comieth  unto  the  Father  hut  through  Him,  as  to  be  sure  ver.  6. 
 He  also  Himself  fully  confesses.  So  then  the  Son  both 
 has  become  and  is  the  Door  and  the  Way  as  well  of  our 
 friendship  as  of  our  progress  towards  God  the  Father, 
 and  the  Co-Giver  as  well  as  Distributer  of  His  bounty, 
 forasmuch  as  it  proceeds  from  a  single  and  common 
 munificence.  For  one  is  the  nature  of  the  Godhead  in 
 the  person  and  substance  both  of  the  Father  and  of  the 
 Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  forasmuch  as  it  was 
 unwonted  in  a  way  with  them  of  old  time,  and  as  yet 
 foreign  to  their  practice,  to  approach  the  Father  through 
 the  Son,  He  teaches  this  also  for  our  profit,  and  laying 
 first  in  His  own  disciples  a  foundation  as  it  were  of  the 
 structure,  He  implants  in  them  both  faith  in  this  and 
 knowledge,  and  despatches  to  ourselves  instruction  both 
 how  we  are  to  pray  and  wherein  lies  our  hope.  For  He 
 promises  that  He  will  Himself  give  us  what  we  ask  in 
 praj^er  ;  a  proof  of  the  Godhead  in  His  nature,  and  of  the 
 royal  authority  inherent  in  Him  ;  adding  this  to  the  other 
 proofs  thereof. 
 
 15     If  y^  love  Me,  keej)  My  commandments. 
 
 Having  ordained  that  when  men  pray  they  must  ask 
 in  His  Name  and  promising  that  He  will  Himself  supply 
 to  them  that  ask  whatsoever  they  desire  to  receive.  He 
 takes  great  thought  not  to  seem  to  speak  falsehood, 
 having  in  view  the  unholy  slanders  of  such  as  are  wont 
 to  be  captious.  For  a  man  can  see,  and  best  out  of 
 the  Sacred  Writings  themselves,  that  some  approach  and 
 ask  earnestly  in  His  Name,  and  notwithstanding  in  no 
 wise  receive  ;  because  God  is  not  ignorant  of  what  is 
 fitting  for  each  and  profitable  for  the  askers.  Therefore 
 to  the  end  that  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  might  clearly 
 exhibit  who  they  are  in  reference  to  whom  the  word  has 
 been  spoken  and  stands  good,  and  to  whom  is  due  the 
 grace  of  the  promise  ;   He  straightway  introduced  the 
 
298  Love  (jives  the  necessary  disjwsition 
 
 Book  9.  mention  of  the  persons  who  love  Him,  in  whose  case  the 
 ■     ■  promise  will  assuredly  be  fulfilled,  and  conjoins  with 
 His  saying  the  exactly-defined  keeper  of  the  law,  show- 
 ing that  unto  such  and  not  unto  others  shall  the  promise 
 of  kindness  and  the  bestowal  of  the  spiritual  blessings 
 hold  good  and  come  to  pass.     For  that  oftentimes  the 
 bounteous  hand  of  God  is  shortened  in  hesitation,  cutting 
 off  from  them  that  will  not  ask  aright  the  consummation 
 of  their  hopes,  thou  wilt  easily  understand,  from  what 
 the  disciple  of  Christ  is  at  pains  to  write  on  this  wise : 
 s.  James  Ye  cisJc,  and  receive  not,  because  ye  ask  amiss,  tvhen  ye 
 will  spend  it  in  your  pleasures.     Wherefore  also  again 
 he    says,    about    them    that    are   wont    to    be    double- 
 Ibid,  i.  7,  minded:  For  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  receive 
 anything  of  the  Lord ;  for  \he  is]  a  double-minded  man, 
 unstable  in  all  his  ways.     For  to  them  that  ask  for  the 
 grace  that  is  from  above,  not  for  establishing  of  virtue, 
 but  for  enjoyment  of  carnal  pleasure  and  worldly  lusts, 
 God  well-niffh  shuts  fast  His  ear,  and  in  no  wise  grants 
 them  anything  ;  for  what  things  soever  He  forbids  and 
 wholly  casts  out  by  reason  of  the  abomination  that  is  in 
 them,   how   could  He  grant   them   to   any  ?     And  the 
 spring  of  all  sweetness,  how  could  it  give  forth  a  bitter 
 stream  1     But  that  unto  the  lovers  of  spiritual  gifts  with 
 rich  and  readiest  hand  He  distributes   blessings,  thou 
 shalt  easily  perceive,  when  thou  hearest   Him   saying 
 Is.lxv.24.  unto  them  by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah  the  prophet :    While 
 9  ■  ^"^'   thou  art  yet  speaking,  1  will  say.  What  is  it  ?  and  by 
 Ps.xxxiv.  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist :    The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are 
 fxxxiii     '^^P^'^  ^^'<^  righteous,  and  His  ears  are  op>en  unto  their 
 16^^^      prayer. 
 
 So  having  determined  and  expressly  declared  that  the 
 enjoyment  of  the  heavenly  blessings,  supplied,  that  is, 
 through  Him  by  the  Father,  is  lioth  due  to  them  that 
 love  Him,  and  in  very  truth  shall  be  theirs ;  He 
 straightway  goes  on  to  describe  the  j)ower  of  love,  and 
 instructs  us  excellently  and  irreproachably,  for  our 
 profit,  with  intent  that  we  should  devote  ourselves  to 
 
 LXX.) 
 
to  aah  aright.  299 
 
 the  pursuit  thei'eof.     For  albeit  a  man  say  that  he  loves  Chap.  i. 
 God,  he  will  not  therefore  straightway  win  the  credit  of  ^'  ^^'    ' 
 truly  loving,  forasmuch  as  the  power  of  virtue  stands  not 
 in  bare  speech,  nor  is  the  beauty  of  piety  towards  God  " 
 fashioned  in  naked  words  ;  but  rather  it  is  really  dis- 
 tinguished   by  means   of  good   deeds    effected   and   an 
 obedient  temper ;  and  the  keeping  of  the  Divine  precepts 
 best  gives  living  expression  to  love  towards  the  Divinity, 
 and  presents  the  picture  of  a  virtue  wholly  living  and 
 true ;  not  sketched  out  in  mere  sounds  that  flow  from  the 
 tongue,  as  we  have  said,  but  gleaming  as  it  were  and 
 altogether    radiant    with    brilliant    colours,   to    wit,  the 
 portraits  of  good  works.     And  indeed  our  Lord  Jesus 
 the  Christ  shows  us  this  plainly,  when  He  says :   Not  S.  Matt. 
 every  one  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  "^"•^^• 
 the  Jcingdovi  of  heaven ;  bid  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  My 
 Father,  Which  is  in  heaven.     For  the  proof  of  faith  lies 
 not  in  barren  words  or  professions,  but  in  the  qualities 
 of  acts,  and  indeed  the  Holy  Scripture  says  that  it  is  Cf. 
 dead  when  the  works  do  not  follow  therewith.     For  the  \(  oo^e! 
 knowledge  that  God  is  One,  it  says,  we  shall  find,  not  Ibid.  19. 
 only  in  human  minds,  but  in  the  unclean  devils  them- 
 selves ;    who  also  shudder,  even    involuntarily,    at    the 
 power  of  Him  that  made  them.     Howbeit  to  keep  the 
 radiance   of  their   acts   concurrent   with   their  faith   is 
 manifestly  the  beauty  and  ornament  of  those  only  who 
 truly  love  God.     So  then  the  proof  of  love  and  the  most 
 perfect  definition  of  faith  is  the  observance  of  the  Evan- 
 gelic decrees  and  the  keeping  of  the  Divine  precepts. 
 And  perhaps  it  would  be   in  no  wise  difficult  to  add 
 other  things  hereunto,  akin  in  their  drift ;  only  that  I 
 suppose  they  do  not  suit  the  present  occasion.     Where- 
 fore we  must  once  more  betake  ourselves  to  such  points 
 as  are  more  suitable  to  what  lies  before  us.     Lf  ye  love 
 Me,   He   says,   ye   will   hee-p  My  commandments.     For 
 indeed  thou  must  understand  once  again  and  call  well  to 
 mind  that  oftentimes,  when  conversing  with  His  own 
 disciples  or  even  with  the  Jews  themselves,  He  would 
 
SOO  The  words  of  the  Son  are  His  Own. 
 
 Book  9.  say:  The  words  that  I sj^eak  are  not  Mi ne,  bid  His  Wlto  sent 
 c.^xiv.  10,  jjjg  .  ^^^  again  :  /  sj^eak  not  from  Myself,  hut  the  Father 
 Supra  10  Which  Sent  Me,  He  hath  given  Me  a  commandment,  what 
 &^ni  ra  j  sliould  Say,  and  tvhat  I  should  speak;  and  again:  The 
 Supra  10  things  therefore  which  I  speak,  are  not  Mine,  hut  His 
 &xn.  49.  j^j^^  ggj^^  jjg      ^j^^  yg^  ^^^  again,  notwithstanding  He 
 
 50.  has  confessed  at  large,  up  and  down  His  discourses,  that 
 
 &  XIV.  24.  j^i^Q  words  He  addressed  to  us  are  God  the  Father's,  He 
 here  says  they  are  His  own  commandments,  which  He 
 has  spoken  to  us.  And  no  one  that  has  sense  will  sup- 
 pose that  He  speaks  falsely,  for  let  not  this  thought  come 
 into  the  mind  of  a  Christian  ;  and  moreover  He  will  of 
 course  speak  truly,  forasmuch  as  He  is  Himself  the 
 Truth.  For  it  was  not  in  the  manner  of  one  of  the 
 prophets,  as  if  with  the  rank  of  a  minister  and  a  servant, 
 that  He  conveyed  the  message  from  the  Father  to  us ; 
 but  as  bearing  such  likeness  to  Him  that  not  even  in 
 word  was  He  haf)ly  observed  to  differ,  but  rather 
 naturally  to  speak  on  such  wise  as  the  Father  Himself 
 might  peradventure  talk  with  us.  For  the  exact  simi- 
 larity of  essence  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  Son  also 
 corresponds  in  His  utterances  to  Him  that  begat  Him  ; 
 and  inasmuch  as  He  is  Himself  the  Word  and  Wisdom 
 and  Purpose  of  God  the  Father,  He  says  that  He  has 
 received  commandment  what  to  say  and  what  He  shall 
 speak.  For  we  also  ourselves  individually  see  that  our 
 own  minds  well-nigh  even  lay  a  commandment  on  our 
 speech  uttered  through  words,  as  it  proceeds  to  the  world 
 without,  that  it  shall  interpret  what  is  in  the  mind 
 itself.  Small  indeed  is  the  force  of  the  illustration  as 
 applied  to  God  ;  but  notwithstanding  this,  by  taking  the 
 analogy  of  human  things  to  assure  us  of  the  things  that 
 transcend  them,  we  apprehend  the  Divine  Mysteries  as 
 it  were  in  a  mirror  and  darkly. 
 
 16  And  I  will  prcci/  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you  another 
 
 17  Comforter,  that  He  may  he  with  you  far  ever,  even  the  Sjnrit 
 of  truth  :    Who7n  the  tvorld  cannot  receive ;  for  it  heholdeth 
 
Christ  speaks  both  as  God  and  Man.  301 
 
 Him  not,  neither  Jcnoweth  Him:    ye  know  Hinn ;  for  He  Cuap.  1. 
 
 ahideth  luith  you,  and  shall  be  in  you.  '^'J^^^'     ' 
 
 He  mingles  once  more  the  human  with  the  Divine, 
 and  neither  reverts  to  the  pure  glory  of  the  Godhead, 
 nor  yet  altogether  confines  His  range  within  the  limits 
 of  humanity,  but  traverses  both,  wondrously  and  at  the 
 same  time  indistinguishably  too,  forasmuch  as  He  is  at 
 once  both  God  and  man.  For  He  was  God  by  His 
 nature,  inasmuch  as  He  was  the  Fruit  of  the  Father  and 
 the  Effulgence  of  His  essence  ;  and  again.  He  was  man, 
 inasmuch  as  He  has  become  Flesh.  Accordingly  He 
 speaks  as  God  and  at  the  same  time  as  man :  for  after 
 this  manner  it  was  possible  to  preserve  duly  such  forms 
 of  language  as  befitted  the  dispensation  in  flesh.  Not- 
 withstanding, while  we  are  searching  for  the  meaning  of 
 the  passage  before  us,  we  say  this :  that  at  this  point 
 also,  of  necessity,  our  Lord  has  introduced  the  mention 
 of  God  the  Father,  for  the  building  up  of  their  faith,  and 
 for  the  exceeding  profit  of  the  hearers ;  as  indeed  the 
 argument  will  demonstrate  as  it  proceeds.  For  when  He 
 bade  us  ask  in  His  Name,  and  revealed,  along  with  the 
 other  truths,  a  manner  of  praying  unused  among  the 
 ancients,  promising  withal  even  very  earnestly  that  He 
 will  give  whatsoever  things  we  wish  to  receive :  with 
 intent  that  He  might  not  seem  thereby  to  thrust  aside 
 the  Person  of  God  the  Father,  nor  yet  to  curtail  the 
 power  of  Him  Who  begat  Him,  the  power  (I  mean)  of 
 satisfying  the  aspirations  of  the  saints.  He  said  that  the 
 Father  would  be  a  Go-Supplier  for  our  profit,  and  would 
 join  in  bestowing  on  us  the  Paraclete :  adding  also  the 
 words  "  /  ivill  ask,"  as  man  ;  and  referring  peculiarly  to 
 the  whole  Divine  and  unspeakable  nature  what  befits  it 
 especially,  as  in  the  Person  of  God  the  Father.  For  this 
 was  His  custom,  as  we  have  oftentimes  said  already  in 
 the  foregoing  paints  of  this  work. 
 
 Another  Paraclete,  however,  is  the  name  He  gives  to 
 the  Spirit  that  proceeds  from  the  essence  of  God  the 
 Father  and  from  that  of  Himself,     For  the  kind  of  the 
 
302  Christ  is  a  Paraclete. 
 
 Book  9.  essence  is  the  same  in  the  case  of  Both,  not  excluding 
 j^^'^'  '  the  Spirit,  but  allowing  the  manner  of  His  distinctness 
 to  be  understood  as  lying  solely  in  His  being  and  sub- 
 » iSioav-  sisting  *"'  in  a  separate  personality.  For  the  Spirit  is  not 
 a  Son,  but  we  will  accept  in  faith  verily  and  properly  to 
 be  and  to  subsist  as  That  Which  He  is ;  for  He  is  the 
 Spii-it  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son.  But  [the  Son] 
 knowing  that  He  Himself  also  both  is  in  truth  a  Para- 
 clete and  is  so  named  in  the  Sacred  Writings,  He  calls 
 the  Spu'it  another  Paraclete ;  not  on  the  ground  that 
 the  Spirit  can  skill  to  effect  in  the  Saints  something  else 
 perchance  more  than  what  He  also  can.  Whose  Spirit  He 
 both  is  and  is  called.  And  that  the  Son  also  Himself 
 both  was  named  and  is  a  Paraclete,  John  will  bear 
 I  s.  John  record,  in  his  own  compositions,  when  he  says :  These 
 "''^'^"  things  say  I  unto  you,  that  ye  may  not  sin.  And  if 
 any  man  sin,  we  have  a  Paraclete  tuith  the  Father,  Jesus 
 Christ  the  righteous:  and  He  is  the  'propitiation  for  our 
 sins.  So  Jesus  calls  the  Spirit  another  Paraclete, 
 willing  Him  to  be  conceived  of  as  possessing  the  at- 
 tributes of  a  proper  personality  ;  albeit  having  so  close 
 a  likeness  to  Himself,  and  able  so  to  work  in  exact 
 correspondence  what  things  soever  He  Himself  might 
 haply  work,  as  that  He  might  seem  to  be  the  Son 
 Himself  and  no  whit  different:  for  He  is  His  Spirit. 
 And  indeed  Jesus  called  Him  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  saying 
 also  in  the  discourse  before  us  that  He  is  Himself  the 
 Truth. 
 
 But  any  one  will  naturally  say  to  those  who  suppose 
 the  Son  alien  to  the  essence  of  God  the  Father :  "  How 
 is  it,  pray,  that  the  Father  gives  the  Spirit  of  Truth, 
 that  is,  of  the  Son,  not  as  foreign  or  alien,  but  as 
 His  own  Spirit ;  notwithstanding  that  according  to 
 you  He  has  the  kind  of  His  essence  distinct  from 
 that  of  the  Son,  and,  for  of  this  there  is  no  question, 
 the  Spirit  is  the  Son's  ?  And  once  more,  how  is  it,  if  it 
 be  so  that  the  Son  is  of  another  essence,  that  He  gives 
 the  Spirit  of  the  Father  as  His  own  ?  "    For  it  is  written 
 
The  Spirit  is  of  the  Father  and  the  Son.        303 
 
 that  He  breathed  on  His  disciples,  saying,  Receive  ye  Chap.  i. 
 the  Holy  Ghost.     So  then  will  not  a  man  suppose,  and  ^'^^^'^'    ' 
 very  rightly,  or  rather  will  he  not  be  even  &mly  con-  Infra  xx. 
 vineed,  that  the  Son,  being  essentially  partaker  of  the  ""' 
 natural  excellences  of  God  the  Father,  has  the  Spirit 
 after  the  same  manner  as  the    Father  also  would    be 
 understood   to   have   Him :    that   is,  not  as  something 
 added  or  from  without,  for  it  were  simple  or  rather  mad 
 to  hold  such  an  opinion ;  but  as  each  of  us  has  within 
 himself  his  own  '^  breath,  and    pours   it   forth    without '  TTvevna 
 from  the  inmost  parts  of  his  body '?     For  indeed  it  was 
 for  this  cause  that  Christ  breathed  on  them  even  bodily, 
 showing  that  as   the   breath  proceeds   bodily  from  the 
 human    mouth,   so    also    from    the    Divine    essence    the 
 [Spirit]  from  Him  is  in  God-befitting  manner  poured 
 forth.     Forasmuch  then  as  He  is  the  Spirit  both  of  God 
 the  Father  and  of  the  Son,  how  can  it  be  but  that  the 
 power  They  thus  possess    at  once  in  division  and  in 
 conjunction  will  be  altogether  one?    For  the  Father  is 
 a  Father  and  not  a  Son,  and  the  Son  is  a  Son  and  not 
 a  Father ;   notwithstanding,  the  Father  is  in  the  Son, 
 and  the   Son  in  the   Father ;    moreover,  it   is  not  the 
 Father  separately  by  Himself,  or  the  Son  separately  by 
 Himself,  Who  gives  the  Paraclete  or  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 but  rather  He  is  supplied  to  the  saints  from  the  Father 
 through  the  Son.     For  indeed  on  this  account  [we  must 
 understand  that]  when  the  Father  is  said  to  give,  the 
 Son  also  gives,  through  Whom  are  all  things;  and  that  \^or. 
 when  the  Son  is  said  to  give,  the  Father  also  gives,  of 
 Whovi  are  all  things. 
 
 But  that  the  Spirit  is  both  Divine  and  not  of  another 
 essence,  in  reference  I  mean  to  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
 is  I  imagine  doubtful  to  no  one  who  is  right-minded  ; 
 and  furthermore  a  necessary  argument  will  convince  us 
 thereof.  For  if  a  man  say  that  the  Spirit  is  not  of  the 
 essence  of  God,  how  then  henceforward  would  the 
 creature  in  receiving  the  Spirit  be  a  partaker  of  God? 
 And  after  what  manner  shall  we  be  entitled  temples  o/ie. 
 
304      Hie  worldly-minded  receive  not  the  Spirit. 
 
 Book  9.  God,  and  be  so,  if  we  receive  a  created  or  an  alien  spirit, 
 c.^xiv.  16,  ^^^  j^Q^  rather  That  Which  is  of  God  ?  And  how  are 
 2  S.  Pet.  those  who  have  a  share  of  the  Spirit  imrtakers  of  the 
 ^-  ^'  Divine  nature,  according  to  the  words  of  the  sacred 
 writers,  if  He  is  in  the  number  of  the  things  that  are 
 made,  and  does  not  rather  proceed  for  us  from  the 
 Divine  nature  itself;  not  passing  through  it  unto  us,  as 
 something  foreign  to  it,  but  so  to  speak  becoming  in  us 
 a  certain  quality  of  the  Godhead,  and  dwelling  in  the 
 saints,  and  remaining  for  ever — [as  He  does]  if  by 
 cleansing  the  eye  of  their  understanding  by  all  goodness, 
 and  by  unyielding  earnestness  in  the  pursuit  of  every 
 virtue,  they  preserve  the  grace  in  their  hearts.  For 
 Christ  says  that  the  Spirit  is  uncontainable  and  in- 
 visible for  them  that  are  in  the  ivorld,  that  is,  for  those 
 that  savour  of  the  things  in  the  world,  and  choose  to 
 love  the  things  that  are  on  earth  ;  yet  that  He  is  con- 
 tainable and  easily  beheld  by  the  saints.  For  what 
 reason  1  They  who  have  an  uncleanness  hard  to  be 
 washed  out  of  them,  and  who  have  filled  their  own 
 mind  as  it  were  with  some  unhealthy  humour,  do  not 
 narrowly  consider  the  beauty  of  the  Divine  nature,  nor 
 yet  accept  the  law  of  the  Spirit,  forasmuch  as  they  are 
 wholly  tyrannised  over  by  the  passions  of  the  flesh  ; 
 whereas  the  good  and  sober,  keeping  their  heart  free 
 from  the  evils  that  are  in  the  world,  voluntarily  induce 
 the  Paraclete  to  dwell  within  themselves,  and  after 
 receiving  Him  keep  Him  and  (so  far  as  it  is  attainable 
 by  men)  behold  Him  spiritually,  winning  therefrom 
 something  large  and  great  and  enviable  for  their  prize. 
 For  He  will  sanctify  them,  and  will  make  them  at  once 
 fulfillers  of  all  good  things,  and  will  release  them  from 
 the  shame  of  man-befitting  slavery,  and  will  endue  them 
 with  the  prerogative  of  the  adoption  of  sons.  And  Paul 
 Gal. iv. 6,  will  bear  witness  to  this,  saying:  And  because  ye  are 
 sons,  God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  your 
 hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father. 
 
The  necessity  of  a  right  faith  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  305 
 
 18     /  tvill  not  leave  you  desolate:    I  come  unto  you.  Chap.  1. 
 
 c.  xiv.  18. 
 
 Of  necessity  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Christ  at  this  point 
 
 finishes  the  discourse  touching  the  Holy  and   Consub- 
 
 stantial   Trinity.     For   He    has   already  shown    before, 
 
 setting  forth  both  words  and  facts  for  assurance  unto 
 
 them  that  love  Him,   both  that  He  is  in  His  nature 
 
 God  and  is  begotten  of  God  the  Father,  and  is  of  equal 
 
 might  and  like  mind  with  Him.     For  to  this  end  He 
 
 also  at  one  time  said :   What  I  speak,  I  speak  not  from  Cf.  supra 
 
 Myself ;   and  at  another  time  again :   If  I  do  not  the  g^'^'j.^^  " 
 
 works  of  My  Father,  believe  Me  not.     But  if  I  do  them,  x.  37,  38. 
 
 though  ye  believe  not  Me,  believe  My  works.     But  besides 
 
 these  things  it  was  in  no  small  measure  needful  also 
 
 that  men  should  receive  the  right   and   irreproachable 
 
 doctrine  with  reference  to  the  Holy  Spirit  Himself;  for 
 
 so  might  the  minds  of  His  hearers  be  directed  wholly 
 
 unto  rightness  of  faith.    Therefore  I  will  set  forth  in  few 
 
 words  what  Christ  teaches  us  by  the  passage  before  us. 
 
 By  saying  that  "  Another "  shall  be  sent  unto  us  from 
 
 God  the  Father,  He  once  more,  in  accordance  with  His 
 
 careful  and  wise  plan,  renders  the  expression  of  the  faith 
 
 secure.     For  it  was  only  likely  that  some,  not  rightly 
 
 understanding   what   was    said,   would   think   that  He 
 
 meant  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  not  of  the  essence  of 
 
 God  (as  in  fact  some  of  the  witless  did  suppose),  but 
 
 that  He  was  in  His  nature  something  different ;  for  to 
 
 say  "  Another,"  among  the  more  ignorant  sort  at  least, 
 
 might  carry  the  appearance  of  some  such  ground  for  its 
 
 use.     So  with  intent  to  exhibit  clearly  that  He  does  not 
 
 wish  the  kind  of  distinctness  which  the  Spirit  possesses 
 
 to  be  understood  in  any  other  way,  save  solely  in  virtue 
 
 of  His  being  in  a  peculiar  and  proper  sense  that  which 
 
 His  Name  implies,  for  the  Spirit  is  a  Spirit  and  not  a 
 
 Son,  even  as  the  Son  is  a  Son  and  not  a  Father ;  after 
 
 saying    that    the    Paraclete    shall    be    sent    forth.    He 
 
 promises    that   He   will   come    Himself;    showing  that 
 
 the    Spirit   is   not    something   other   than   what  He  is 
 
 VOL,  II,  X 
 
306  The  Sjnrit  is  One 
 
 Book  9.  Himself,  forasmuch  as  He  is  a  proper  Spirit  proceeding 
 ^*  ^^^'     '  from  the  Father,  and  is  conceived  of  as  the  Son's,  and 
 for  this  cause  is  also  called  His  Mind.     For  example, 
 iCor.  ii.  Paul  says,  signifying  withal  this  very  thing:  But  lue 
 ^^'  have  the  Mind  of  Christ.     So  then,  understanding  the 
 
 matter  rightly  and  without  all  error,  and  rejecting  as 
 ungainly  all  perversion  in  any  direction  contrary  to 
 what  is  reasonable,  and  following  the  words  of  the 
 inspired  Scripture,  we  say  that  He  is  not  something 
 different  from  the  Son  so  far  as  regards  natural  identity, 
 but  the  same  ;  yet  with  characteristics  both  distinct  and 
 personal.  For,  so  understanding  it,  I  imagine,  the  in- 
 spired Paul  also  oftentimes  mingles  Them  and  introduces 
 Either  as  identical  with  the  Other  ;  the  Paraclete,  I  mean, 
 Eom.viii.  and  the  Son.  For  thou  wilt  find  him  saying :  But  if 
 ^"  aiiy  man  hath  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His, 
 
 Ibid.  10.  and  again  directly  after:  And  if  Christ  is  in  you,  the 
 body  is  dead  because  of  the  sin;  but  the  Spirit  is  life 
 because  of  righteousness.  Hearest  thou  how  he  expressly 
 confesses  that  they  have  Christ  who  have  received  His 
 
 1  Cor.      Spirit  ?    And  he  says  also  in  another  place :  For  I  think 
 
 that  I  also  have  the  Spirit  of  God.     And  he  who  spake 
 
 2  Cor.      this  unto  us,  also  says  :  If  ye  seek  a  proof  of  Christ  That 
 ^"^'   ■      speaketh  in  Me;   and  oftentimes  prays  that  in  us  also, 
 
 who  have  believed,  Christ  may  dwell  by  faith,  howbeit 
 himself  receiving  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  let  no  one 
 suppose  that  we  say  that  he  annuls  the  fixity  of  name 
 or  person  in  respect  of  each,  or  that  he  says  that  the  Son 
 is  not  a  Son  but  a  Spirit,  or  at  least  that  he  does  not 
 know  the  Spirit  as  Spirit,  but  says  He  is  a  Son ;  this 
 was  not  the  aim  in  his  mind,  and  indeed-  neither  do  we 
 so  believe.  For  he  knows  how  to  count  the  Persons  of 
 the  Holy  and  Coessential  Trinity,  and  teaches  that  each 
 of  the  Persons  signified  subsists  in  His  proper  distinct- 
 ness :  notwithstanding  he  proclaims  clearly  that  the 
 Holy  Trinity  is  fixed  in  absolute  identity.  Else  how 
 1  Cor.  can  it  be  that  the  Spirit  is  and  is  called  God  ?  For  do 
 "^  ye  not  know,  he  says,  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God,  and 
 
lulth  the  Son.  S07 
 
 the  8j)iTit  of  God  divelleth  in  you?  But  if,  forasmuch  as  Chap.  i. 
 the  Spii-it  dwelleth  in  us,  we  are  made  temples  of '^•^'^■■^^' 
 God,  how  can  the  Spirit  not  be  of  God,  i.e.  of  His 
 Essence,  whereas  He  makes  God  to  dwell  in  us  through 
 Himself?  So  then  by  way  of  showing  that  the  Spirit  is 
 not  alien  from  His  own  Nature,  the  Only-begotten, 
 having  said  that  the  Paraclete  is  being  sent  forth  from 
 the  Father  for  the  Saints,  promises  that  He  will  come 
 Himself  and  fill  the  place  of  a  father,  to  the  end  that 
 they  be  not  found  like  some  orphans  destitute  of  the 
 assistance  of  one  to  stand  forth  for  them,  and  for  this 
 cause  be  found  henceforth  easy  to  be  taken  in  the  snares 
 of  the  devil,  and  exceedingly  easily  assailed  by  the 
 offences  in  the  world,  for  all  they  be  many  and  come  as 
 of  necessity,  by  reason  of  the  ungovernable  madness  of 
 them  that  bring  them  to  pass.  So  then  for  a  shield  and 
 an  irrefragable  security  unto  our  souls,  the  Father  has 
 given  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  to  fulfil  in  us  His  grace  and 
 presence  and  power.  For  it  were  impossible  for  a  man's 
 soul  to  effect  ought  that  is  good,  or  to  have  power  over 
 its  own  passions,  or  to  escape  the  great  subtilty  of  the 
 snare  of  the  devil,  if  it  were  not  fortified  by  the  grace  of 
 the  Holy  Spirit,  and  had  not  Christ  Himself  by  reason 
 thereof  within  itself.  And  indeed  the  inspired  Psalmist? 
 composing  for  us  through  the  wisdom  that  was  in  him 
 his  thanksgivings  on  this  behalf,  cried  aloud  unto  God  : 
 Lord,  Thou  didst  crown  us  as  with  a  shield  of  favour —  Ps.  v.  13. 
 meaning  by  a  shield  of  favour  nothing  else  than  the 
 Holy  Spirit  Who  shields  us,  and  constrains  us,  by  gifts 
 of  unexpected  strength,  to  [the  fulfilling  of]  the  good 
 pleasure  of  God.  And  so  He  promises  that  none  the  less 
 He  will  be  present  and  will  help  through  the  Spirit  them 
 that  believe  on  Him,  albeit  He  ascend  into  the  very 
 heavens,  after  His  Revival  from  the  dead,  now  to  appear  Heb.  ix. 
 in  the  presence  of  God  for  us,  according  to  the  words  " 
 of  Paul. 
 
 X2 
 
308  Tlie  Paraclete  is  offered  to  all, 
 
 Book  9. 
 
 c.ii\.  19.  jg      Yet  a  little  while  and  the  world  beholdeth  Me  no  more;  but 
 ye  behold  Me  :  because  I  live,  ye  shall  live  also. 
 
 Now  that  the  Passion  is  close  at  hand,  and  brings 
 along  with  it  the  moment  of  His  Assumption,  He  says 
 that  He  will  be  invisible  to  the  world,  that  is,  to  them 
 that  value  the  enjoyment  of  things  temporal  before  the 
 Divine  blessings,  and  set  more  store  by  earthly  things 
 than  by  heavenly.  And  by  way  of  making  our  belief  to 
 the  end  thereof  kindred  and  consistent  with  what  has 
 been  already  said  above,  we  shall  be  right  in  saying, 
 that  God  the  Father  has  given  the  Paraclete,  i.e.  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  of  course  through  the  Son ;  for  all  things 
 are  through  Him  from  the  Father.  Notwithstanding  He 
 has  come,  not  on  all  indiscriminately,  both  evil  and  good, 
 but  on  them  on  whom  it  was  fitting  He  should  go  forth. 
 For  so  far  forth  as  touches  the  most  rich  and  unstinted 
 grace  of  the  Giver,  no  man  of  all  in  the  earth  remained  a 
 
 Joel  ii.  non-partaker  :  For  I  ivill  pour  out.  He  says  in  the  pro- 
 phets, of  ray  Sjnrit  on  all  Jlesh.  Yet  each  man  is  unto 
 himself  an  accessory  cause  of  his  possessing  or  else 
 wholly  failing  to  get  the  God-given  blessing.  For  some 
 men,  because  that  in  no  wise  do  they  strive  to  cleanse 
 their  own  mind  by  all  goodness,  but  love  exceedingly  to 
 dwell  in  the  evils  in  the  world,  shall  abide  non-partakers 
 of  the  Divine  grace,  and  shall  not  see  Christ  in  them- 
 selves, forasmuch  as  they  have  a  heart  void  of  the  Spirit. 
 For  this  cause  albeit  they  are  ranged  on  the  side  of  the 
 Protector  of  the  orphans  they  are  torn  in  pieces  by 
 simply  everything  that  is  strong  enough  to  overreach, 
 be  it  a  passion  or  a  devil,  or  yet  any  other  worldly  lust, 
 and  by  everything  that  can  drag  them  down  as  it  were 
 and  overpower  them  unto  sin.  Howbeit,  unto  the  holy 
 and  them  that  were  purposed  to  receive  Him,  He  said,  as 
 was  likely  He  would,  forasmuch  as  they  were  going  to 
 
 Supra  endure  none  of  those  ills,  /  will  not  leave  you  orphans,  I 
 am  coming  unto  you.  And  so  He  says  He  shall  be  in- 
 visible  and  wholly  unbeheld  by  them   that  mind   the 
 
hut  received  only  by  some.  309 
 
 things    in    the    world,    after    His    Departure    hence,    I  Chap.  i. 
 mean    His  Ascension   into   heaven.     But  He  says   He^'^^^"    * 
 will  be  found  visible  unto  the  holy,  forasmuch  as  the 
 Holy  Spirit  is  putting  a  certain  Divine  and  spiritual 
 ^  flash  in  the  eyes  of  their  heart,  and  sowing  therein  all '  i^apm- 
 good  knowledge.  ^^"^^ 
 
 For  we  shall  either  suppose  that  this  is  what  He 
 means  by  Yet  a  little  while  and  the  tuoiid  beholdeth  Me 
 no  more;  but  ye  behold  Me;  or  else  turning  aside  to  a 
 different  point  of  view — especially  when  there  is  inter- 
 twined with  His  words  the  saying  Because  I  live,  ye 
 shall  live  also — we  reason  somewhat  on  this  wise.  For 
 after  His  Revival  from  the  dead,  when  He  had  effected 
 for  our  nature  the  return  unto  that  whereunto  it  existed 
 from  the  beginning,  and  had  made  man  incorruptible, 
 He  ascended,  as  it  were  by  way  of  first-fruits  and  in  the 
 Temple  of  His  own  Body  first,  unto  God  the  Father  in 
 heaven.  But  after  in  the  meanwhile  accomplishing  a 
 short  time.  He  will  descend  again,  as  we  believe,  and  will 
 return  again  unto  us,  in  the  glory  of  His  Father  ivith  the  s.  Matt. 
 Holy  Angels,  and  will  set  up  the  appalling  tribunal  ^^^"  ^''* 
 before  all  men,  both  evil  and  good.  For  all  created 
 things  shall  come  to  judgment.  And  rendering  becom- 
 ing awards,  corresponding  to  the  life  each  one  has  led, 
 He  will  say  to  them  on  the  left,  i.e.  to  those  that  have 
 minded  the  things  in  the  world :  Depart  from  Me  ye  ibid.  xxv. 
 cursed,  into  the  eternal  fire  ^prepared  for  the  devil  and  ^^' 
 his  angels;  howbeit  to  them  on  the  right,  i.e.  to  the 
 holy  and  good :  Come  ye  blessed  of  My  Father,  inherit  Ibid.  34. 
 the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
 the  world.  For  they  shall  be  with  Christ  and  shall 
 reign  with  Him,  and  shall  revel  in  the  heavenly  bless- 
 ings, having  been  made  conformable  to  His  Resurrection, 
 and  escaped  the  meshes  of  the  ancient  corruption,  being 
 endued  with  the  long  and  ineffable  life,  and  living  end- 
 lessly with  the  ever-living  Lord.  For  that  they  who 
 have  practised  a  life  dear  to  God  and  exalted;  shall  be 
 with  Christ  without  ceasing,  to  wit  contemplating  His 
 
310  Tlte  reivard  of  virtue. 
 
 Book  9.  divine  and  unspeakable  beauty,  Paul  will  make  clear 
 c.xiv.20.  ^Yiere  he  says  :  For  the  Lord  Himself  shall  descend  from 
 iv.  16, 17.  Heaven,  with  a  shout,  tvith  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and 
 with  the  trumiJ  of  God :  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shcdl  rise 
 first:  then  lue  that  are  alive,  that  are  left,  shall  together 
 with  them  be  caught  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord 
 in  the  air:   and  so  shall  we  ever  he  ivith  the  Lord;  and 
 again,   to    them  that  have  chosen  to  mortify  worldly 
 Col. iii.    passions :  For  ye  died,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ 
 ^'  ^"         in  God.     When  Christ,  Who  is  our  life,  shall  be  mani- 
 fested, then  shall  ye  also  tvith  Him  be  manifested  in 
 glory.     So — for  I  will  sum  up  the  meaning  of  the  Lord's 
 saying — the  lovers  of  the  evil  things  in  the  world  shall 
 go  down  to  Hades  and  be  banished  from  the  presence  of 
 Christ;  howbeit  there  shall  be  with  Him  and  dwell  with 
 Him  for  ever  the  lovers  of  virtue,  they  who  have  kept 
 inviolate  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  and  being  with  Him 
 of  a  surety  they  shall  also  behold  His  Divine  Beauty 
 Is.  ix.  19.  without  all  hindrance.     For,  he  says,  the  Lord  shall  be 
 thine  eternal  Light,  and  God  thy  glory.     And  it  is  also 
 likely  that  this  is  what  the  Lord  means  to  make  mani- 
 fest, when  we  hear  Him  saying :  Yet  a  little  while  and, 
 the  tvorld  heholdeth  Me  no  more;  hut  ye  behold  Me;  be- 
 cause L  live  ye  shall  live  cdso.     Howbeit  in  no  wise  will 
 He  speak  falsely  in  sayingthat  the  time  intervening,  before 
 His  Revelation  as  it  were,  is  a  little  while.     For  to  God 
 Who  always  is,  even  what  is  a  long  time  with  us  counts 
 utterly  for  nothing  ;    and  the  Psalmist  will  testify  this 
 Ps.  xc.  4.  when  he  says :   For  a  thousand  years  in  Thy  sight,  0 
 Lord,  are  but  as  yesterday  that  is  past,  and.  a  watch  in 
 the  night. 
 
 20     In  that  day  ye  shall  knov/  that  I  am  in  My  Father,  and  ye 
 in  Me,  and  I  in  you. 
 
 The  meaning  of  the  passage  before  us  is  somewhat 
 hard  to  reach,  and  as  it  were  demands  that  the  inquiry 
 applied  to  it  be  keen,  and  imposes  very  considerable 
 delay  on  our  discourse :  howbeit  we  believe  that  Christ 
 
The  union  of  Father  and  Son  is  not  accidental.  311 
 
 will  once  more  direct  us  into  truth.  Now  some,  albeit  Chap,  i, 
 among  the  number  of  those  once  supposed  among  the  ^'  ^^^' 
 impious  heretics  to  be  of  eminence,  refusing  malignantly 
 to  confess  that  the  Son  is  of  the  essence  of  God  the 
 Father,  and  is  therefore  in  Him,  conceive  that  the  union 
 is  an  accidental  one  and  not  one  of  nature  ;  and  in  fact 
 they  have  written — belching  forth  thereby  what  pro- 
 ceeds from  their  own  minds,  not  from  the  Holy  Spirit — 
 that,  forasmuch  as  the  Son  is  loved  by  the  Father,  and 
 Himself  loves  the  Father  in  return,  it  is  after  this  sort 
 that  He  is  in  Him.  And  these  demented  men  bring  as 
 a  proof  hard  to  overthrow,  the  words  attached  to  the 
 clause  before  us,  to  wit  concerning  us  and  Him  ;  and 
 indeed  they  say,  resting  withal  their  blasphemies  on  the  Is.  xxxvi. 
 staff  of  a  reed,  that  as  we  are  said  to  be  in  Him,  and  ' 
 have  Him  in  ourselves,  and  are  not  united  to  Him  in  the 
 matter  of  our  essence,  but  the  manner  of  the  union  is 
 determined  by  our  capacity  to  love  and  be  loved  in 
 return ;  so  the  Son  also,  one  of  them  would  say,  is  not 
 at  all  within  the  essence  of  God  the  Father,  but  being 
 wholly  distinct  in  the  matter  of  His  nature,  and  being 
 quite  differently  characterised,  is  understood  to  be  in 
 the  Father  solely  by  virtue  of  the  law  of  love.  For  it 
 is  their  aim,  as  we  said  just  now,  to  show  that  the  Only- 
 begotten  is  an  effect  and  a  creature,  and  produced  and 
 honoured  merely  with  His  preeminence  over  the  rest  of 
 the  creatures,  notwithstanding  He  is  external  to  the 
 essence  of  God  the  Father. 
 
 But  forasmuch  as  'concerning  this  we  have  already 
 spoken  at  length,  assaying  thereby  to  show  to  the  best 
 of  our  power,  that  the  Son  is  by  nature  in  the  Father 
 and  that  the  union  which  He  has  with  Him  is  substan- 
 tial, we  will  forbear  further  for  the  present  to  extend 
 our  remarks  touching  this  subject.  Howbeit  we  will 
 not  wholly  leave  as  it  were  the  ground  of  the  argument 
 clear  for  our  opponents  to  overrun,  but  will  set  the 
 battle  in  array  against  them  in  a  few  words,  exhibiting 
 so  far  as  possible  at  once  the  mischief  and  the  ignorance 
 
312  Tlie  Union  /s  not  by  the  law  of  love, 
 
 Book  9.  of  their  wicked  and  loathsome  artifice  ;  and  particularly 
 c.xiv.u.  ^g  ^^Y[  say:  If  it  is  solely  by  reason  that  He  is  loved 
 and  loves  that  the  Son  is  in  the  Father,  and  if  by  the 
 same  law  we  are  in  Him  and  He  in  us,  and  no  different 
 bond  of  union  is  discernible,  whether  we  consider  that 
 which  binds  the  Son  to  the  Father,  or  us  to  Him  and 
 Him  to  us :  in  what  sense  or  on  what  principle,  I  pray 
 you,  does  He  say  that  it  is  in  that  day  we  shall  know 
 the  mystery  of  this  ?  For  seemingly  we  do  not  yet  know 
 that  the  Father  loves  the  Son,  and  the  Son  also  loves 
 the  Father ;  nor,  I  suppose,  do  we  yet  know  our  own 
 condition,  but  a  vain  calculation  mocks  us,  when  we 
 think  that  the  Son  loved  us,  and  for  this  cause  won  us 
 unto  the  Father,  and  that  we  also  loved  Him  !  For 
 when  He  says  In  that  day  ye  shall  knoiv,  He  shows  that 
 the  time  of  the  knowledge  is  not  yet  present ;  then,  why 
 did  the  Lord  all  in  vain  make  our  ears  ring  with  His 
 Supra  iii.  words :  The  Father  loveth  the  Son  ?  For  that  He  Him- 
 self loves  the  Father,  who  will  deny  ?  And  how,  I  pray 
 you,  said  He  also  that  His  choosing  to  suffer  in  our  be- 
 Infra  XV.  half  was  a  clear  proof  of  His  love  to  us- ward  ?  For 
 greater  loire  hath  no  man  than  this,  He  says,  that  a  man 
 lay  doum  His  life  for  His  friends.  And  why  did  He 
 manifestly  seek  for  love  from  us  towards  Himself,  and 
 that  for  this  cause  we  should  be  eager  to  fulfil  His  good 
 pleasure?  For  he  that  loveth  Me,  He  says,  will  keep 
 My  commandments.  For  when  shall  we  keep  the  Divine 
 commandment,  if  at  the  present  we  make  no  account 
 thereof  ?  Forasmuch  then  as  it  is  fit  we  believe  that  the 
 Son  loves  the  Father,  and  loves  us  and  is  beloved  by  us, 
 how  is  it  not  consistent  to  conceive  that  the  Son  has 
 purposed  to  signify  something  diverse  from  this,  and  not 
 to  define  the  manner  of  the  union  by  the  law  of  love ; 
 or  rather  that  He  has  manifestly  introduced  it  to  us  as 
 after  some  different  sort,  when  He  says  :  In  that  day  ye 
 shall  knoiv  that  I  am  in  My  Father  and  ye  in  Me  and  I 
 in  you. 
 ■.    But    peradventure    the    opponent   will    answer,   that 
 
since  Christ  says  "  in  that  day."  313 
 
 before  the  Passion  Christ  said  such  things  as  these  to  us,  Chap.  i. 
 to  wit  that  He  loves  the  Father  and  is  loved  again  by  ^'  ^^^'  ' 
 the  Father,  and  He  loves  us  also  and  we  Him ;  but  that 
 after  the  Passion  and  the  Kevival  from  the  dead,  when 
 we  saw  that  He  burst  the  bonds  of  death,  we  learnt  tliat 
 He  is  in  the  Father,  forasmuch  as  also  He  is  loved,  and 
 for  this  cause  rose  from  the  dead.  For  this  cause  also 
 He  is  in  us  and  we  in  Him,  according  to  the  same  law 
 of  love. 
 
 But  we  reply :  Your  opposition  is  exceeding  idle,  and 
 wholly  without  understanding,  and  a  tissue  of  rotten 
 words.    But,  excellent  Sirs,  consider  once  more  that  what 
 we  knew  of  a  truth  before  the  Resurrection  from  the 
 dead,  there  was  no  need  to  learn  after  the  Resurrection. 
 For  if  it  was  only  imperfectly  that  we  believed  that  the 
 Son  is  loved  of  His  own  Father,  and  Himself  loves  the 
 Father,  it  was  indeed  necessary  to  await  the  Resurrection, 
 with  intent  we  might  therefrom  have  the  perfection  of 
 knowledge.     But  if  the  Father  be  worthy  of  belief  when 
 He  says  even  before  the  Resurrection  :  He  is  My  beloved  s.  Matt. 
 Son ;  and  if  the  Saviour  Himself  also  speaks  true  when  "^-  ^^• 
 He  says :    TJte  Father  loveth  the  Son ;  and  if  the  law  of  Supra  iii. 
 love  is  fittingly  to  be  conceived  in  its  entire  perfection ;     " 
 why  do  ye  foolishly  strike  at  us  with  hard  words  ?    And 
 why,  thrusting  aside  the  beauty  of  the  Truth,  do  ye 
 fashion  you  an  unsightly  lie,  dragging  outside  of  the 
 Father's  essence  the  Son  that  is  of  Him  and  throusrh 
 Him,  and  withal  inventing  right  rotten  words,  and  con- 
 triving tricks  of  absurd  argumentation  1      For  that  the 
 Only-begotten  loved  us,  and  that  we  also  loved  Him, 
 will  be  open  to  any  one  to  see  with  utmost  readiness,  so 
 he  be  willing  to  regard  intently  the  nature  of  the  truth : 
 For  being  in  the  form  of  God  the  Father,  He  counted  it  not  Phil.  ii. 
 a  prize  to  be  on  an  equality  with  God,  but  emptied  Him-   ' 
 self,  taking  theforTn  of  a  servant.    Then  what,  I  pray  you, 
 was  the  ground  of  such  actions  ?     Was  it  not  the  law  of 
 love  towards  us  ?     And  how  is  it  possible  to  doubt  ? 
 And  our  willingness  too  on  behalf  of  Christ  and  readi- 
 
314        Tlie  Mydery  ivlll  only  he  comprehemled 
 
 EooK  9.  ness  to  abandon  our  very  life  to  the  persecutors,  that  we 
 c.  XIV.  20.  j^g^y  j^^^  deny  our  own  Lord,  will  it  not  supply  proof  to 
 demonstration  of  our  love  to  Him  1  But  a  man  will 
 also  say  that  this  either  is  entirely  true,  or  will  condemn 
 the  Holy  Martyrs  as  having  wrought  a  desperate  struggle 
 for  Christ  for  no  useful  end,  and  endured  so  grievous  a 
 danger  all  unrecompensed.  So  then,  whereas  it  is  proved 
 with  all  clearness  that  the  Father  has  towards  the  Son 
 love  in  perfection,  and  that  in  like  sort  also  He  loves 
 the  Father,  and  we  Him  and  He  us,  what  reason 
 could  there  be  in  supposing  that  the  discernment  thereof 
 is  referred  perchance  to  other  times,  when  the  Lord  says : 
 In  that  day  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and 
 ye  in  Me,  and  I  in  you. 
 
 For  away  with  their  idle  talkings  and  the  pretentious- 
 ness of  their  God-hating  speculations  !     But  we  waxing 
 bold  in  the  consciousness  of  bearing  the  torch  of  the 
 Spirit,  will  not  hesitate  to  say  what  seems  to  be  right, 
 with  intent  to  clear  up  the  questions  at  issue.     So  then, 
 Supra      having  said  above:    Because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also, 
 ver.  19.    straightway  He  is  found  to  have  added :  In  that  day  ye 
 shall  know  that  I  am  in  My  Father,  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I 
 in  you.    Then  to  what  man,  upright  and  wont  to  think 
 Heb.iv.7.  rightly,  would  it  not  be  abundantly  clear,  that  He  limits 
 a  day,  the  time  to  wit  of  the  knowledge  hereof,  upon 
 which  we  ourselves  also,  renovated  after  His  likeness, 
 shall  ascend  unto  eternal  life,  escaping  from  the  curse  of 
 9  Read-    death  ?  And  something  after  this  sort  the  ^  Christ-bearer 
 ^"^'         seems  to  me  to  indicate — I  mean,  Paul — when,  revealing 
 <p6pos       to  US  the  Divine  Mystery,  he  writes  to  some:    For  ye 
 Col.  111.  3.  ^^.^^  ^^^  ^^^^  i^j-^  ^g  ^^^  ^^^^  Christ  in  God  ;  when  then 
 
 Christ,  which  is  your  life,  shcdl  aj)X>ear,  then  sTicdl  ye  also 
 afpecLr  rvith  Him  in  glory.  For  He  shall  transform 
 the  body  of  our  humiliation — this  body  assuredly,  and 
 not  a  diverse — to  be  conformable  unto  His  glory,  and  shall 
 transmute  the  nature  of  man  unto  the  ancient  type  with 
 power  unspeakable,  changing  all  things  easily  unto 
 .whatsoever  He  will,  none  forbidding;    for  He  is  very 
 
"'hi  that  day'';   i.e.  of  our  Resurrection.       315 
 
 God  That  maheth  all  things  and  changeth  the  fashion  of  Chap.  i. 
 them,  as  it  is  written.     So  then  at  that  day,  or  time,  ^^^^^  ^  * 
 when  ye  also  yourselves  shall  live — for  I  do  live,  albeit  8. 
 made  man  like  unto  you,  and  clad  with  the  body  which 
 as  touching  its  proper  nature  is  subject  to  corruption — 
 ye  shall  recognise  clearly,  He  says,  that  1  a'tn  in  the 
 Father,  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I  in  you.     And  we  shall  be 
 disposed  to  think  that  the  Lord  said  this  unto  us,  not 
 with  intent  we  might  suppose  that  He  is  in  the  Father 
 according  io  the  law  of  love,  as  indeed  our  opponents 
 thought  fit  to  believe,  but  according  to  the  power  of  a 
 deep  mystery,  which  is  also  both  difficult  to  conceive, 
 and  hard  to  utter ;  howbeit  I  will  essay  how  I  may  be 
 able  to  expound  it. 
 
 Now  I  hold  that  the  mind  of  any  man  on  earth  is  very 
 far  from  equal  to  the  accurate  exposition  hereof;   not- 
 withstanding, in  the  fervour  of  love,  albeit  with  powers 
 of  sight  and  utterance  but  little  whetted,  let  us  now 
 consider  the  aim  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Only -begotten. 
 Let  us,  I  pray  you,  examine  the  cause,  wherefore,  being 
 as  God  in  the  form  of  God  the  Father,  He  counted  it  not  Phil.  ii. 
 a  ijrize  to  he  on  an  equality  with  God,  hut  emptied  ^'  '^' 
 Himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  endured  the  Heb.  xii. 
 ci'oss  despising  the  shame.     For  in  this  way  the  depth   ' 
 of  the  mysteries  before  us  will  be  manifest,  so  far  as  is 
 possible,  howbeit  hardly  so.     But  we  shall  learn  how 
 the  Son  is  in  the  Father,  naturally,  that  is,  and  not  by 
 virtue  of  the    relation  of  being   loved   and   loving   as 
 invented  by  our  opponents ;  and  we  again  in  Him  after 
 the  same  sort,  and  He  in  us.     Well  then,  one  cause  the 
 wise  Paul  expounded  was  a  true  and  most  general  cause 
 of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Only-begotten,  when  he  said  : 
 For  God  the  Father  was  pleased  to  gather  together  in  one  Eph.i.io. 
 all  things  in  Christ ;  and  "  gathering  in  one,"  both  the 
 name  and  the  thing,  plainly  involves  the  bringing  back 
 again  and  resumption  of  the  things  that  have  digressed 
 to  an  unconformable  end  unto  what  they  were  in  the 
 beginning.     Then  desiring  to  put  before  us  in  a  clear 
 
316  Causes  of  the  Incarnation. 
 
 Book  9.  light  the  methods  of  the  gathering  in  detail,  at  one  time 
 c^xiv._  .  j^g  gaid:  For  what  the  Laiu  could  not  do,  in  that  it  vms 
 3,  4.  '  v)eak  through  the  flesh,  God,  sending  His  oiun  Son  in  the 
 likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and  as  an  offering  for  sin,  con- 
 demned sin  in  the  flesh :  that  the  ordinance  of  the  Law 
 might  he  fulfilled  in  us,  ivho  ^valk  not  after  the  flesh,  hut 
 Heb.  ii.  after  the  Spirit;  and  at  another  again:  Since  then  the 
 '  '  children  are  sharers  in  flesh  and  hlood.  He  also  Himself 
 in  like  manner  partook  of  the  same ;  that  through  death 
 He  might  hring  to  nought  him  that  had  the  power  of 
 death,  that  is  the  devil ;  and  might  deliver  all  them  tvho 
 through  fear  of  death  were  all  their  lifetime  subject  to 
 bondage.  And  herein  we  have  two  methods  of  the 
 gathering  together  which  Paul  expounded  the  doctrine 
 of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Only-begotten  as  of  necessity 
 involving ;  but  a  further  method,  inclusive  of  the  others, 
 was  set  forth  by  the  wise  Evangelist  John.  For  he 
 S.  John  writes  thus  touching  Christ :  He  came  unto  His  own, 
 and  they  that  were  His  own  received  Him  not.  But  as 
 many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He  the  right  to 
 become  children  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
 on  His  Name:  lohich  ivere  born  not  of  blood,  nor 
 of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  tuill  of  man, 
 but  of  God.  So  then  it  is  abundantly  evident  and 
 manifest  I  conceive  unto  all,  that  it  was  for  these  causes 
 especially  that,  being  by  nature  God  and  of  God,  the 
 Only-begotten  has  become  man ;  namely  with  intent  to 
 condemn  sin  in  the  flesh,  and  by  His  own  Death  to  slay 
 Death,  and  to  make  us  Sons  of  God,  regenerating  in  the 
 Spirit  them  that  are  on  earth  unto  supernatural  dignity. 
 For  it  was,  I  trow,  exceeding  good,  after  this  sort  to 
 gather  together  again  into  one  and  to  recover  unto  the 
 ancient  estate  the  sore-stumbled  race,  to  wit,  the  human. 
 Again,  let  us  set  each  of  the  causes  just  given  side  by 
 side  with  the  Lord's  saying,  and  thereupon  make  such 
 remarks  that  seem  fit.  For  we  must  inquire  in  what 
 sense  it  may  be  seemly  to  conceive  that  God  the  Father 
 condemned  sin  in  the  flesh  by  sending  His  o^vn  Son  in 
 
He  ivas  Incarnate  for  our  sakes.  317 
 
 likeness  of  sinful  flesh.     For  albeit  the  Son  were  by  Chap.  l. 
 nature  God  and  had  shone  forth  from  His  essence  and  '^'  ^^^'    ' 
 possessed    naturally    the    immutability   of    His    proper 
 being,  and  for  this  cause  in  no  wise  could  stumble  into 
 sin,  or  turn  aside  anywhither  into  what  is  not  right,  the 
 Father  caused  him  voluntarily  to  descend  into  the  ^  flesh  •  Read- 
 that  is  subject  to  sin,   with  intent  that  making:  very  \°^'    , 
 
 ...  o  .^    afiapTiq. 
 
 flesh  His  own,  He  might  bring  it  over  unto  His  own  crdpHa 
 natural  property,  to  wit,  sinlessness.  For,  I  conceive, 
 we  shall  not  be  right  in  believing  that  it  was  with  intent 
 to  eflect  this  for  the  Temple  of  His  own  Body  alone  that 
 the  Only-begotten  has  been  made  man ;  for  where  were 
 the  glory  and  profit  of  His  Advent  unto  us  to  be  seen,  if 
 He  accomplished  the  salvation  of  His  own  Body  alone  1 
 But  we  believe  rather  that  it  was  to  secure  the  benefits 
 for  all  nature  through  Himself  and  in  Himself  first  as  in 
 the  firstfruits  of  humanity,  that  the  Only-begotten  has 
 become  like  us.  For  like  as  we  have  followed  after  not 
 only  death  but  all  the  suflferings  of  the  flesh,  undergoing 
 this  suffering  in  the  first  man  by  reason  as  well  of  the 
 transgression  as  of  the  divine  curse;  after  the  same  sort, 
 I  conceive,  shall  we  all  of  us  follow  Christ,  as  He  saves 
 in  many  ways  and  sanctifies  the  nature  of  the  flesh  in 
 Himself.  Wherefore  also  Paul  said:  And  as  we  love  the  iCor.xv. 
 image  of  the  earthy,  we  shall  bear  also  the  image  of  the 
 heavenly.  For  the  iviage  of  the  earthy,  to  wit  of  Adam, 
 is  to  be  in  sufferings  and  corruption  ;  and  the  irnage  of 
 the  heavenly,  to  wit  of  Christ,  is  to  be  in  impassibility 
 and  incorruption.  So  then  the  Word  being  God  by 
 nature  condemned  sin  in  His  own  flesh,  by  charging  it 
 to  cease  its  activity,  or  rather  so  amending  it  as  that  it 
 should  move  after  the  good  pleasure  of  God,  and  no 
 longer  at  its  own  will ;  and  so  whereas  the  body  was 
 natural.  He  made  it  spiritual.  This  then  is  one  method 
 of  the  gathering  together ;  but  the  method  that  is  most 
 befitting  and  appropriate  to  the  drift  of  the  passage  be- 
 fore us  shall  follow  it.  And  it  will  be  our  task  to  speak 
 touching  eternal  life  and  the  slaying  of  Death,  and  how 
 
 49. 
 
318  Man  ivas  created  in  Gods  Image 
 
 Book  9.  the  Only -begotten  removed  from  human  nature  the  cor- 
 0.  xiv.  20.  ruption  that  came  of  the  transgression.     Therefore  foras- 
 14^  ■  "■    much  as  the  children  are  partakers  of  blood  and  flesh, 
 He  cdso  in  like  manner  took  part  in  the  same  with  intent 
 to  slay  Death,  and  that  He  that  created  all  things  unto 
 Wisd.  i.   immortality   and    made   the  generations   of  the   world 
 hecdthful,  according  as  it  is  written,  might  remould  once 
 more  the  fashion  of  things  unto  their  ancient  estate. 
 And  once  again,  albeit  my  argument  be  more  minute 
 2  Read-    than  behoves,  yet,  as  it  needs  must,  it  ^  shall  proceed, 
 ^vp%r]ae-  Setting  forth  the  ancient  condition  of  our  estate.     For  I 
 '^'"  conceive  the  sincere  purpose  to  grasp  the  meaning  of  the 
 
 words  before  us,  will  wholly  escape  the  dangers   that 
 come  of  mere  loitering.     So  then  this  rational  creature 
 upon  earth,  I  mean  man,  was  made  from  the  beginning 
 Col.  iii.    after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  him,  according  to 
 ^^'  the  Scriptures ;  and  the  meaning  of  image  is  various. 
 
 For  an  iviage  may  be,  not  after  one  sort,  but  after  many ; 
 howbeit  the  element  of  the  likeness  to  God  that  made 
 him,  which  is  far  the  most  manifest  of  all,  was  his  in- 
 corruptibility and  indestructibility.  But  never,  I  con- 
 ceive, would  the  creature  have  been  sufficient  unto 
 himself  to  be  so,  merely  by  virtue  of  the  law  of  his  own 
 nature ;  for  how  could  he  that  is  of  the  earth  in  his  own 
 nature  have  been  shown  to  possess  the  glory  of  incor- 
 ruption,  unless  it  were  from  the  God  that  is  by  nature 
 both  incorruptible  and  indestructible  and  ever  the  same, 
 that  he  was  enriched  with  this  boon  in  like  manner  as 
 1  Cor.  iv.  with  all  others  ?  For  tvhat  hast  thou,  that  thou  didst  not 
 ^'  receive  ?    saith   somewhere   unto  us  the  inspired  Paul, 
 
 with  exceeding  reason  and  truth.  With  intent  then  that 
 what  was  once  brought  into  being  out  of  that  which  is 
 not,  might  not,  by  sinking  back  to  its  own  original,  once 
 more  vanish  into  nothing,  but  rather  be  preserved  ever- 
 more— for  this  was  the  aim  of  Him  that  created  it — 
 Gen.ii.  7.  God  makes  it  partaker  of  His  own  nature.  For  He 
 breathed  into  his  face  the  breath  of  life,  i.e.  the  Spirit  of 
 the  Son,  for  He  is  Himself  the  Life  with  the   Father, 
 
hy  the  inhreathinj  of  the  Spirit.  319 
 
 holding  all  things  together  in  being.  For  the  things  Chap.  i. 
 that  are  receptive  of  life  both  move  in  Him  and  live,  ^'  ^^'  ^_^' 
 according  to  the  words  of  Paul.  28. 
 
 And  let  none  of  us  found  hereupon  any  words  of  false 
 teaching,  by  supposing  that  we  said  that  the  Divine  in- 
 breathing has  become  a  soul  unto  the  living  creature  ;  for 
 this  we  deny,  guided  unto  the  truth  of  the  matter  by  ^such  ^  Eead- 
 reasoning  as  this.  If  any  suppose  that  the  Divine  in-  ^^f^g^ 
 breathing  became  a  soul,  let  him  tell  us  whether  it  was 
 turned  aside  from  its  own  nature  and  has  been  made  into 
 a  soul,  or  has  it  remained  in  its  own  identity  ?  For  if  they 
 say  it  has  been  on  anywise  changed  and  that  it  tra- 
 versed the  law  of  its  own  nature,  they  will  be  convicted 
 of  blasphemy ;  for  they  will  say  that  the  immutable 
 and  ever-unchanging  Nature  is  altogether  mutable ; 
 whereas  if  it  was  in  no  wise  turned  aside,  but  has  ever 
 remained  what  it  always  was,  after  coming  forth  from 
 God,  to  wit  His  inbreathing,  how  did  it  deflect  unto 
 sin,  and  become  susceptible  of  so  great  diversity  of 
 ^  passions  ?  For,  I  trow,  they  would  not  say  that  there  *  Read- 
 is,  in  anywise,  in  the  Divine  Nature  the  possibility  of  ^^^^'-^ 
 transgression.  But  to  get  over  the  words  due  to  the 
 subject  before  us  without  using  lengthy  proofs,  I  say 
 we  must  repeat  this  once  again  and  say,- — that  no  one, 
 I  imagine,  rightly  minded  would  suppose  that  the  Breath 
 which  proceeded  from  the  Divine  Essence  became  the 
 creature's  soul,  but  that  after  the  creature  was  ensouled, 
 or  rather  had  attained  unto  the  propriety  of  its  perfect 
 nature  by  means  of  both,  soul  and  body  to  wit,  then 
 like  a  stamp  of  His  own  Nature  the  Creator  impressed 
 on  it  the  Holy  Spirit,  i.  e.  the  Breath  of  Life,  whereby 
 it  became  ^moulded  unto  the  archetypal  Beauty,  and 
 completed  after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  it,  enabled 
 unto  every  form  of  excellence,  by  virtue  of  the  Spirit 
 given  to  dwell  in  it.  But  whereas,  being  free  of  will, 
 and  entrusted  with  the  reins  of  its  own  purposes — for 
 this  also  is  an  element  in  the  image,  forasmuch  as  God 
 has  power  over  His  own  purposes— it  turned  and  has 
 
320  Mans  fall  and  redemption. 
 
 Book  9.  fallen — but  how  this  came  to  pass  the  Holy  Scripture 
 c.  XIV.  20.  jjjyat  teach  you,  for  the  account  of  it  therein  is  plain — God 
 the  Father  both  determined  and  took  in  hand  to  gather 
 together  once  more  in  Christ  the  nature  of  man  unto  its 
 ancient  estate,  and  willing  it  accomplished  it  withal. 
 So  then  it  naturally  follows  that  we  should  observe  how 
 it  has  come  to  pass.  It  was  not  otherwise  possible  for 
 man,  forasmuch  as  he  was  of  a  nature  that  was  perish- 
 ing, to  escape  death,  save  by  recovering  that  ancient 
 grace,  and  partaking  once  more  in  God  Who  holdeth  all 
 things  together  in  being  and  preserveth  them  in  life 
 through  the  Son  in  the  Spirit.  Therefore  He  hath  be- 
 come partaker  of  blood  and  flesh,  i.e.  He  hath  become 
 man,  being  by  nature  Life,  and  begotten  of  the  Life  that 
 is  by  nature,  i.  e.  of  God  the  Father — to  wit,  His  Only- 
 begotten  Word,  with  intent  that  ineffably  and  inexpres- 
 sibly and  as  He  alone  could  skill  to  do,  uniting  Himself 
 with  the  flesh  that  by  the  law  of  its  own  nature  was 
 perishing.  He  might  bring  it  back  unto  His  own  Life  and 
 make  it  through  Himself  partaker  of  God  the  Father. 
 
 1  Tim.  ii.  For  He  is  Mediator  hetiveen  God  and  men,  according  as 
 ^'  it  is  written,  knit  unto  God  the  Father  naturally  as  God 
 
 and  of  Him,  and  again  unto  men  as  man ;  and  withal 
 having  in  Himself  the  Father  and  being  Himself  in  the 
 Heb.  i.  3.  Father ;    for  He  is  the  impress  and  effulgence  of  His 
 Person,  and  not  distinct  from  the  Essence,  whereof  He 
 is  impress   and  wherefrom   He  proceeds  as  eff'ulgence ; 
 but  both  being  Himself  in  It,  and  having  It  in  Himself ; 
 and  again  having  us  in  Himself  according  as  He  wears 
 our  nature  and  our  body  has  become  entitled  the  Body 
 Supra  i.    of  the  Word.     For  the  Word  roas  made  flesh,  according 
 ^^-  to  the  utterance  of  John.    And  He  wears  our  nature,  re- 
 
 moulding it  unto  His  own  Life.  And  He  is  also  Him- 
 self in  us ;  for  we  have  all  been  made  partakers  of  Him, 
 and  have  Him  in  ourselves  through  the  Spirit ;  for,  for 
 
 2  Pet.  i.   this  cause  we  have  Both,  being  made  partakers  of  the 
 ^'  Divine  Nature,  and  are    entitled  sons,  after   this  sort 
 
 having  in  us  also  the  Father  Himself  through  the  Son, 
 
Chrisl  is  hi   us  tJiroiujlt  the  Spirit.  321 
 
 And  Paul  will  testify  hereof  where  he  says :  Because  ye  Chap.  i. 
 are  sons  God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into  your  '^•'^'^•^o. 
 hearts,crying,  Abba,  Father.     For  His  Spirit  is  not  some- 
 thing diverse  fi'om  the  Son,  I  mean  as  touching  the  law 
 of  identity,  to  wit,  identity  of  nature. 
 
 This  being  the  result  of  the  progress  of  our  discourse 
 of  these  things,  let  us  now  take  the  meaning  of  what 
 has  been  set  forth,  and  adapt  it  to  the  interpretation  of 
 our  Saviour's  words:  For  in  that  day  ye  shall  know, 
 He  says,  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I 
 in  you.  For  I  live  Myself,  He  says,  for  I  am  Life  by 
 nature,  and  have  shown  the  Temple  of  My  own  Body 
 alive ;  but  when  ye  also  yourselves,  albeit  ye  are  of  a 
 corruptible  nature,  shall  behold  yourselves  living  in  like 
 manner  as  I  do,  then  indeed  ye  shall  know  exceeding 
 clearly,  that  I,  being  Life  by  nature,  did  knit  you 
 through  Myself  unto  God  the  Father,  Who  is  also  Him- 
 self by  nature  Life,  making  you  partakers  as  it  were 
 and  sharera  in  His  Incorruption.  For  naturally  am  I 
 in  the  Father — for  I  am  the  Fruit  of  His  Essence  and 
 Its  real  Offspring,  subsisting  in  It,  having  shone  forth 
 from  It,  Life  of  Life — and  ye  are  in  Me  and  I  in  you, 
 forasmuch  as  I  appeared  as  a  man  Myself,  and  made 
 you  partakers  of  the  Divine  Nature  by  putting  My 
 Spirit  to  dwell  in  you.  For  Christ  is  in  us  through 
 the  Spirit,  converting  that  which  has  a  natural  tendency 
 to  corruption  into  incorruption,  and  transferring  it  from 
 the  condition  of  dying  unto  that  which  is  otherwise. 
 Wherefore  also  Paul  says  that  He  that  raised  Jesus  Rom.viii. 
 Christ  from  the  dead,  shall  quicken  also  your  mortcd 
 bodies,  through  His  Spirit  that  dtuelleth  in  you.  For 
 albeit  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Father,  yet  He 
 comes  through  the  Son,  and  is  His  Own ;  for  all  things 
 are  through  the  Son  from  the  Father.  For  that  it  was 
 through  the  Spirit  we  were  wrought  anew  unto  eternal 
 life,  the  Divine  Psalmist  will  bear  us  record,  when  he 
 cries  as  unto  the  God  of  all :  When  Thou  openest  Thine  Ps.  ciii. 
 Hand,  all  things  shall  be  filled  with  goodness ;  ivhen  ^^~^^' 
 VOL.  ri.  Y 
 
322  Neivness  of  life  comes  by  the  Sjjirit. 
 
 Book  9.  Thati  twmest  away  Thy  Face  they  shall  he  troubled;  Thou 
 ^'  ^^^' "  ■  shalt  take  away  their  breath  and  they  shall  fail  and  shall 
 turn  again  to  their  dust.  Tiioii  shalt  send  forth  Thy  Spirit 
 and  they  shall  be  made,  and  Thou  shalt  renew  the  face 
 of  the  earth.     Hearest  thou  how  the  transgression  that 
 was  in  Adam,  and  the  "  turning  atvay''  as  it  were  from 
 ^Kead-    the  Divine  precepts,  sore  ^troubled  the  nature  of  man, 
 ^owiTCL-     and  made  it  return  to  its  own  earth  1    But  when  God 
 P"^*"       sent  forth  His  Spirit,  and  made  us  partakers  of  His  own 
 Nature,  and  through  Him  renewed  the  face  of  the  earth, 
 we  were  transfigured  unto  neiuness  of  life,  casting  off 
 the  corruption  that  comes  of  sin,  and  once  more  grasp- 
 ing  eternal  life,  through  the   grace   and  love  towards 
 mankind  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  Whom  and 
 with  Whom  unto  God  the  Father,  be  glory  with  the 
 Holy  Spirit  unto  the  ages.     Amen. 
 
 [end  of  the  ninth  book.] 
 
CHAPTERS   IN   THE   TENTH   BOOK. 
 
 That  in  nothing  is  the  Son  inferior  to  God  the 
 Father,  but  rather  equal  to  and  like  Him  in 
 nature  ;  on  the  words :  If  ye  loved  Me,  ye  luould 
 have  rejoiced,  because  I  go  unto  the  Father :  for 
 the  Father  is  greater  than  I. 
 
 That  the  Son  is  Consubstantial  with  God  the 
 Father,  and  not  of  an  alien  or  foreign  nature  ;  on 
 the  words :  /  aTii  the  Vine,  ye  are  the  branches^ 
 and  My  Father  is  the  hushandma.n. 
 
 Y  2 
 
OUR  FATHER  AMOXG  THE  SAINTS, 
 
 CYRIL, 
 
 Arclibislioj)   of  Akxandria, 
 
 ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  JOHN. 
 
 19. 
 
 BOOK    X. 
 
 Book  10.  21      He  that  hath  My  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is 
 c.  XIV.  21.  ^j^^^  loveth  Me  :   and  he  that  loveth  Me  shall  be  loved  of  My 
 
 Father,  and  I  ivill  love  him,  and  ivill  manifest  Myself  unto 
 
 him. 
 
 Our  Saviour  here  says  that  the  revelation  of  the 
 mystery  in  us  will  then  be  clearest,  when  we  see  our- 
 Cf.  ver.  selves  living  in  conformity  with  His  likeness.  For  as  I 
 live,  He  says,  ye  shall  live  also ;  the  mind  of  each  being 
 fulfilled  as  it  were  not  with  what  he  has  heard  and 
 believed  merely,  but  rather  with  what  he  actually  enjoys, 
 when  he  has  reached  the  completion  of  the  promise. 
 For  experience  is  more  powerful  than  language  in 
 ability  to  convince  and  satisfy.  That  we  may  not  think 
 that  all  without  distinction  are  endowed  with  the  power 
 to  partake  of  so  holy  a  blessing,  even  though  they  be 
 not  good  men  and  illuminated  by  the  fear  of  God,  He 
 has  added  at  once  to  His  speech  the  qualification,  "  they 
 that  love  Me ; "  clearly  showing  thereby  that  no  others 
 will  be  allowed  to  choose  so  incomparable  a  grace,  but 
 those  who  have  chosen  to  live  most  righteously :  for 
 they  would  be  "  those  that  love  Him."  For  even  if  it 
 be  the  fact  that  Christ  raises  the  bodies  of  all  men,  for 
 there  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the  evil  and  the  good 
 alike,  yet  not  to  all  without  distinction  will  a  new  life  of 
 glory  and  felicity  be  given.  For  it  is  clear  that  some 
 only  rise  again  to  punishment,  and  will  have  a  life  more 
 grievous  than  any  death,  while  others  spending  ages  of 
 blessedness,  will  actually  live   the  desirable  and  holy 
 
Tlte  nature  of  '■^eternal  life.''  325 
 
 life  in  Christ.  For  that  they  who  are  doomed  to  receive  c.xiv.2l. 
 the  sentence  of  punishment  from  Christ  on  the  occasion 
 of  the  judgment,  will  abide  without  a  taste  of  the 
 blessed  life,  although  they  shared  with  the  Saints  the  lot 
 of  resurrection,  He  makes  plain  by  these  words :  He  Supra 
 that  helieveth  on  the  Son  liath  eternal  life,  hut  he  that 
 oheyeth  not  the  Son  shall  not  see  life,  hut  the  wrath  of 
 God  shall  abide  on  Him.  For  know  that  although 
 while  all  the  evil  and  the  good  alike  await  the  resurrec- 
 tion, He  says  that  those  who  are  fast  bound  by  the 
 charge  of  disobedience  cannot  even  attain  to  a  glimpse 
 of  the  life,  as  He  declares  that  it  is  not  the  mere  act  of 
 resurrection  that  is  life,  but  that  that  life  rather  consists 
 in  rest  and  glory  and  felicity,  spiritual  of  course  and  of 
 no  other  kind.  A  spiritual  kind  of  felicity  is  meant,  the 
 perfect  knowledge  of  God  and  the  complete  revelation  of 
 the  mysteries  of  Christ,  not  as  in  a  glass  and  in  riddles, 
 even  as  now  showing  the  characters  of  the  object  of  our 
 quest  dimly,  but  shining  out  to  us  and  glistening  in 
 perfect  purity  and  making  our  knowledge  quite  com- 
 plete. For  that  which  is  in  part  shall  he  done  aivay,  as  i  Cor. 
 Paul  says.  ^"'-  ^^' 
 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  then,  when  He  teaches  us  that 
 to  those  who  choose  to  love  Him  and  to  those  who  do 
 His  commandments  is  the  promise  of  His  revelation 
 given,  and  to  them  it  is  more  appropriate  and  pertinent, 
 and  not  to  those  who  are  otherwise  minded  and  who  do 
 the  contrary,  has  conveyed  this  useful  lesson  in  the 
 words :  He  that  hath  My  commandments  and  keepeth  Supra 
 them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me.  And  a  man  has  His  ^^^'  ' 
 commands  when  he  has  received  the  faith,  and,  laying  it 
 to  heart,  has  let  into  his  inmost  soul  the  unpolluted  and 
 unmistakeable  teaching  of  the  Gospel  commandments. 
 And  he  fulfils  them  by  carrying  them  out  into  actuality, 
 and  by  making  haste  to  distinguish  himself  by  the  light 
 of  his  actions.  Such  a  man  then  is  perfect  and  wholly 
 wedded  to  righteousness,  a  shining  light  by  his  faith  and 
 conduct,  who  has  witness  borne  him  of  his  holiness  after 
 
326  The  Spirit  is  the   mind  of  Christ. 
 
 Book  10.  the  pattern  of  Christ.     For  At  the  mouth  of  two  or  three 
 ^''^^^''^.7.'  ivitnesses  shall  every  word  he  established,  accordiDg  to 
 
 2Cor.xiii.  .  "^  ,  .  ° 
 
 1.  the  Scripture.    A  man  of  this  sort  again,  God  the  Father 
 
 Deut.xix.  .^'jj  gurely  love,  and  no  less  also  the  Son  will  love  him. 
 For  as  He  is  of  the  same  Substance,  so  also  has  He  the 
 same  Will  as  His  Father.  For  as  the  Substance  is  one 
 the  Will  also  is  one,  and  there  is  one  purpose  over  all, 
 and  there  is  no  discord  severing  Their  Wills  in  twain. 
 For  to  those  who  are  thought  worthy  of  the  Divine  love 
 He  promises  that  He  will  give  a  glorious  reward  and 
 that  He  will  crown  them  with  exceeding  great  blessings. 
 Supra  For  /  will  manifest  Myself  unto  him,  He  says.  For  to 
 the  pure  in  heart  the  mystery  of  the  Godhead  will  be 
 clearly  revealed,  and  Christ  gives  them  light,  illuminat- 
 ing the  path  of  every  duty  by  His  Spirit,  and  unveiling 
 Himself  and  making  Himself  visible  as  it  were  by  the 
 ineffable  torchlight  of  the  soul.  And  those  who  have 
 made  their  choice  once  for  all  are  blessed  and  worthy  of 
 all  admiration.  And  methinks  the  prophet  David  was  a 
 Pb.  man  after  this  sort  when  he  says,  /  will  hear  what  the 
 
 '  Lord  God  u'ill  say  in  me.     And  so  is  also  the  Divine 
 2  Cor.      Apostle  when  he  exhorts  us,  saying,  If  ye  seek  a  2^roof 
 xm.  3.      ^j.'  (j]^r^,igi  fjigi  sjDeaJceth  in  me ;  for  He  speaks  of  things 
 concerning  Himself  in  His  Saints  by  His  Spirit ;   yea, 
 reveals  other  mysteries  besides.    Therefore  it  is  true  that 
 knowing  these  things  well,  the  Saints  sometimes  say, 
 iCor.  ii.   Unto  us  God  revealed  them  through  the  Spirit;  some- 
 Tbid  16    ^i™®^'  -^'^^  '^^^  have  the  viirul  of  Christ,  meaning  by  His 
 mind  His  Spirit. 
 
 22  Judas  {)iot  Iscariot)  saifh  unto  Him,  Lord,  ivhat  is  come  to 
 2)as8  that  Thou  wilt  manifest  Thyself  unto  us,  and  not  unto 
 the  world  ? 
 
 It  is  out  of  love  that  the  disciple  proceeds  to  make  this 
 inquiry,  but  he  clearly  does  not  quite  understand  our 
 Saviour's  language.  For  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  promised 
 to  His  Saints  a  kind  of  special  knowledge  and  not  like 
 that  vouchsafed  to  others.     For  the  characters  of  Divine 
 
The  promise  was  to  all  men.  327 
 
 mysteries   are   more   defined    and   shine    out   far    more  c.  xiv.  22. 
 clearly  among  the  men  of  God :  while  those  who  have 
 not  yet  attained  to  such  purity  of  heart  as  to  be  able 
 definitely  to  choose  the  knowledge  of  those  things  which 
 pass  understanding  by  the  gift  of  the   Spirit,  display 
 their   knowledge   in   bare   logical   processes,   and   it    is 
 limited  to  their  chance  acquaintance  with  the  doctrine 
 that  Christ  is  God  and  truly  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
 Although  then  there  lies  this  vast   difference  between 
 them,  widely  dissevering  the  knowledge  of  the  vulgar 
 from   that  which   is   seen   in   the    Saints,  the   disciple, 
 making  no  distinction,  proceeds  to  inquire  why  He  does 
 not  promise  to  reveal  Himself  to  all  in  the  world,  but 
 only  to    the    Saints.     And   by  the   exclamation,   Hoiu 
 comes    it   to  pass?    he    means   to    hint    at    some   such 
 meaning  as  this :  Is  the  aim  of  Thy  coming  amongst  us, 
 Lord,  to  give  to  some  a  complete  knowledge  of  Thyself, 
 which  to  others  is  wholly  denied  1     For  we  heard  in  the 
 prophets  that  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God,  and  Is.  xl.  5. 
 Thou  Thyself  didst  cry  out,  saying,  Rejoice  and  be  glad,  Zech.  ii. 
 daughter  of  Sion,  for  lo  !  I  come  and  shall  dwell  in  thy     ' 
 midst,  saith  the  Lord,  and  all  nations  shall  flee  to  the 
 Lord  on  that  day  and  shall  be  His  people.     And  when 
 we  had  continual  converse  with  Thee,  we  heard  with  our 
 own  ears  Thy  voice  when  Thou  didst  say  unto  us,  /,  if  I  Supra 
 he  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  ivill  draw  all  men  unto  ^""     ' 
 Myself ;  and  Thou  saidst  also  to  the  Jews  themselves. 
 And  other  sheep  L  have  tvhich  are  not  of  this  fold ;  them  Supra 
 also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  become  one  flock,  one  ^' 
 shepherd.      Now  then,  when  the  expectation  is  raised 
 that  Thy  grace  will  be  poured  upon  all  men  and  that  all 
 will  be  gathered  in  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  when 
 Thou  Thyself  hast  made  us  this  clear  promise  and  the 
 voice  of  the  holy  prophets  bears  this  testimony- — What 
 is  come  to  p)ass  ?    cries  the  Apostle.     Whither  has  the 
 purpose  of  the  promise  then  shifted  and  diverted  1    Why 
 dost  Thou  manifest  Thyself  not  to  all  that  are  in  the 
 world  but  only  to  us  1     This  then  and  no  other  I  think 
 
328      ^^  The  world''  signifies  the  u'orkUymiiuhd. 
 
 Book  10.  is  the  meaning  of  the  disciple's  words.    It  is  well  to  show 
 ^-  ^^"^^  -•  what   it  was   that   in   fact   led   him    astray  from  truly 
 
 apprehending  our  Saviour's  words. 
 Supra  For  when  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  used  the  words,  A 
 
 little  tvhile,  and  the  world  heholdeth  Me  no  more;  but 
 ye  behold  Me,  it  is  very  clear  that  by  the  ivorld  He  did 
 not  at  all  mean  those  who  are  in  this  life  or  living  upon 
 the  earth,  for  all  men  are  in  this  world,  evil  and  good 
 alike  :  but  by  the  world  He  rather  meant  those  who  are 
 persuaded  to  mind  earthly  things,  who  have  yoked  their 
 understanding  to  the  vanity  of  the  world.  The  disciple 
 then,  not  quite  understanding  this,  thought  that  He  said 
 that  of  all  the  rest  of  mankind  who  dwell  in  this  earthly 
 sphere  He  would  escape  the  eye,  I  mean  the  inner  and 
 secret  vision  of  the  soul,  and  would  be  wholly  unseen, 
 and  known  by  no  living  man  but  His  disciples  only ; 
 and  this  was  the  cause  of  the  disciple's  misapprehension. 
 For  if  he  had  understood  at  first,  he  would  never  have 
 proceeded  to  ask,  Whcd  is  come  to  pass  that  Thou  vnlt 
 manifest  Thyself  wnto  us,  and  not  unto  the  world  ?  For 
 he  had  this  meaning  I  have  spoken  of  suggested  to  him 
 through  his  taking  the  signification  of  the  word  in  its 
 common  and  generally-received  sense.  For  we  are 
 accustomed  to  mean  by  tlte  ivorld,  using  it  in  its  well- 
 worn  and  obvious  sense,  all  the  inhabitants  of  the 
 world,  just  as  when  one  speaks  of  the  city  one  means 
 all  the  dwellers  in  it.  Still  the  disciple,  even  when  he 
 says  these  words,  deserves  our  admiration.  For  see  how 
 he  longs  that  the  glory  of  the  Saviour  should  shine 
 forth  through  all  the  world  like  the  sun,  although  if 
 he  had  only  been  taking  thought  for  his  own  personal 
 welfare,  he  might,  as  he  had  the  promise  of  knowledge, 
 have  enjoyed  blessings  peculiar  to  himself.  But  it  was 
 not  enough  to  gratify  his  soul  that  the  boon  should  be 
 granted  as  it  were  to  him  individually,  but  because  he 
 was  at  once  a  lover  of  God  and  of  his  fellow  men  he 
 longs  for  the  glory  of  the  Saviour  to  have  a  wider  field 
 and  that  grace  should  be  extended  to  all  his  brethren. 
 
Christ  is  specially  manifested  to  His  disciples.     329 
 
 For  what  joy  can  equal  the  being  called  to  the  complete  c.xiv.  23. 
 knowledge  of  God  ? 
 
 23  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  If  a  man  love  Me,  he 
 loill  keep  My  word :  and  My  Father  will  love  him,  and 
 We  will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him. 
 
 When  He  saw  that  the  disciple  did  not  quite  under- 
 stand, He  goes  back  again  to  what  He  said  at  first,  and 
 teaches  clearly  that  He  will  not  manifest  Himself  to  His 
 own,  according  to  the  conception  he  had  formed  in  his 
 mind,  but  that  the  manner  of  His  manifestation  will  be 
 special  to  His  disciples,  and  not  that  common  to  the  rest 
 of  mankind.  For  the  vulgar,  and  those,  for  instance,  who 
 have  just  escaped  from  the  deceitfulness  of  idols  and  have 
 been  called  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Living  God,  rest  their 
 faith  on  bare  and  unquestioned  axioms,  merely  having 
 learnt  to  know  that  there  is  no  idol  in  the  ivorld,  and  iCor. 
 that  the  Living  God  is  One  only ;  while  they  who  have 
 their  minds  illumined  by  every  virtue  and  are  already 
 in  a  state  to  fitly  apprehend  Divine  and  hidden  mysteries, 
 will  receive  the  torch  of  the  Spirit,  and  will  behold  with 
 the  eyes  of  the  soul  the  Lord  Himself,  Who  has  taken 
 up  His  abode  in  them.  The  knowledge  therefore  that 
 the  Saints  possess  is  not  common  to  the  rest,  but  is  in  a 
 manner  special  and  distinct  and  widely  diverse.  Christ 
 then  benefits  us  by  every  kind  of  word  and  way.  For, 
 first  of  all,  anyone  that  loves  Him  is  very  broadly  dis- 
 tinguished from  the  rest,  showing  as  it  seems  to  me,  and 
 as  I  justly  apprehend,  that  it  has  not  been  given  to  all 
 men  to  receive  the  power  of  His  grace,  but  only  to 
 those  in  whom  the  glory  of  intimate  connexion  with 
 Him  may  be  seen  indwelling  through  their  keeping  His 
 commandments. 
 
 Then  in  what  way  He  will  declare  Himself  and  how 
 He  will  take  up  His  abode  in  them  He  goes  on  to 
 declare.  For  3Iy  Fcdher  ivill  love  him,  He  says.  For 
 any  man  who  has  honoured  by  his  obedience  to  the  Son 
 the  Father  from  Whom  He  springs,  -will  reap  His  love  as 
 
330      The  Spirit  is  of  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
 
 Book  10.  the  fruit  of  his  conduct.     Then  He  clearly  shows  what 
 
 ^-  ^'^-  •  -wrill  be  the  issue  thereof  and  what  profit  such  a  man 
 will  gain  when  He  says,  /  and  the  Father  tuill  come 
 unto  him  and  make  Our  abode  with  him.  For  when 
 our  Saviour  Christ  dwells  in  us  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 surely  there  too  will  be  also  His  Father ;  for  the  Spirit 
 of  Christ  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Father  Himself  also,  and  the 
 inspired  Paul  at  one  time  speaks  of  the  Spirit  as  belonging 
 to  the  Father,  and  at  another  as  belonging  to  the  Son : 
 not  by  way  of  logical  contradiction,  but  rather  saying 
 what  is  true  of  either,  for  it  is  so  in  fact.     He  says  then 
 
 Rom.viii.  to  somc :  He  that  raised  up  Christ  Jesus  from  the  dead 
 shall    quicken    also   your   mortal   bodies    through    His 
 
 Ga,\Av. 6.  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you.  Then  again,  And  because 
 ye  are  sons,  God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  His  Son  into 
 your  hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father.  Do  you  see  that  the 
 same  Spirit  is  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  1  When  then  the 
 Only-begotten  dwells  in  your  hearts,  the  Father  is  not 
 far  from  you :  for  the  Son  hath  in  Himself  the  Father, 
 being  of  one  substance  with  Him,  and  is  Himself  by 
 nature  in  the  Father. 
 
 This  then  we  may  give  as  the  definition  and  incontro- 
 vertible doctrine  of  the  faith ;  and  I  should  be  glad  to 
 question  thereupon  those  who  have  chosen  heretical 
 opinions  from  excess  of  ignorance  and  who  arm  their 
 tongues  with  conceits  about  the  Spirit.  For  what  have 
 they  to  answer  when  we  say  to  them,  "  If  the  Spirit  is 
 created  and  alien  to  the  substance  of  God,  as  you  say, 
 how  can  God  abide  in  us  through  Him  1  And  how  can 
 he  that  receiveth  the  Spirit  partake  of  God  ? "  For  if  it 
 is  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  by  the  agency  of  any 
 created  being  whatever  for  us  to  partake  of  the  ineffable 
 Divine  Nature,  what  can  be  found  to  hinder  God  the 
 Father  thrusting  aside  the  Spirit  and  by  means  of  any 
 other  created  being  that  He  chooses  to  select  dwelling  in 
 us  and  sanctifying  us  ?  But  this  is  impossible :  for  no 
 one  can  partake  of  the  living  God  by  any  other  means 
 than  by  the  Spirit.     The  Spirit  therefore  is  God  and  of 
 
The  Spirit  is   not  created.  331 
 
 God,  and  is   not  numbered  among  creatures,  as    some  c.xiv.  23. 
 think. 
 
 This  consideration  also  must  be  taken  into  account. 
 That  which  partakes  of  anything  as  being  superior  in 
 nature  and  distinct  from  what  it  is  itself  must  of 
 necessity  be  different  in  nature  from  that  which  is 
 partaken  of.  If  then  the  Spirit  is  created  or  made,  what 
 remains  for  the  sum  of  creation  to  partake  of  ?  Surely 
 not  itself!  For  in  that  case  both  that  which  partakes 
 and  that  which  is  partaken  of  would  alike  owe  their 
 origin  to  a  creator.  But  as  it  is,  we  being  by  nature 
 both  created  and  begotten  partake  of  the  Spirit  as  being 
 different  in  nature  from  ourselves.  The  Spirit  therefore 
 is  not  created.  And  if  this  is  true,  and  it  is  true,  the 
 Spirit  is  God  and  of  God,  as  we  have  said.  For  nothing 
 that  exists  can  escape  being  included  in  the  category  of 
 created  things  except  the  living  God  alone,  from  Whom 
 the  Holy  Spirit,  ineffably  proceeding,  dwelleth  in  us  as 
 He  from  Whom  He  springs.  For  He  is  an  attribute  of 
 His  Substance,  and  as  it  were  a  quality  of  His  holiness. 
 
 So  much  for  my  controversy  with  these  heretics.  But 
 as  against  the  Anomoeans  and  those  who  have  resolved 
 on  war  with  the  Son,  who  are  diseased  with  a  like  and 
 kindred  madness  to  these  which  we  have  just  spoken  of, 
 I  will  refute  them  as  briefly  as  possible.  //  a  man  love 
 Me,  he  will  keep  My  luord ;  and  My  Father  will  love  Him, 
 and  We  luill  come  unto  him,  and  make  Our  abode  with 
 him.  What,  then,  my  good  Sirs,  have  you  to  say  if  any 
 one  chooses  to  inquire  and  desires  to  know  of  you 
 whether  we  shall  have  two  Gods  indwelling  in  us,  the 
 Father  and  the  Son,  or  whether  you  conceive  of  one 
 God  as  really  existing  in  us.  For  if  the  Son  is  wholly 
 distinct  in  nature  and  is  conceived  of  as  having  a 
 separate  nature,  how  can  we  avoid  believing  that  there 
 is  a  duality  of  Gods  in  us  when  we  keep  His  command- 
 ment ?  And  if  we  are  temples  of  one,  that  is,  and  not  of 
 two  Gods,  when  the  Father  and  the  Son  take  up  Their 
 abode  in  us,  how  can  you  prove  that  the  two  coalesce 
 
16. 
 
 332  One  Gud  chvelleth  in  us. 
 
 Book  10.  unto  unity  in  us,  as,  according  to  your  crazy  notion, 
 ^^•^'^■"^' identity  of  nature  is  out  of  the  question?  For  either 
 you  must  say  that  Christ  has  told  us  falsehoods,  and 
 that  the  Father  only  dwells  in  us  by  the  Spirit,  or  He 
 Himself  dwells  in  us  and  the  Father  is  absent.  But 
 this  is  absurd,  and  there  is  one  God  in  us  when  we 
 receive  both.  The  Only-begotten  then  will  appear  to  be 
 not  different  in  substance  from  His  Father,  but  of  Him 
 and  in  Him,  as  the  light  includes  the  effulgence  which 
 proceeds  from  it.  Such,  and  no  other,  is  the  true  meaning 
 of  the  mystery.  And  certainly  the  inspired  Paul  did  not 
 call  us  temples  of  two  Gods,  but  clearly  of  one  and  the 
 1  Cor.  iii.  same.  Know  ye  not,  he  says,  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God, 
 and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  divelleth  in  you  ?  You  see  that 
 making  the  Father  and  Son  coalesce  in  identity  of  Sub- 
 stance he  says  that  we  have  been  made  temples  not  of 
 Gods  but  of  one  God.  Why  then  do  you  bring  your 
 rash  arguments  into  conflict  with  the  power  of  the  truth, 
 and  sow  the  seed  of  your  poisonous  impiety  in  those  who 
 are  wont  heedlessly  to  handle  the  holy  and  inspired 
 writings  ? 
 
 24     He  that  lovetTi  Me  not  Iceepeth  not  My  ivords. 
 
 When  He  has  premised  and  rightly  defined  who  those 
 that  love  Him  are,  and  of  what  blessings  they  will  par- 
 take, He  at  once  proceeds  to  treat  of  others  who  have 
 not  yet  chosen  to  love  Him.  "  For  they  will  not  keep 
 My  words,"  He  says  ;  for  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  say- 
 ing, "he  will  not  keep  My  word,"  spoken  as  if  of  and 
 concerning  one  man,  even  though  it  has  a  broad  and 
 generic  signification.  And  this  that  He  says  has  a  very 
 apt  connexion  with  what  precedes.  For,  if  the  keeping 
 of  His  commandments  or  His  Word  is  a  clear  proof  of 
 love  towards  Him,  surely  the  converse  of  this  will  be 
 true.  For  treating  His  bidding  as  of  no  account  and 
 thrusting  His  commandment  aside  will  be  a  sign  that 
 we  refuse  to  love  Him,  as  these  are  the  acts  of  men 
 inured  to  evil-doing.     But  just  as    He  promised    that 
 
God  abides  in   the  rirtuou.fi.  333 
 
 together  with  God  the  Father  He  would  Himself  abide  c.  xiv.  24. 
 with  those  who  keep  His  laws,  for  the  same  reason,  I 
 think,  He  will  pass  away  from  and  wholly  abandon 
 those  who  do  the  reverse.  For  thus  the  truth  of 
 Solomon's  saying  will  be  seen  :  Into  the  soul  of  him  that  Wisd.  i. 
 maketh  iniquity  wisdom  will  not  enter,  nor  diuell  in  the 
 body  given  over  to  sin.  For  in  common  life  you  can 
 observe  that  a  similar  result  follows  :  for  does  not  a  man 
 gain  repute  by  conversing  with  those  who  are  like- 
 minded  and  who  choose  the  same  path  of  life,  rather 
 than  with  others  1  And  Every  creature  loves  his  like,  Sir.  xiii. 
 according  to  the  saying,  and  Man  will  seek  union  with  ' 
 his  like.  And  if  it  seems  most  desirable  even  among 
 ourselves  to  live  with  those  of  similar  habits  to  our- 
 selves, how  can  we  escape  the  reflection  that  this  is  still 
 more  the  case  with  God  1  For  as  He  is  good  by 
 nature  and  the  beginning  and  source  of  all  virtue.  He 
 takes  up  His  abode  not  in  the  lovers  of  wickedness 
 but  in  the  workers  of  virtue,  and  disdains  the  impure, 
 and  with  good  reason.  As  then  we  ourselves  are 
 naturally  eager  to  rid  our  houses  of  filth  and  stench  if 
 any  such  there  be,  disdaining  to  live  in  them,  will  not 
 the  pure  and  all-holy  God  still  more  disdain  the  polluted 
 soul,  and  abominate  a  heart  sunk  in  the  slough  of  sin '? 
 Of  this  there  can  be  no  question.  For  that  he  that  doth 
 not  keep  His  commandment  will  be  found  among  these 
 and  not  elsewhere,  being  as  he  is  impure  and  of  filthy 
 lusts,  our  speculation  will  perforce  teach  you.  For  in 
 not  keeping  the  Divine  commands  the  origin  of  sin  is 
 found. 
 
 For  just  as  the  deprivation  of  light  introduces  its 
 opposite,  I  mean  darkness,  just  so  refusing  to  do 
 virtuous  acts  causes  wickedness  to  spring  up.  For  in- 
 asmuch as  the  subject-matter  that  underlies  them  is  one 
 and  the  same,  things  diverse  from  each  other  in  quality 
 may  admit  of  comparison  (I  am  far  from  saying  they 
 are  identical)  according  to  the  law  of  contraries. 
 
 And    so    vice    and    virtue   are    separate   and  widely 
 
3-34  The  necesaiti)  of  pur'itij. 
 
 Book  10.  opposed  to  each  other  in  quality,  or  how  could  one 
 ^'  ^^^'  *■  ■  speak  without  falling  into  error  ?  But  both  characters 
 cannot  belong  to  any  one  among  us  in  the  same  relation 
 and  be  fulfilled  in  action.  For  either  a  man  is  good  or 
 bad,  though  he  may  not  have  reached  the  height  of 
 iniquity  or  virtue.  Then  when  the  one  principle  is 
 powerful  within  us.  the  other,  that  is  the  opposite,  will 
 be  weak.  And  so  if  the  formal  principle  of  virtue 
 consist  in  keeping  His  commandments,  is  it  not  most 
 plain  that  in  not  keeping  them  wickedness  originates  1 
 Just  as  to  have  in  himself  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
 which  is  the  origin  and  basis  of  all  satisfaction  of  soul 
 and  glory,  is  in  store  for  him  that  keeps  His  command- 
 ments, so  he  that  keepeth  them  not  is  wholly  cut  off 
 from  participation  in  the  ineffable  Divine  nature  ;  which 
 is,  in  effect,  incapacity  to  enjoy  any  blessing.  If  any 
 man  then  think  it  a  good  and  desirable  thing  to  partake 
 of  the  Divine  nature  and  to  have  God  Who  is  the  Father 
 of  the  universe  indwelling  and  abiding  in  the  shrine  of 
 the  heart  by  His  Son,  in  the  Spirit,  let  him  thoroughly 
 purge  his  soul,  and  wash  away  the  stain  of  wickedness, 
 by  whatever  means  he  can  ;  and  most  of  all,  by  all 
 kinds  of  well-doing.  For  then  will  he  become  truly  the 
 Cf.  ver.  temple  of  God  ;  and  He  will  rest  and  abide  in  him, 
 supra,  according  to  the  Scripture.  For  then  it  will  not  be  with 
 him  as  it  was  with  the  lawyer  mentioned  in  the  Gospels, 
 who  did  not  wait  for  grace  from  the  Saviour,  but  said 
 that  he  went  self-called  to  follow  Him  ;  and,  eager  to 
 s.  Matt,  seize  so  desirable  a  blessing,  exclaimed,  Master,  I  ivill 
 ^"''  ■  folloiv  Thee  ivhither soever  Thou  goest :  but  what  said 
 Ibid.  20.  Christ  to  him  as  in  a  parable  and  in  riddles.  The  foxes 
 have  holes  and  the  birds  of  the  heaven  have  nests,  but  the 
 Son  of  Man  hath  not  ivhere  to  lay  His  Head.  By  foxes 
 and  birds  of  the  Jieaven  He  meant  wicked  and  unclean 
 devils,  and  the  spirits  of  the  world  and  of  the  air,  which 
 love  to  dwell  and  take  up  their  abode  in  the  hearts  of 
 pleasure-seekers,  fulfilling  their  own  lusts,  and  so  cramp- 
 insf  the  miserable  souls  of  those  who  receive  them  that 
 
The  Mosaic  dispensation  loas  preparatory.      335 
 
 God  can  find  no  place  at  all  for  rest  in  them.     This  is  c.  xiv.  24. 
 what  He  means  by  laying  His  Head. 
 
 Let  us  then  cleanse  our  hearts  from  every  defilement, 
 for  so  will  God  dwell  in  us  and  will  render  us  proof 
 against  all  the  malice  of  the  devil,  and  will  make  us 
 happy  and  blessed,  and  will  render  us  partakers  of  His 
 ineffable  Divine  nature. 
 
 24     And  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  Mine  hut  the  Father's 
 Who  sent  Me. 
 
 He  once  more  deals  with  a  difficult  subject  which 
 required  of  Him  accurate  explanation,  and  again  brings 
 forward  illustrations  by  which  they  might  have  their 
 understanding  better  fitted  to  fully  comprehend  the 
 depth  of  the  mystery.  And  He  confirms  the  minds  of 
 His  hearers  in  order  that  they  might  not  be  allured  by 
 the  ignorant  prejudices  of  the  Jews,  and  in  their  desire 
 to  bring  their  own  ideas  into  conformity  with  the  Jewish 
 do  despite  unto  the  holy  teaching  of  the  Gospel.  What 
 I  wish  to  say  is  this  in  plain  words  :  For  the  law  having  Heb.  ix. 
 a  shadow  and  an  impressed  type  until  a  time  of 
 reformation,  according  to  the  saying  of  Paul',  hath  Gal.  iii. 
 been  our  tutor  to  bring  %s  unto  Christ,  and  provided,  as  " 
 it  were,  a  preliminary  training  for  virtue  according  to 
 godliness.  If  any  one  then  were  to  call  the  Mosaic 
 dispensation  preparatory  to  true  worship  in  Spirit,  he 
 would  not  miss  the  mark.  For,  for  this  reason,  the 
 Law  brought  nothing  to  perfection ;  but  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ  showed  us  no  longer  the  shadows  of  things,  but 
 the  reality  itself  openly,  no  longer  sketching  the  outline 
 of  virtue  in  types  and  figures,  as  Moses  did,  but  setting 
 it  up  naked  in  the  public  sight,  accomplishing  the  perfect 
 man  in  righteousness.  The  instruction  of  the  words  of 
 Christ  was  then  a  shifting  and  moulding  of  the  types 
 into  truth.  And  since,  as  the  truth  was  already  shining 
 forth,  it  was  superfluous  for  the  shadow  any  longer  to 
 prevail,  Christ  ordained  that  those  who  came  to  Him  by 
 faith  should  no  longer  frame  their  conduct  by  the  types 
 
336  Vhfl^t  fiiMI/n/  the  Law. 
 
 Book  10.  of  the  Law.     This  was  very  grievous  to  the  Jews,  for 
 c.xiv.  -  •  ^j-jpy  thought  that  Christ  came  to  destroy  the  old  Law, 
 S.  Matt,  although  they  heard  Him  saying  openly,  /  come  not  to 
 V.  1/,  \b.  ^l^^l^,^y^  i]i^  Laiu,  hut  to  ftdfil.     For  I  say  unto  you,  one 
 jut  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  luise  pass  atuay  from  the  Lata 
 till  all  things  he  accomplished.    The  realisation  of  excel- 
 lence which  was  introduced  by  the  laws  of  Christ  brings 
 with  it  the  fulfilment  of  the  shadow  of  the  Law,  as  we  have 
 Cf.  Rom.  just  said.    For  inasmuch  as  in  their  headstrong  passion 
 ^'  ^"        they  became  backsliders  into  disobedience,  and  assuming  a 
 zeal  for  the  Law  not  according  to  knowledge,  they  thought 
 themselves  to  be  advocating  the  Law  by  rejecting  the 
 commandments  of  Christ,  it  was  for  this  very  reason  in 
 order  that  He  might  not  seem  to  any  to  be  laying  down 
 some  new  and  peculiar  laws  adverse  to  the  will  of  God 
 the  Father  He  conveyed  this  useful  and  necessary  re- 
 buke— Tlie  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  Mine,  hut   the 
 Father  s   Who  sent  Me.     Let  not  any  one  of  those  who 
 come  to  Me  by  faith,  He  says,  think  that  I  have  made 
 any  discourse  not  in  accord  with  the  will  of  God  the 
 Father.     The  tidings  of  the  Gospel   are   His   and   not 
 anothel-'s,  but    He   gave    them    not    as   ashamed  of  the 
 older  enactments,  nor  again  as  though  the  better  com- 
 mandment had  been  unveiled  at  the  moment ;  but  rather 
 because  the  type  had  been  moulded  into  reality  at  the 
 fitting  time.     For  He  That  said  those  things  by  Me  to 
 the  men  of  old  time  says  this  also  now  to  you :  for  I  am 
 the  living  Word  That  interprets  the  ineffable  Will  of  God 
 Is.  ix.  6.  the  Father,  wherefore  am  I  called  the  Angel  of  greed 
 counsel. 
 
 For  either  after  this  manner  we  shall  receive  the  saying, 
 I  mean  the  following  —  TAe  word  which  ye  hear  is  not 
 Mine,  hut  the  Father  s  Who  sent  Me,  or  we  shall  under- 
 stand it  in  another  way.  For  He  says  that  His  own 
 word  is  the  word  of  God  the  Father,  that  they  who  keep 
 it  may  know  that  they  honour  God  when  they  are 
 persuaded  by  the  words  which  come  from  Him  :  while 
 others,  falling  into  the  contrary  extreme  and   not  dis- 
 
llie  Gos23el  is  of  Divine  origin.  337 
 
 daining  by  disobedience  to  insult  the  commandment  cxiv.  25, 
 given  to  them,  sin  against  the  nature  of  the  Most  * 
 Highest.  Now  it  was  possible  in  two  ways  to  confirm 
 the  minds  of  His  hearers :  for  either  the  wish  to  honour 
 God  would  incline  them  at  all  events  to  obedience,  or 
 the  fear  of  coming  into  conflict  with  Him  would  also 
 have  this  effect.  For  the  calculation  of  what  is  useful 
 and  expedient  runs  through  both  methods.  And  when 
 He  says,  "  It  is  not  My  word,"  He  does  not  at  all  put  out 
 of  our  sight  the  peculiar  character  which  He  bears  as  the 
 Word  and  God.  And,  while  He  still  wears  His  homely 
 shape,  and  appears  and  truly  is  in  the  guise  of  manhood, 
 and  is  really  like  as  we  are  when  He  is  saying  this,  He 
 is  not  willing  that  His  word  should  be  thought  merely 
 human,  but  really  Divine  and  regal ;  of  necessity  merging 
 His  character  in  that  of  the  Father,  in  order  that  He 
 might  not  by  sundering  Himself  admit  the  conception 
 of  two  Sons,  as  the  Son  is  one  and  the  same  both  before 
 and  after  His  Incarnation.  For  Christ  is  one,  and  not 
 two,  as  some  say  :  for  the  Word  proceeding  from  the  Supra 
 Father,  being  God,  became  flesh  according  to  the  saying  ^'  ^^" 
 of  John  not  by  conversion  into  flesh,  but  by  enshrining 
 His  divinity  in  flesh  from  the  womb  of  the  holy  virgin. 
 In  order  then  that  we  may  not  think  His  word  is  merely 
 human,  or  divest  the  Gospel  teaching  of  its  Divine 
 character,  but  may  be  convinced  that  it  comes  from  the 
 God  Who  is  over  all,  appropriately  and  with  great 
 reason,  inasmuch  as  He  was  then  appearing  to  them  in 
 the  form  of  man.  He  attributes  His  words  to  His  Divine 
 Nature,  as  in  the  character  of  God  the  Father,  from 
 Whom  and  in  Whom  He  is  by  nature  as  His  effulgence 
 and  His  word  and  the  Express  Image  of  His  Person.         Heb.  i,  3. 
 
 25  These  things  have  I  si^oken  unto  you,  while  yet  abiding  with 
 
 26  you.  But  the  Comforter,  even  the  Holy  Spirit,  Whom  the 
 Father  will  send  unto  you  in  My  Name,  He  shall  teach  you 
 all  things,  and  bring  to  your  remembrance  all  that  I  said. 
 
 Contrariwise,  His  speech  has  in  it  the  human  element, 
 and  is  not  quite  foreign  to  the  standards  we  apply  to 
 VOL.  II,  z 
 
338  TJie  complete  revelation 
 
 Book  10.  ourselves,  to  the  extent  that   the  mind   into  which  it 
 ^^^^'^•-^' entered    was    fitted    to    receive    the    words   before    us. 
 
 26. 
 
 Perhaps  some  one  will  plausibly  say  that  Christ  is  not 
 amongst  us  according  to  the  power  of  His  Godhead, 
 although  He  fills  the  Universe  and  is  not  wholly 
 separated  from  anything,  but  rather  encompasses  with 
 unspeakable  might  earth  and  heaven,  and  does  not  leave 
 the  depths  of  the  abyss :  for  where  is  not  God  ?  When, 
 then.  He  says,  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you, 
 wJule  yet  abiding  ivith  you,  we  must  think  that  He  there 
 speaks  as  a  man ;  and  since  He  was  about  to  vanish 
 from  our  sight,  I  mean  according  to  the  flesh,  He  says 
 this  when  the  preparation  for  His  departure  into  heaven 
 was  complete  ;  and  He  says  that  the  most  perfect  and 
 complete  revelation  to  us  of  the  mystery  is  through  the 
 Comforter,  that  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  sent  from  the  Father 
 in  His  Name,  I  mean  that  of  the  Son.  For  as  His  Spirit 
 is  Christ  in  us,  therefore  He  says.  He  shall  teach  you  all 
 things  that  I  said.    For  since  He  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
 
 1  Cor.  ii.  and  His  mind,  as  it  is  written,  which  is  nought  else  but 
 what  He  is,  in  regard  to  identity  of  nature,  even  though 
 He  be  both  conceived  of  and  is  existent.  He  knows 
 all  that  is  in  Him.     And    Paul    will   be  our  witness, 
 
 Ibid.  11.  saying,  For  who  knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save 
 the  spirit  of  the  man  ivhich  is  in  him?  even  so  the 
 things  of  God  none  knoiveth  save  the  Spirit  of  God,. 
 Wherefore  as  knowing  what  is  in  the  counsel  of  the 
 Only-begotten,  He  reporteth  all  things  to  us,  not  having 
 the  knowledge  thereof  from  learning,  that  is ;  that  He 
 may  not  seem  to  fill  the  rank  of  a  minister  and  to 
 transmit  the  words  of  another  but  as  His  Spirit,  as  we 
 said  just  now,  and  knowing  untaught  all  that  belongeth 
 to  Him  of  Whom  and  in  Whom  He  is.  He  revealeth  to 
 the  Saints  the  Divine  mysteries  ;  just  as  man's  mind  too, 
 knowing  all  things  that  are  therein,  ministereth  externally 
 by  uttered  word  the  desires  of  the  soul  whose  mind  it 
 is,  being  mentally  discerned  in  the  thoughts,  and  named 
 as  something  else  than  itself,  not  other  by  nature,  but 
 
/.s  throiiyh  the  Comforter.  339 
 
 as  a  part  complemental  of  the  whole,  existing  in  it  and  c.  xiv.  25, 
 believed  to  go  forth  from  it.  Such  a  relation  as  this  is  * 
 inapplicable  to  the  ineffable  Divine  Nature.  For  small 
 is  all  the  power  of  illustrations,  even  if  it  go  on  to 
 subtleties.  The  perfect  knowledge  then  is  begotten  in 
 the  fSaints  by  the  Spirit.  And  indeed  the  inspired  Paul 
 exhorts  some :  /  also,  having  heard  of  the  faith  in  the  Eph.  i. 
 Lord  Jesus  tuhich  is  among  you,  and  the  love  which  ye 
 show  to'ward  all  the  Saints,  cease  not  to  give  thanks  for 
 you,  making  mention  of  you  in  my  iirayers ;  that  the 
 God  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father  of  glory,  may 
 give  unto  you  a  spirit  of  wisdom  and  revelcdion  in  the 
 knoivledge  of  Him  ;  having  the  eyes  of  your  heart  en- 
 lightened, that  ye  may  know  what  is  the  hope  of  His 
 calling,  tuhat  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  His  inheritance 
 in  the  Saints,  and  tuhat  the  exceeding  greatness  of  His 
 potuer  to  us-ward  who  believe,  according  to  the  working 
 which  He  hath  ivr ought  in  Christ,  when  He  raised  Him 
 from  the  dead,  and  made  Him  to  sit  at  His  right  hand  in 
 the  heavenly  p)laces,  far  above  all  rule,  and  authority, 
 and  poiver,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  thcd  is 
 named,  not  only  in  this  luorld,  but  cdso  in  that  tvhich  is 
 to  come.  For  in  the  revelation  of  these  things  by  the 
 Spirit  working  in  us  in  an  unspeakable  way,  we  see  the 
 deep  meaning  of  the  Incarnation  and  the  power  of  the 
 hidden  mystery.  And  that  His  Spirit,  indwelling  in  the 
 Saints,  accomplishes  the  presence  and  the  power  of 
 Christ  Himself  and  teaches  all  things  that  He  has  spoken 
 unto  us,  Paul  will  once  more  make  none  the  less  clear  to  us 
 by  the  words :  For  this  cause  L  botu  my  knees  unto  the  Eph.  iii. 
 Father,  from  Wliom  every  family  both  in  heaven  and  on  '  ' 
 earth  is  named,  that  He  tvould  grant  you,  according  to 
 the  riches  of  His  glory,  that  ye  may  be  strengthened  with 
 po'iver  through  His  Spirit  in  the  inward  man ;  that 
 Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  through  faith  to  the 
 end ;  thcd  ye,  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may 
 be  strong  to  apprehend  tuith  cdl  the  Saints  what  is  the 
 breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height,  and  to  knoiu 
 
 Z  2 
 
340  The  fear  of  the  Apostles 
 
 Book  10.  the  love  of  Christ,  xvhich  passeth  knoidedge,  that  ye  may 
 '  he  filled  unto  all  the  fulness  of  God. 
 
 Furthermore,  we  must  show  that  when  He  said  that 
 all  would  be  revealed  by  the  Spirit  to  the  Saints,  He 
 does  not  give  them  over  to  another  master — do  not 
 think  that :  but  He  keeps  them  by  His  side,  through 
 the  Spirit,  no  longer  seen  by  the  eye  of  the  flesh,  but 
 rather  gazed  upon  as  became  a  God  by  the  intellectual 
 vision  of  the  heart. 
 
 2 7  Peace  I  leave  vnth  you,  My  peace  I  give  unto  you  :  not  as 
 the  world  giveth,  give  I  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  he 
 troubled,  neither  let  it  he  fearful. 
 
 Herein  when  He  reminds  His  holy  Apostles  of  His 
 ascension  into  heaven,  and  prepares  them  for  the  know- 
 ledge that  they  will  be  left  thereby  alone  by  the  saying  : 
 
 Supra  These  things  have  I  s])ohen  unto  you  while  yet  abiding 
 '  with  you.  He  was  stricken  at  heart  by  the  knowledge, 
 being  as  He  was  by  nature  God,  that  the  saying  gave 
 them  no  small  alarm,  and  put  them  into  great  fear  and 
 trembling,  and  by  laying  a  burden  of  grief  upon  them 
 had  stirred  the  mind  of  each  to  its  depths.  For  what 
 could  be  more  grievous  than  their  sorrow,  and  what  so 
 burdensome  as  to  be  robbed  of  the  highest  blessings  and 
 to  undergo  the  unexpected  loss  of  that  which  was  most 
 dear  to  them  ?  He  therefore  stablishes  them  when  they 
 were  disturbed  by  grief  and  fear.  For  the  cause  and 
 root  of  their  sorrow,  His  being  about  to  leave  them  and 
 go  to  His  Father,  was  most  well-grounded.  But  He 
 considered  their  apprehension  of  unknown  suffering  as 
 the  cause  of  their  grief,  and  very  readily,  as  He  Who  was 
 strong  to  save  was  no  longer  present,  according  to  the 
 actual  vision  of  the  body.  And  how  does  He  stablish 
 them,  and  in  what  way  does  He  produce  in  them  the 
 brightness  of  a  cheerful  spirit,  and  how  are  their  minds 
 lulled  again  into  a  Divine  calm  ?  Peace  I  give  unto  you, 
 He  says.  My  peace  I  leave  with  you.    I  have  often  told 
 
 ver.  18.    you,  He  says,  ihoXTvdll  not  leave  you  desolate,  nor  will 
 
is  to  he  calmed  hy  tJie  Spirit.  341 
 
 / 
 
 '  you  dwell  alone  in  the  earth,  stripped  and  robbed  of  your  c.  xiv.  27. 
 
 defender ;  nay,  rather,  I  will  be  with  you,  and  though 
 absent  in  the  flesh  will  again  edify  you  by  My  consola- 
 tions as  God,  and  will  set  you  above  every  terror,  and 
 no  man  shall  surpass  you  in  boldness ;  for  all  fear  shall 
 dwindle  away,  and  cowardice  shall  vanish  from  j^our  path, 
 and  a  Divine  power  shall  spring  up  in  you,  bringing  you 
 with  peaceful  mind,  and  heart  at  rest,  to  the  revelation 
 of  those  things  which  pass  man's  understanding.  And 
 now.  He  says.  Peace  I  give  unto  you,  not  simply,  but 
 My  peace.  And  this  was  clearly  nothing  else  but  saying  : 
 I  will  bring  the  Spirit,  and  of  Myself  will  abide  with 
 those  who  receive  Him. 
 
 For  that  the  peace  of  Christ  is  His  Spirit,  it  needs  no 
 long  argument  to  completely  demonstrate.  But  I  suppose 
 one  ought  to  say  this,  if  He  is  peace  in  heaven  and  on  the 
 earth,  how  can  it  fail  to  be  clear  to  everyone,  that  as  we 
 have  said,  the  peace  is  certainly  His  Spirit  1  And  indeed 
 the  inspired  Paul  said  to  some :  And  tJie  peace  of  God  Phil.  iv. 
 ivhich  passeth  cdl  understanding  shall  guard  your  hearts 
 and  your  thoughts.  And  surely  it  is  right  to  reflect,  that 
 it  is  not  about  that  peace  which  has  reference  to  common 
 thought  and  action  that  He  says  this.  For  that  disposi- 
 tion which  loathes  dispute  and  strife  has  and  works  peace, 
 so  far  as  its  own  waverings  and  inclinations  will  allow  it. 
 And  we  shall  not  think  that  the  peace  which  is  here 
 meant  is  something  which  has  not  a  real  and  independent 
 existence ;  but  we  must  suppose  that  it  is  found  in  the 
 temper  of  those  who  love  it.  How  then  can  one  think 
 that  such  a  peace  as  this  surpasses  all  understanding? 
 For  that  which  nowhere  and  nohow  has  an  independent 
 existence,  how  could  that  be  thought  better  and  nobler 
 than  men,  or  angels,  or  even  higher  beings  1  for  these  too 
 we  say  are  mind.  The  peace  therefore  that  is  above  all 
 principality,  and  power,  and  thrones,  and  sovereignties, 
 and  excels  all  intellectual  existence,  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
 by  Which  the  Son  reconciles  all  things  to  God  the  Father, 
 by  willing  the  things  that  are  His  and  by  wishing  to 
 
12 
 
 342  The  Spirit  is  "peace:' 
 
 Book  10.  think  and  do  them,  and  not  by  being  perverted  or  falling 
 c.  XIV.  28.  g^^a^y  through  turning  aside  to  wickedness.  And  it  is 
 easy  and  expedient  to  reflect  on  this.  For  just  in  the 
 same  way  as  since  the  Son  is  by  nature  life,  and  wisdom, 
 and  power,  and  the  Spirit  is  called  and  is  His,  the  Spirit 
 is  of  life,  and  wisdom,  and  power  ;  so  since  the  true  and 
 sovereign  peace  is  He  Himself  and  no  other.  His  Spirit 
 might  rightly  be  named  and  thought  as  He  is — "  peace." 
 For  this  reason  and  in  a  special  manner  referring  His  own 
 peace,  that  is  to  say  the  Spirit,  to  His  own  nature.  He 
 says  concerning  Him,  My  peace  I  leave  with  you.  That 
 also  in  the  holy  prophets  the  Spirit  of  Christ  has  been  so 
 named,  j^ou  will  easily  perceive,  when  you  hear  this  from 
 Is.  xxvi.  the  mouth  of  Isaiah:  0  Lord  our  God  grant  us  peace: 
 for  Thou  hast  given  ns  cdl  things.  For  as  the  Law 
 brought  nothing  to  completion,  and  righteousness 
 according  to  it  did  not  suffice  to  bring  men  to  perfect 
 piety.  He  entreats  that  the  Holy  Spirit  be  vouchsafed, 
 by  Whom,  reconciled  to  God  the  Father,  we  have  been 
 admitted  into  fellowship  with  Him,  who  have  before 
 been  shown  to  be  reprobates  through  the  sin  that  reigneth 
 in  us.  Grant  us  then ^eace,  he  says.  Lord ;  for  Thou  hast 
 given  us  cdl  things.  And  what  he  wants  to  show,  I  say, 
 is  this :  "  Grant  us  too,  Lord,  the  peace  ;  for  we  shall 
 then  confess  that  we  have  all  things,  and  no  blessing 
 will  be  found  lackino-  to  him  that  has  once  for  all  reached 
 the  fulness  of  Christ.  For  it  is  the  completion  of  all 
 good  that  God  should  dwell  in  us  by  the  Spirit."  For 
 since  the  Spirit  is  fully  sufficient  to  allay  all  tumult  of 
 the  mind,  and  to  dispel  all  cowardice  in  us.  He  promises 
 to  give  us  as  provision  by  the  way,  that  which  is  needful 
 to  maintain  our  courage  and  peace,  when  He  says,  My 
 peace  I  leave  tuith  you:  let  not  your  heart  be  troubled, 
 nneither  let  it  he  fearful. 
 
 28      Ye  heard  hnv  I  said  to  you,  I  go  aicay,  and  I  come  unto 
 
 you. 
 
 You  learnt,  He  saj's,  from  no  other  lips  than  Mine  My 
 
Christ  shields  His  Saints  from  undue  sorroiv.     343 
 
 departure  hence,  for  you  heard  My  sayings  with  your  c  xiv.  28. 
 own  ears,  and  what  have  I,  Who  cannot  lie,  promised  unto 
 you  1:  I  go  away,  and  I  come  unto  yov,.  If  then  His 
 words  had  threatened  that  His  departure  would  leave 
 them  comfortless,  and  that  their  bereavement  would  be 
 eternal,  it  was  very  likely  that  they  would  thereupon  be 
 dreadfully  dismayed,  and  find  it  unbearable,  and  fall  into 
 excess  of  despondency.  And  whereas  I  said  unto  you 
 not  simply  that  I  would  go  away,  but  that  I  would  come 
 again  in  due  season,  why  then,  He  says,  do  you  let  into 
 your  hearts  only  the  cause  of  grief,  and  slight  by  your 
 forgetfulness  that  which  is  able  ta  cheer.  Let  that  which 
 knows  how  to  succour  arise  in  you  to  combat  that  which 
 affrights  :  and  let  the  power  of  the  Comforter  wrestle 
 with  the  incitements  to  grief.  For  it  has  been  ordained 
 that  I  should  ascend  to  God  the  Father,  but  I  have 
 promised  to  come  again.  He  allays  then  the  agony  of 
 grief  He  found  in  His  disciples ;  and  just  as  a  fond  and 
 good  father,  compelled  for  some  needful  purpose  to  take 
 his  children  from  the  nurse  that  bears  them,  and  seeing 
 a  flood  of  tears  bedewing  their  delicate  and  dear  cheeks, 
 he  tries  every  blandishment,  and  by  always  insisting  on 
 the  good  that  will  result  from  her  absence,  arms  in  some 
 sort  hope  against  grief,  where  the  affections  are  most 
 nearly  concerned  ;  so  also  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shields 
 the  souls  of  His  Saints  from  sorrow.  For  He  knew, 
 being  truly  God,  that  His  abandonment  of  them  would 
 be  very  grievous  unto  them,  although  He  were  ever  with 
 them  by  the  Spirit.  And  this  proves  His  love  and 
 extreme  holiness.  For  to  wish  to  be  with  Christ,  how 
 does  not  that  most  truly  become  the  Saints  ?  And  of  a 
 truth  the  admirable  Paul  has  this  aim  in  view  when  he  „, .,  . 
 
 Phil.  1. 
 
 says  :  It  is  better  to  dejyart  and  he  with  Christ.  23. 
 
CHAPTER    L 
 
 That  in  nothing-  is  the  Son  inferior  to  God  the  Father,  but 
 rather  equal  to  and  like  Him  in  nature. 
 
 Book  10.  28     J^f  y^  loved  Me,  ye  tvould  have  rejoiced,  because  I  go  unto  the 
 Father  :  for  My  Father  is  greater  than  I. 
 
 He  turns  the  occasion  of  sorrow  into  a  source  of  solace, 
 and  plainly  rebukes  them  because  they  do  not  rather 
 rejoice  at  what  now  gives  them  pain:  and  at  the  same 
 time  tries  to  teach  them,  that  those  who  practise  an 
 unaffected  and  sincere  love  towards  others,  must  not 
 merely  seek  their  own  pleasure  and  advantage,  but  rather 
 to  benefit  those  they  love,  when  an  opportunity  to  do 
 this  gives  them  inducement.    Therefore  also  Paul  exhorts 
 
 1  Cor.  us  in  the  words :  Love  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  pufed 
 '  '  wp,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  its  own. 
 
 Ibid.  X.  He  speaks  of  some  who  seek  not  their  own  but  others' 
 good.  For  true  love  shows  itself  in  our  not  only  providing 
 for  our  own  advantage  but  also  considering  our  neigh- 
 bour's benefit.  For  our  Saviour,  in  the  words  before  us, 
 persuades  His  disciples  to  lay  this  to  heart.  And,  further, 
 let  us  imprint  the  power  of  this  thought  in  clearer 
 characters  on  our  hearts  as  on  a  tablet,  and  thereby  attain 
 unto  the  mystery  of  Christ.  For  a  type  taken  from 
 triflinsf  thino-s  will  oftentimes  avail  to  enable  us  to  arrive 
 even  at  those  things  which  we  hold  to  admit  of  no 
 comparison.  It  was  pleasant  then,  for  example,  to  the 
 disciples  of  Paul  that  they  should  be  always  with  him, 
 
 Phil.  i.     but  better  for  Paul  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ,  as  he 
 
 ^^'  has  assured  us  by  his  own  words.     It  was  the  duty  then 
 
It  was  better  for  Christ  to  depart.  345 
 
 of  those  who  chose  to  love  him  to  be  eager  to  fulfil  their  Chap.  i. 
 love   towards   him,  and   not   to  consider   that  only  as  ^'  ^^^'  ^^' 
 endurable  which  was  pleasant  to  themselves,  but  rather 
 to  reflect  upon  this,  that   his    departure  would   be   to 
 the  benefit  of  their  master ;  for  he  was  eager  to  be  with 
 Christ. 
 
 You  have  the  outline  of  the  speculation  so  far  as 
 concerns  Christ's  human  nature.  Let  us  therefore, 
 illuminating  as  it  were  with  varied  tints  our  sketch  of 
 the  power  of  the  mystery  of  Christ,  clearly  show  the 
 absolute  truth.  For  the  Only-begotten,  heiyig  in  the  Thil.  a. 
 form  of  God  the  Father,  and  in  equahty  with  the  Spirit,  '  * 
 counted  it  not  a  j^rize  to  he  on  an  equality  with  God, 
 and  through  His  love  towards  us  emptied  Himself  of 
 His  glory,  taking  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  underwent 
 this  that  He  might  direct  us  all  to  perfect  knowledge  of 
 vii'tue,  so  as  to  prepare  us  by  the  incomparable  brightness 
 of  His  miracles  to  behold  the  power,  and  glory,  and 
 exceeding  might  that  is  inherent  in  the  Divine  Nature. 
 For  so  He  might  have  induced  those  who  have  fallen 
 into  the  depths  of  ignorance  to  recover  knowledge  once 
 more,  and  no  longer  to  worship  the  creature  beyond  the 
 Creator,  but  to  figure  to  themselves  the  One  true  and 
 living  God.  And  the  Only-begotten  has  aided  us  in  other 
 ways  by  His  incarnation,  for  He  destroyed  the  power  of 
 death,  and  loosed  the  bonds  of  sin,  and  granted  us  to  S.  Luke 
 tread  upon  serpents  and  scorpions,  and  over  cdl  the  ^'  ^^' 
 power  of  the  enemy.  It  was  then,  and  with  great  reason, 
 sweet  and  pleasant  beyond  all  description  to  ourselves 
 and  the  holy  disciples,  to  have  continual  converse  with 
 Christ  the  Giver  of  such  blessings  to  us,  and  to  be  ever 
 present  with  Him  and  in  His  company.  But  it  was 
 clearly  not  to  His  advantage,  so  long  a  time  to  choose  to 
 abide  in  the  guise  of  humility,  which  He  had  taken  for 
 our  advantage,  through  His  love  to  us,  as  we  just  now 
 said :  rather  was  He  bound,  when  His  dispensation 
 towards  us  had  been  already  suitably  accomplished,  to 
 ascend  to  His  own  glory,  and,  with  the  flesh  that  He  had 
 
346  Heaven  7'eceived  Christ 
 
 Book  10.  taken  for  our  sake,  to  hasten  back  to  equality  with  God 
 
 c.  XIV.  28.  ^^g  Father,  which  thinking  it  not  robbery  to  do  (for  He 
 
 might   have    had  this   honour   in    His    own  right),  He 
 
 descended  to  human  humiliation.    For  while  He  was  yet 
 
 upon  the  earth,  though  He  was  truly  God  and  Lord  of 
 
 all,  He  was  thought  no  better  than  the  rest  of  men,  by 
 
 those  who  knew  not  His  glory.      Nay,  more,  He  was 
 
 smitten,  and  spat  upon,  and  crucified,  and  underwent  the 
 
 s.  Matt,   ridicule  of  the  impious  Jews,  who  dared  to  say,  //  Thou 
 
 cf^  4.7  ^^'  (('t'i  i^^<^  ^on  of  God,  come  down  now  from  the  cross,  and 
 
 we  tvill  believe  Thee.     And  when  after  He  had  fulfilled 
 
 the  mystery  of  our  redemption,  He  ascended  to  God  the 
 
 Father  in  the  heavens,  when  the  time  of  His  humiliation 
 
 was   already   past,   and    the   period   of   His   voluntary 
 
 degradation  accomplished.  He  showed  Himself  very  God 
 
 to  the  powers  above.    For  heaven  did  not  deny  the  Lord 
 
 of  all  when  He  ascended,  but  the  charge  was  given  to 
 
 the  sentinels  at  the  gates  above,  that  the  Lord  of  Hosts 
 
 was  drawing  nigh,  although  He  was  borne  upward  in  the 
 
 raiment  of  the  flesh  ;  and  the  Spirit  was  representing  the 
 
 Ps.  xxiv.  opening  of  the  gates,  when  He  said :  Lift  up  the  gates  ye 
 
 rulers,  and  be  lifted  up  ye  everlasting  doors,  and  the 
 
 Ibid.  8.    King  of  Glory  shall  come  in.     The  Lord  strong  and 
 
 Ibid.  10.  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in  battle,  the  Lord  of  Hosts, 
 
 He  is  the  King  of  Glory.     For  the  manifold  wisdom  of 
 
 Eph.  iii.  God  which  He  purposed  in  Christ  was  known  unto  the 
 
 '     '     |:)9^i'nf ^paZ^i^es  and  the  powers,  as  Paul  says.     For  when 
 
 He  ascended  to  the  Father,  although  He  may  be  thought 
 
 greater  than  the  Son  in  this  respect,  that  He  remained 
 
 in   His    everlasting    home,   while    the    Son    underwent 
 
 voluntary  humiliation,  and  descended  in  the  form  of  a 
 
 servant,  and  ascended  up  again  to  His  own  glory,  and 
 
 Ps. cix.  1.  heard  the  words:    Sit  doivn  on  My  right  hand  until  L 
 
 7)iake  Thine  enemies  Thy  footstool.     And  it  was  to  the 
 
 intent  that  He  might  not  seem  too  presumptuous,  and 
 
 that  God  the  Father  in  the  heavens  had  not  of  His  own 
 
 will  made  the  Son  sit  on  His  right  hand,  the  Father 
 
 Himself   is   introduced  saying    this:    Sit   Thou  on  My 
 
to  an  equality  ivlth  God  the  Father.  347 
 
 right  hand,  the  Psalmist  says  this.  And  no  one  with  Chap.  i. 
 any  sense  will  say  that  the  Father  has  the  second  place  ^•^^^•^^• 
 of  honour  though  He  has  the  Son  on  His  right  hand,  but 
 will  rather  take  what  I  have  said  into  consideration. 
 For  it  is  not  the  Father,  but  rather  the  Son,  on  account 
 of  His  voluntary  degradation  and  suffering,  Who  must 
 be  conceived  as  sitting  on  the  right  hand,  and  having  a 
 place  from  which  no  inferiority  could  be  inferred,  as  He 
 might  be  numbered  among  inferior  beings  by  those  who 
 cannot  comprehend  the  mystery  of  His  Incarnation. 
 Therefore  a  place  on  the  right  hand  of  His  Father, 
 against  Whom  no  such  charge  can  be  brought,  is  allotted 
 to  the  Son  that  His  equality  may  be  maintained. 
 
 We  have  done  well  to  introduce  these  explanations 
 now,  which  have  an  intimate  connexion  with  the  present 
 subject.  Now  taking  up  again  and  unfolding  from  the 
 beginning  the  whole  purpose  of  our  disquisition,  I 
 proceed  to  say  that  continual  converse  with  our  Saviour 
 Christ  is  sweet  and  acceptable  and  pleasant  to  us, 
 although  for  our  sake  He  has  emptied  Himself  of  His  Piiil.ii.7. 
 glory,  as  has  been  written,  and  taken  the  form  of  a 
 servant  and  the  dishonour  of  man's  nature.  For  what 
 is  man's  nature  as  compared  with  God  !  Nor  was  the 
 Incarnation  to  the  advantage  of  the  Son,  but  to  ascend 
 to  His  Father  profited  Him  more,  and  to  recover  His 
 own  glory  and  power  and  Divine  honour  in  the  sight  of 
 all,  and  no  longer  obscured.  For  He  sat  on  the  right 
 hand  by  the  will  of  His  Father.  For  He  loves  Him  as 
 His  own  Offspring  and  the  fruit  of  His  Substance,  and 
 therefore  He  says,  //  ye  loved  Me,  ye  woidd  have  rejoiced 
 because  I  go  unto  the  Father  r  for  the  Father  is  greater, 
 than  I.  Surely  it  was  a  proof  of  His  Father's  love 
 towards  Him  that  He  did  not  sorrow  over  His  seeming 
 abandonment  and  the  compulsory  absence  that  He  had 
 taken  on  Himself,  but  rather  took  into  consideration  that 
 He  went  to  the  glory  befitting  Him,  and  His  due,  and  to 
 His  ancient  honour,  that  is  the  Godhead  manifest.  Nay 
 more,  the  Psalmist,  though  he  speaks  mysteries  by  the 
 
348  TJie  Sun  is  inferior  to  the  Father 
 
 Book  10.  Spirit,  says,  Clct}')  your  hands,  all  ye  people :  then  he  ex- 
 ^^^\'^.^  plained  the  occasion  of  the  festival,  and  introduced  the 
 
 Ps.  xlvii.  ^  .  ^  . 
 
 2.  Ascension  of  the  Saviour  into  heaven,  saying,  God  is 
 
 Ibid.  5.    gone  up  ivith  a  shout,  the  Lord  with  the  sound  of  a 
 trump :  meaning  by  the  shout  and  the  trump  the  piercing 
 and  clear  voice  of  the  Spirit,  when  He  bade  the  powers 
 above  open  the  gates,  and  named  Him  Lord  of  Hosts,  as 
 Supra      we  said  just  now.     On  the  same  occasion  moreover,  we 
 P"  shall  find  the  choir  of  the  Saints  rejoicing  with  great 
 
 Ps.  xcvii.  joy  of  heart.     Then  too  he  said  in  one  place,  The  Lord 
 '      ...    reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice ;  and  in  another,  The  Lord 
 1.  reigneth:   the  Lord   hath  p>ut  on  glorious  apparel,  the 
 
 Lord  hath  put  on  and  girded  Himself  luith  might.  For 
 He  that  was  with  us  as  a  man  before  His  resurrection 
 from  the  dead,  when  He  ascended  to  His  Father  in  the 
 heavens,  then  put  on  His  own  glorious  apparel,  and 
 girded  Himself  with  the  might  that  was  His  from  the 
 beginning,  for  He  sat  and  reigneth  with  the  Father. 
 Then  it  is  right  and  meet  that  those  who  love  Him 
 should  rejoice  because  He  has  gone  to  His  Father  in  the 
 heavens,  to  take  upon  Him  His  own  glory,  and  to  reign 
 again  with  Him  as  at  the  beginning.  And  He  says  that 
 He  is  greater,  not  because  He  sat  down  on  the  right 
 hand  as  God,  but  as  He  was  still  with  us,  that  is,  in 
 human  shape.  For  as  He  still  wore  the  guise  of  a 
 servant,  and  the  time  had  not  yet  come  that  He  should 
 be  reinstated.  He  calls  God  the  Father  greater.  More- 
 over, when  He  endured  the  precious  cross  for  us,  the 
 Jews  brought  Him  vinegar  and  gall  when  He  was  athirst. 
 Infra  and  when  He  drank,  He  said.  It  is  finished.  For 
 XIX.  30.  g^|j.gg^(jy  ^Ijg  ^jjj^e  Qf  jjig  humiliation  was  fulfilled,  and  He 
 was  crucified  as  man.  He  had  overcome  the  power  of 
 death,  not  as  man  but  rather  as  God,  I  say  by  the  work- 
 ing of  His  power  and  the  glory  and  might  of  His  con- 
 quest, not  according  to  the  flesh.  The  Father  then  is 
 greater  since  the  Son  was  still  a  servant  and  in  the 
 world,  as  He  says  that  He  is  God  of  Himself,  and  adds 
 this  attribute  to  His  human  form.     For  if  we  believe 
 
as  toucidng  His  Manhood.  349 
 
 that  He  degraded  and  humbled  Himself,  will  it  not  be  Chap.  i. 
 obvious  to  all  that  He  descended  from  superiority  to  an  °*^^^"  • 
 inferiority,  and  rather  from  equality  with  the  Father  to 
 the  reverse.  The  Father  underwent  nothing  of  this, 
 and  He  abode  where  He  was  at  the  beginning.  He  is 
 greater  therefore  than  He  that  chose  inferiority  by  His 
 own  dispensation,  and  remained  in  such  a  state  until 
 He  was  restored  to  His  ancient  condition,  I  mean  His 
 own  and  natural  glory  in  which  He  was  at  the  beginning. 
 We  may  rightly  judge  that  His  equality  with  the  Father, 
 which  while  He  might  have  had  it  uninterruptedly  He 
 did  not  consider  robbery  to  take  for  our  sake,  is  His  own 
 and  natural  position. 
 
 And  as  we  have  spoken  at  length  about  the  equality 
 of  the  Son  with  God  the  Father  in  previous  books,  it 
 may  well  be  fitting  to  proceed  to  illustrate  all  things  in 
 order,  leaving  long  discussions  on  the  subject  for  the 
 present.  And  since  a  certain  dull-witted  heretic,  receiv- 
 ing from  the  Jews  some  marvellous  knowledge  of  the 
 holy  writings,  and  attempting  to  explain  the  verse  we 
 have  before  us,  has  committed  to  writing  intolerable 
 blasphemies  against  the  Only-begotten,  I  deemed  it  a 
 mark  of  feebleness,  and  very  unbecoming  to  myself, 
 calmly  to  pass  them  by,  and  to  dismiss  in  silence  the 
 awful  madness  of  the  man  to  whom  I  allude.  I  think 
 then  we  ought  to  encounter  him  in  argument,  and  show 
 that  his  words  are  baseless  and  old  wives'  fables,  and 
 wholly  devoid  of  sense,  and  the  quibbles  of  a  perverted 
 logic.  And  with  reference  to  the  same  passage,  I  will 
 read  over  to  you  what  he  has  dared  to  write  when 
 giving  the  view  he  took  of  the  text :  "  When  He  called 
 His  Father  greater  than  Himself,  He  not  only  displayed 
 His  own  humility  but  also  refuted  the  heresy  of  those 
 who  maintain  that  His  nature  is  twofold."  And  having 
 thus  shattered  the  opinion  of  Sabellius,  he  makes  a 
 furious  and  vigorous  onslaught,  as  he  thinks,  on  those 
 who  put  the  Son  on  an  equality  with  the  Father  in 
 these  words  :  "  Some  have  reached  such  a  pitch  of  mad- 
 
350  Christ  consoles  IJ'is  disciples 
 
 Book  10.  ness  that  they  cannot  at  all  endure  to  say  that  the 
 c.  XIV.  28.  jTj^^j^gj.  jy  superior  to  the  divinity  of  the  Only-begotten, 
 but  only  that  the  Father  seems  to  surpass  Him  when 
 compared  with  Him  in  reference  to  the  Incarnation, 
 though  they  are  not  even  able  to  look  at  them  together 
 in  this  aspect ;  and  things  different  in  kind  can  in  no 
 way  be  compared.  For  no  one  would  ever  say  that  man 
 is  wiser  than  a  beast,  or  that  a  horse  runs  faster  than 
 a  tortoise ;  but  that  one  man  has  more  reason  than 
 another,  and  that  one  horse  has  greater  speed  than 
 another.  Since  then  only  things  belonging  to  the  same 
 class  are  capable  of  comparison  with  each  other,  we  must 
 admit  that  the  Father  is  greater  even  than  the  divinity 
 of  the  Son.  For  those  who  fall  into  the  contrary  error 
 of  drawing  a  comparison  with  reference  to  the  Incarna- 
 tion, so  far  as  in  them  lies,  lessen  the  honour  of  the 
 Father." 
 
 Such  are  his  puerile  babblings.  And  we  must  take 
 care  to  show  tliat  he  does  not  even  know  that  he  is 
 Supra  inconsistent  with  himself.  For  he  admits  that  the  Son 
 ^'  '  maintains  becoming  humility,  when  He  says.  The  Father 
 is  greater  than  I ;  and  I  marvel  that  he  did  not  also  lay 
 this  to  heart.  For  whatever  was  it  which  induced  him 
 to  meddle  with  theology,  although  one  would  not  make 
 of  no  account  the  knowledge  of  the  fitting  time  to  speak 
 or  act  if  one  were  wise  1  What  need  was  there  then  of 
 such  unseasonable  discussion  of  the  Divine  Nature  to  His 
 disciples  in  their  agony,  when  He  was  about  to  depart 
 from  the  world  to  God  the  Father"?  For  what  kind  of 
 consolation  could  this  consideration  bring  to  them  ?  And 
 why  does  not  He  merely  rebuke  them,  saying,  '•  If  you 
 loved  Me,  you  would  rejoice  that  I  go  to  the  Father, 
 because  the  Father  is  greater  than  I?"  Tell  me  then, 
 did  He  think  that  this  tended  to  solace  the  disciples,  or 
 to  rid  them  of  the  sorrow  they  felt  from  their  love  of 
 God,  that  He  was  going  to  the  Father  Who  was  greater 
 than  Himself?  Although  when  Philip  asked  Him  and 
 ver.  8.      said,  Lord,  shoic  us  the  Father,  and  It  sufficeth  us,  then 
 
hy  the  mention  of  His  departure.  351 
 
 indeed,    and    very    opportunely,    as    the    occasion    for  Chap.  i. 
 theological  teaching  had  arrived,  He  showed  that  the  *^"^^^'^^' 
 Father  was  in  Him,  and  He  Himself  in  the  Father,  and 
 that  He  was  in  no  way  inferior  to  Him,  but  distinguished 
 by  His  perfect  equality,  when  He  said :  Have  I  been  so  Supra 
 long  time  with  you,  and  dost  thou  not  know  Me,  Philip  ?  ^^^- ■'>     • 
 He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  the  Father.     Believest 
 thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  31  e? 
 I  and  the  Father  are  one.      Then  indeed,  very  oppor-  Supra 
 tunely.  He  unravels  His  discourse  thereupon,  and  it  is    * 
 worthy  of  admiration.     But  here,  how  is  the  reference 
 opportune  ?    Or  what  construction  would   it   admit   of 
 other  than  His  desire  to  allay  His  disciples'  grief,  and  to 
 furnish  them,  as  it  were,  with  a  medicine  of  consolation 
 bidding  them  rejoice  because  He  "  goes  to  the  Father?  " 
 Is  it  not  then  obvious  to  any  one,  however  dull-wilted 
 he  may  be,  from  the  very  state  of  the  case,  that  since  He 
 was   hastening  to   return  to    His   own  glory   with   the 
 Father,  He  bade  those  who  loved  Him  rejoice  at  this, 
 devising  this  admirable  means  of  consolation  for  them 
 with  the  rest  ? 
 
 But  I  will  now  pass  this  by,  and  will  not  lay  much 
 stress  on  their  demented  folly.  But  I  say  that  we  ought 
 rather  to  go  on  to  the  following  considerations.  For  He 
 thought  perhaps  when  comparing  His  Incarnate  Nature 
 with  His  Divine,  they  could  not  help  making  profit  out 
 of  the  inquiry,  when  we  say  that  the  Son  was  emptied 
 of  His  glory  when  He  became  a  Man.  Is  it  not  so  ?  How 
 could  it  be  otherwise  ?  But  speaking  of  His  Divine  glory, 
 in  contrast  with  His  place  as  a  servant,  and  His  position 
 of  subjection,  we  say  that  the  Son  was  inferior  to  the 
 Father,  in  so  far  as  He  was  human ;  but  that  He  was 
 reinstated  into  His  equality  with  the  Father  after  His 
 sojourn  here,  not  endued  with  any  new,  or  adventitious, 
 or  unaccustomed  glory,  but  rather  restored  to  that  state 
 in  which  He  was  at  the  beffinnino-  with  the  Father.  And 
 indeed,  the  inspired  writer  who  initiates  us  into  mysteries, 
 I  mean  Paul,  no  longer  attributing  to  Him  the  humiliation 
 
352  S.  Paul  ivitnesses  to  Chritifs  Divinity. 
 
 Book  10.  belonging  to  man's  estate  after  His  resurrection  from  the 
 c.  XIV.  28.  ^^^^  ^^^  ascension  into  heaven,  exhorts  us  saying : 
 2  Cor.  V.  Even  though  tee  have  known  Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet 
 ^^'  now  we  know  Him  so  no  more.   And  of  himself  again: 
 
 Gal.  i.  1.  Paul,  an  afostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  not  from  men,  neither 
 through  man,  hut  through  Jesus  Christ.     And  yet,  why 
 is  it  that  when  He  ssijs  that  on  His  second  coming  to  us 
 Phil.  iii.  He  will  change  the  body  of  our  humiliation,  that  it  may 
 ^^"  he  conformed  to  the  body  of  His  glory,  he  now  denies  it, 
 
 saying :  Not  from  men,  neitJter  through  man,  although 
 destined  to  be  an  apostle  by  Jesus  Christ  ?  But  how  is 
 it  that  he  says  he  knew  Him  not  in  the  flesh  1  Did  he 
 2S.Pet.  then,  tell  me,  deny  the  Master  that  bought  him?  God 
 "*  ^'  forbid ;  for  he  is  rightminded.  For  when  the  period  of 
 the  actual  humiliation  or  degradation  of  the  Only- 
 begotten  had  been  accomplished,  and  come  to  an  end, 
 He  makes  haste  to  proclaim  Himself  and  to  gain 
 recognition,  not  in  the  character  which  He  presented 
 when  emptied  of  His  glory,  but  of  His  natural  attributes 
 of  God.  For  when  it  had  once  been  known  and  admitted 
 that  He  was  human,  He  was  bound  to  instruct  believers 
 in  Him  that  He  was  also  God  by  nature ;  and  for  this 
 reason  He  chooses  to  speak  of  His  divinity,  rather  than 
 anything  else. 
 
 And  I  marvel  that  the  heretic  of  whom  we  are  speaking 
 Supra  does  uot  blush  when  he  saj's  that  "  as  only  things  which 
 p.  350.  belong  to  the  same  class  admit  of  comparison  with  each 
 other,  they  must  confess  the  Father  is  greater  than  the 
 Divinity  of  the  Son."  For  he  does  not  perceive,  it  seems, 
 that  he  has  armed  his  own  argument  against  himself. 
 For  let  him  answer  us  this  pertinent  inquiry:  From 
 what  starting  point  can  comparisons  of  things  of  the  same 
 class  best  proceed  ?  Can  we  reasonably  start  with  what 
 they  are,  according  to  the  common  definition  of  their 
 nature,  or  with  the  qualities  which  belong  to,  or  are 
 deficient  in  each,  or  inhere  or  do  not  inhere  in  each  ?  And 
 I  will  give  an  example,  and  will  select  that  which  he 
 gave  to  us  by  way  of  illustration.     If  any  one  choose  to 
 
Things  coonparable  are  of  one  essence.  353 
 
 compare  one  man  with  another,  looking  to  the  one  Chap.  i. 
 common  definition  of  their  essence,  he  would  find  no  '  "  * 
 distinction  ;  for  there  is  no  difference  between  man  and 
 man,  so  far  as  each  is  a  thinking  animal,  mortal,  and 
 capable  of  sense  and  knowledge,  as  in  all  men  there  is 
 one  and  the  same  definition  of  their  essence.  Nor  does 
 one  horse  differ  from  another  in  its  essential  character  as 
 a  horse  ;  but  one  man  differs  from  another  in  some  special 
 sort  of  knowledge,  as  writing,  and  in  divers  other  ways. 
 This  does  not  affect  the  essence,  but  clearly  proceeds 
 from  quite  another  cause.  So  also  one  horse  excels  an- 
 other in  speed,  or  is  smaller  or  larger  than  another ;  but 
 you  will  find  that  superiority  or  inferiority  in  these 
 respects  lies  outside  the  definition  of  their  essence, 
 otherwise  things  brought  into  mutual  comparison  could 
 have  no  distinctions  made  between  them.  For  if  one 
 man  had  a  less  or  greater  degree  of  the  essential  character 
 of  man,  how  could  we  conceive  or  speak  of  him  at  all  ? 
 Then  all  things  of  the  same  type  in  their  essential 
 characters  are  uniform.  But  the  difference  lies  in  those 
 attributes  which  either  inhere  in  them,  or  which  lie 
 outside  (viewing  them  in  the  light  of  accidents).  Since 
 then,  according  to  his  premise  or  statement,  which  I  will 
 proceed  to  deal  with,  only  things  of  like  nature  admit  of 
 comparison  at  all  appropriately,  he  must  start  by 
 admitting  that  the  Son  is  of  the  same  class  as  the  Father, 
 that  is,  of  the  same  Essence.  For  so  you  will  have  the 
 same  class  in  view ;  for  he  proved  that  man  might  be 
 compared  with  man,  and  horse  with  horse.  Then  let  him 
 go  on  to  tell  us  the  reason  why,  when  the  Son  is  com- 
 pared with  God  the  Father  as  being  of  the  same  class  He 
 has  any  kind  of  inferiority  to  Him,  and  where  we  shall 
 find  it,  when  one  and  the  same  definition  of  their  essence 
 belongs  to  things  of  the  same  class  ?  For  in  the  case  of 
 the  essence  of  a  class,  its  definition  is  not  perfect  in  some 
 cases  and  imperfect  in  others,  but  is  one  and  the  same 
 for  all.  But  we  may  say  that  any  accident  may  have  a 
 separate  cause  and  accrue  to  a  thing  in  a  different  manner. 
 VOL.  TI,  A  a 
 
354  The  heretical  argument 
 
 Book  10.  In  order  to  make  what  I  have  said  quite  clear,  I  will  set 
 c,  XIV.  28.  ]3QfQj.Q  yQ^  i\^Q  illustration  I  gave  at  the  outset.  No  man 
 differs  from  another  in  his  essential  character  as  man  ; 
 but  one  man  is  pious  and  another  wicked  ;  and  one  is 
 weak  and  maimed,  while  another  is  healthy  and  strong ; 
 and  one  is  vile  and  another  good.  But  v/hen  a  man 
 accurately  investigates  the  reasons  for  these  distinctions, 
 he  will  not  trace  them  to  their  common  definition  of  the 
 essence,  but  rather  attributes  the  causes  to  diseases  of 
 mind  or  body.  As  then,  there  is  one  definition  of  Godhead 
 for  the  Father  and  the  Son  both  in  conception  and  reality 
 (otherwise  one  could  not  but  go  astray),  for  They  are 
 compared  as  belonging  to  the  same  class,  and  I  will  use 
 Supra  his  words  for  the  purpose  of  the  argument — let  these 
 p.  350.  (3^eiu(jed  men  tell  us  what  they  think  it  was  that  paved 
 the  way  for  the  inferiority  of  the  Son  to  God  the  Father  ; 
 was  it  disease,  or  indolence,  and  those  things  which  are 
 known  to  affect  created  beings'?  Who  would  be  so  mad  and 
 such  a  slave  of  contradictions  as  even  to  lend  an  ear  to 
 such  blasphemy  ?  When  then,  being  (as  He  is),  of  the  same 
 class  as  the  living  God,  He  Himself  also  is  manifestly  by 
 nature  God — for  He  is  brought  into  comparison  with  the 
 Father :  and  nothing  can  hinder  His  having  a  like  state 
 with  His  Father — how  is  He  inferior  ? 
 
 Since,  then,  this  adversary  of  the  truth  has  given  in 
 
 detail  a  mass  of  contradictions,  with  reference  to  the  text. 
 
 Ibid.        and  has  not  hesitated  to  affirm  that  "the  Father  is  greater 
 
 than  the  Godhead  of  the  Son,"  let  us  then,  after  having 
 
 made  a  brief  defence  of  the  Incarnation,  and  separated  it 
 
 in  our  demonstration  from  the  consideration  of  the  matter 
 
 under  discussion,  compare  the  Divinity  of  the  Son  with 
 
 that  of  the  Father,  according  to  Their  definition  ;  but  let 
 
 us   previously  inquire  of  him  who  dares  to  say  this, 
 
 whether  he  thinks  that  God,  when  He  is  God,  is  so  by 
 
 nature,  or  something  else  besides,  but  honoured  with  the 
 
 1  Cor.      appellation  of  Divinity,  as  there  are  tnany  so  that  are 
 
 ^"'"  ^"      called  gods  and  lords  in  heaven,  and  many  on  earth. 
 
 When  then  he  asserts  that  the  Son  has  been  honoured 
 
involves  a  duality  of  Gods.  355 
 
 by  the  bare  appellation  of  Divinity,  but  that  He  is  not  Chap.  l. 
 by  nature  really  that  which  He  is  said  to  be,  we  who  are  ^' ^'^^ ^^' 
 rightminded  will  encounter  him,  and  openly  exclaim, 
 "  My  good  Sir,  if  He  is  not  really  God,  we  shall  worship 
 the  creature  in  preference  to  the  Creator,  and  not  only 
 we  who  inhabit  this  earthly  sphere,  but  also  the  multitude 
 of  holy  angels  ;  and  we  shall  also  accuse  every  Saint  who 
 has  spoken  of  Him  as  the  real  and  true  God,  and  most  of 
 all  we  charge  S.John,  who  said  of  Him:  We  knoiu  is.  John 
 that  the  Son  of  God  is  come,  and  hath  given  us  an  under-  ^'  ' 
 standing,  that  we  may  know  the  true  God,  and  we  are 
 in  His  true  Son  Jesus  Christ :  this  is  the  true  God,  and 
 eternal  life."  But  if,  rejecting  all  inspired  writings  alike, 
 he  confess  that  He  is  really  God,  and  be  so  minded  and 
 still  suggest  the  doctrine  that  even  so  He  falls  below  the 
 Father's  dignity  in  some  respect,  has  he  not  introduced 
 to  us  a  new  God,  wholly  dissevered  from  His  natural 
 connexion  with  the  Father,  and  conceived  of  as  having 
 a  separate  existence  and  not  inhering  in  the  substance  of 
 God  the  Father  ?  But  I  think  the  matter  is  obvious  to 
 every  one.  For  if  nothing  is  conceived  of  as  being 
 greater  or  less  than  itself,  but  as  greater  than  anything 
 which  is  less,  and  less  than  anything  which  is  greater, 
 must  he  not  perforce  admit  that  there  are  two  true  and 
 real  Gods,  so  that  one  is  thought  the  greater,  and  the 
 other  the  less.  So  the  faith  of  the  Church  is  wholly 
 destroyed  and  overturned  by  their  doctrine,  for  we  shall 
 have  not  one  God  but  two.  Whose  temples  then  are  we 
 according  to  the  Scriptures  ?  Surely  His  Who  established 
 His  Spirit  in  our  hearts.  When  then  we  find  in  the  Holy 
 Writings  the  Spirit  spoken  of  as  not  of  the  Father  only 
 but  also  of  the  Son,  what  are  we  to  infer,  and  what  view 
 must  we  take?  Which  of  the  two  reject  and  call  the 
 other  God  ?  If,  however,  we  are  to  admit  a  duality  of 
 Gods,  one  less  and  the  other  greater,  we  shall  say  that 
 both  abide  in  our  hearts  by  separate  Spirits,  and  we  shall 
 be  found  temples  of  more  than  one  God,  and  there  are 
 two  Spirits  dwelling  in  us,  a  greater  and  a  less,  corre- 
 
 A  a  2 
 
356        The  comparison  betiveen  Father  and  Son 
 
 Book  10.  sponding  to  the  nature  of  those  who  gave  them.  For 
 c.xjv.  -  .  ^Yxo  could  tolerate  such  ravings,  and  who  cannot  see  that 
 their  doctrine  is  absurd  and  ridiculous,  after  he  has 
 considered  the  view  I  have  just  set  forth?  But,  perhaps, 
 if  he  is  forced  to  admit  that  there  is  a  duality  of  Gods  by 
 nature,  one  the  greater  and  the  other  the  less,  he  will 
 proceed  to  that  doctrine  that  is  always  recurring  in  his 
 writings  ;  I  mean,  he  will  say  that  the  Son  has  a  separate 
 nature — though  He  is  not  wholly  devoid  of  the  nature  of 
 a  created  being,  yet  neither  does  He  wholly  decline  from 
 the  Divinity  of  God  the  Father.  For  those  who  do  not 
 scruple  to  say  plainly  that  He  is  a  creature  take  refuge 
 in  refinements  of  language,  trying  as  it  were  to  gloss  over 
 their  profanity.  When  then  we  say  that  the  Son  has 
 such  a  nature  as  not  to  be  wholly  God,  nor  yet  to  fall 
 entirely  into  the  category  of  creatures,  but  that  He  holds 
 an  intermediate  place,  so  as  to  fall  beneath  the  dignity 
 of  God  the  Father,  and  yet  to  exceed  created  beings  in 
 glory,  we  will  say  fii'st  of  all,  that  there  is  no  authority 
 to  induce  us  to  lay  down  the  doctrine  they  choose  to 
 propound.  For  either  let  them  satisfy  us  from  the  holy 
 and  inspired  writings,  or  confessing  they  have  no  voucher 
 for  their  private  opinion,  blush  for  laying  down  definitions 
 in  matters  of  faith  from  their  own  private  judgment. 
 
 But  since  it  occurred  to  them  to  say  this  in  their  rash 
 folly,  I  will  proceed  to  the  view  they  have  propounded. 
 Supra  and  I  will  say  once  more  that  if  only  things  of  the  same 
 ^'  '  class  are  properly  capable  of  mutual  comparison, — and 
 the  Son  has  proved  that  He  may  properly  be  compared 
 with  God  the  Father  in  the  plainest  language.  The  Father 
 is  greater  than  I, — must  not  then  the  Father  be  conceived 
 of  as  having  the  same  nature  you  attribute  to  the  Son  ? 
 What  follows  then  ?  Your  whole  speculation  is  upset. 
 For  so  long  as  you  maintain  that  the  Father  is  greater 
 than  the  Son,  but  a  created  being  is  less  according  to 
 you,  the  nature  of  the  Only-begotten  lies  between  the 
 two.  And  when  the  nature  of  the  Father  is  lessened 
 to  that  of  the  Son,  one  of  the  extremes  is  left  out,  as 
 
demonstrates  TJieir  equality.  357 
 
 there  is  no  longer  anything  above  and  superior  to  the  Chap.  i. 
 Son.      And  if,  as  he  says,  He  is    compared  with  the  °'  ^'^'     * 
 Father  as  being  one  of  the  same  class,  must  not  the 
 definition  of  Their  Essence  be  one  and  the  same  for  both  ? 
 And  if  you  scruple  to  admit  that  the  Son  is  of  the  same 
 Essence  with  the  Father,  but  rather  put  Him  in  a  position 
 of  inferiority,  and  debase  the  glory  of  the  Father  to  that 
 of  a  being  whom  you  reckon  less  than  and  inferior  to 
 Him,  do  you  not  see  blasphemy  springing   up   like   a 
 thorn  ?     Does  not  then  a  root  of  bitterness  sijringing  up  Heb.  xii. 
 rankle  in  the  heart  of  those  thus  minded  ?     Why  then     * 
 do  you  leave  the  straight  path  of  truth,  and  launch  into 
 such   absurd    discussions  ?      Grant   then   to   the   Only- 
 begotten  in  your  thoughts  an  equality  with    God  the 
 Father.     For  thus  there  will  be  One  God,  worshipped 
 and  glorified  in  the  holy  and  consubstantial  Trinity,  both 
 by  us  and  by  the  holy  angels. 
 
 29     And  now  I  have  told  you  before  it  conie  to  2^'^ss,  that  when 
 it  is  come  to  ^;as5,  ye  may  believe. 
 
 A  prophecy  of  the  future  is  manifestly  a  sure  pledge 
 of  what  the  future  has  in  store  for  us.  Christ  confirms 
 therefore  the  heart  of  His  disciples,  and  seems  to  inspire 
 in  them  a  firm  conviction  that  He  is  really  ascending  to 
 God  the  Father  in  the  heavens,  to  reign  with  Him  and 
 share  His  throne  as  God,  and  as  God  really  begotten  of 
 Him.  For  do  not.  He  says,  set  My  departure,  which  is 
 according  to  the  flesh  and  an  object  of  sight  (for  I  will 
 be  with  you  as  God  for  ever),  on  a  level  with  that  of  the 
 holy  prophets.  For  they,  as  they  passed  from  the  earth 
 and  paid  the  debt  of  nature,  were  brought  low,  and  died 
 according  to  the  law  of  human  creatures.  But  I,  Who 
 am  the  true  God,  am  not  measured  by  the  same  standard 
 as  My  creatures  awaiting  the  time  of  the  resurrection. 
 For  I  live  for  ever,  and  I  am  the  True  Life.  And  I  will  Supra 
 send  the  Comforter,  and  I  will  grant  you  My  peace  also,  jj^.  \  ' 
 and  will  not  lie ;  but  to  the  intent  that,  when  you  27. 
 receive  the  promise  and  are  illumined  by  the  grace  of 
 
358       Christ  confirms  the  heart  of  His  disciples. 
 
 Book  10.  the  Holy  Spirit,  you  may  ratify  the  truth  of  My  words, 
 c.^xiv.  30,  i-ecoUecting  what  I  have  said  in  the  light  of  experience, 
 and  to  the  intent  that  you  may  have  the  firm  conviction 
 that  I  live  and  reign  with  the  Father,  I  have  foretold 
 and  spoken  this  to  you.  The  fulfilment  of  the  promise 
 will  then  confirm  the  truth  of  My  words.  For  if  I  be 
 not  the  Life,  He  says,  and  if  I  be  not  enthroned  with 
 God  the  Father,  how  can  I  Myself  vouchsafe  Divine  and 
 spiritual  graces  ?  And  I  will  bestow  them  as  I  have 
 promised,  and  I  will  bring  to  you  the  Spirit  and  peace. 
 Is  it  not  then  beyond  dispute  that  I  am  the  Life,  and  that 
 I  reign  with  the  Father.  For  it  is  not  the  act  of  one 
 who  is  dead,  or  powerless  to  illumine  with  Divine  graces 
 those  who  love  him,  but  it  is  the  act  of  One  Who  is  living 
 and  powerful  and  Who  reigns  for  ever.  Christ  therefore 
 has  hereby  taught  us  that  He  made  no  empty  prophecy 
 of  the  future.  For  He  says  that  He  made  this  discourse 
 that  they  might  have  their  faith  in  Him  confirmed,  when 
 they  came  to  think  upon  and  reflect  on  His  promises, 
 after  they  had  experienced  His  grace. 
 
 30  /  will  no  more  speak  much  with  you,  for  the  2>f'ince  of  the 
 
 31  rvorld  cometh  :  and  he  hath  nothing  in  Me;  but  that  the 
 world  may  knovj  that  I  love  the  Father,  as  the  Father 
 gave  Me  commandnie7it  even  so  I  do. 
 
 Now  when  the  impious  Jews  were  already  at  hand, 
 with  the  band  of  soldiers  whom  they  brought,  and  their 
 leader  who  also  had  promised  to  betray  Him,  and  were 
 ready  to  take  Him  and  bear  Him  away  in  no  long  time 
 to  His  sufferings  upon  the  cross,  and  before  the  Cruci- 
 fixion, He  declared  that  He  would  break  off"  His  dis- 
 course with  them.  For,  He  says,  the  time  is  short  and 
 already  past.  And  now  that  the  bloodthirsty  spirit  of 
 the  Jews  is  at  its  height  against  Me,  and  shows  itself 
 already  within  the  gates,  the  time  for  speech  with  you 
 is  past,  and  the  period  of  My  passion  has  arrived.  But 
 He  says,  The  prince  of  this  ivorld  hath  nothing  in  Me. 
 And  I  shall  die  very  gladly,  and  undergo  d^ath  to  save 
 
Christ  the  second  Adam.  359 
 
 the  world,  and  through  reverence  to  My  Father  and  love  Chap.  i. 
 towards  Him  willingly  encounter  inconceivable  anguish,  3i^^^'  ' 
 that  I  may  fulfil  His  Will.  The  aim  of  what  He  says 
 here  is  very  plain,  and  compressing  His  words  into 
 smaller  compass  we  say :  Adam,  the  author  of  our  race, 
 underwent  death  by  a  Divine  curse,  through  his  breaking 
 the  commandment  given  to  him,  accused  by  himself  and 
 the  devil.  He  indeed  seems  to  have  suffered  for  good 
 reason,  since  the  doom  of  punishment  justly  pursues 
 those  who  have  sinned  from  indolence ;  but  the  second 
 Adam,  that  is  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Who  can  have  no 
 such  charge  brought  against  Him  at  all,  for  He  did  no  i  s.  Pet. 
 8171,  neither  was  guile  found  in  His  mouth,  underwent "'  ^^' 
 His  sufferings  for  us,  having  of  Himself  no  responsibility 
 whatever  for  them,  but  by  His  sufferings  procured  a 
 ransom  for  the  world,  owing  to  His  love  for  the  Father, 
 Who  yearned  for  the  salvation  of  the  world.  For  it  was 
 truly  the  work  of  His  love  for  the  Father  not  to  set  at 
 nought  His  decree  and  firm  resolve,  but  to  hasten  to 
 bring  it  into  effect.  And  what  was  this  decree  ?  He 
 willed  that  His  own  Son,  though  of  like  fashion  with 
 Himself  and  distinguished  by  His  perfect  equality  with 
 Him,  should  descend  to  such  humiliation  as  to  take  the 
 form  of  man  for  our  sakes,  and  not  shrink  from  death  to 
 save  the  world.  This  the  Son  did  through  love  of  His 
 Father,  Who  is  said  to  have  ordered  Him  by  His  own 
 power  to  suffer  death  in  His  fleshly  nature,  and  to  destroy 
 the  power  of  corruption,  and  to  quicken  the  dead,  and 
 to  restore  them  to  their  ancient  state.  Therefore  He  says 
 that  the  time  for  speech  is  short.  For  My  suffering  is 
 drawing  nigh,  and  the  presumptuous  counsels  of  the 
 Jews  have  burst  into  flame.  I  will  suffer  willingly,  as 
 for  this  cause  I  have  come. 
 
 But  the  prince  of  this  world  cometh,  and  hath  nothing 
 in  Me ;  that  is,  I  shall  not  be  convicted  of  sin,  and  the 
 Jews  will  not  be  able  to  establish  their  charge  of 
 drunkenness  against  Me,  the  devil  hath  no  part  in  Me, 
 for  vices  are  as  it  were  his  attributes,  and  wickedness 
 
360  Christ  luas  not  convicted  of  sin. 
 
 Book  10.  owes  its  parentage  to  him.    For  the  truth  of  our  Saviour's 
 
 c.  xiv.31.  -^rords  will  be  most  clearly  seen  from  what  follows.    For 
 
 how  did  He  sin,  Who  knew  no  sin,  the  true  and  living 
 
 God,  Who   was  wholly  incapable  of  turning  from   the 
 
 path   of  righteousness  ?    And   we   shall   see  this   most 
 
 clearly  by  the  actual  writings  of  the  holy  Evangelists. 
 
 Infra       For  the  most  wise  John  has  represented  Pilate  saying,  / 
 
 xvui.  38.  j^.^^^j^  ,j^^  crime  in  Him ;  and  again,  after  putting  on  Him 
 
 Ibid.  xix.  the  crown  of  thorns,  as  saying  these  words :  Behold,  I 
 
 ^'  bring  Him  out  to  you,  that  ye  may  hioiu  that  I  find 
 
 710  crime  in  Him ;  and  Matthew  says  that  he  so  hated 
 
 the  crime,  that  he  washed  his  hands  before  the  Jews  and 
 
 s.  Matt,  said,  /  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  righteous  man ; 
 
 xxvu.  24.  ^^^  .j.j^g  same  Evangehst  points  Him  out  to  us,  when  He 
 
 was  brought  into  the  presence  of  the  high  priests  them- 
 
 s.  Matt,  selves,  and  says:    Now  the  chief  priests  and  the  whole 
 
 gQ^^'     '  council  sought  fcdse  witness  against  the  Christ,  that  they 
 
 might  put  Him  to  death ;  and  they  found  it  not,  though 
 
 many  fcdse  witnesses  came.     Still,  though  accusations 
 
 were  sought  against  Him  by  the  agency  of  men,  the 
 
 devil  used  them  as  ministers  and  instruments  of  his  own 
 
 malice,  and  it  was   he  more   than   any  one   else   who 
 
 sought  to  find  sin  in  Him.     It  is  then    true  that  the 
 
 devil  had  no  part  in  Him,  whom  Christ  called  prince  of 
 
 this  world,   speaking  of  the   present    moment,   not   as 
 
 though  he  were  truly  lord  of  it,  but  as  a  foreign  intruder 
 
 who  has  gained  by  the  law  of  conquest  what  does  not 
 
 belong  to  him.      For  by  sin    he  subjected  mankind  to 
 
 himself,  and  driving  them  away  from  God  as  sheep  who 
 
 have  no  shepherd,  he  ruled  over  them  though  they  were 
 
 not  his  own.    Therefore  was  he  rightly  cast  out  from  the 
 
 kingdom  he  had  so  obtained.      For  Christ  has  become 
 
 Supra xii.  King   ovcr   us,  and  therefore  He  says :  Noiv  shall  the 
 
 31,  32.     2jrince  of  this  world  be  casj  out ;  and  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up 
 
 from  the  earth,  ivill  drcau'/all  men  unto  Myself. 
 
 Arise,  lei  ics  go  hence. 
 The  common  and  usual  acceptation  of  the  words  before 
 
The  mystical  meaning  of  the  words.  361 
 
 us  suggests  the  thought,  that  as  the  period  of  the  madness  Chap,  l, 
 of  the  Jews  had  come,  and  the  priceless  Cross  of  our  °'  ^^^" 
 Saviour  was  well-nigh  set  up,  He  was  hastening  to 
 depart  with  His  holy  disciples,  to  that  place  in  which 
 the  band  of  men  and  officers  found  and  took  Him.  And 
 the  thought  is  a  plausible  one.  But  probably  there  was 
 another  meaning  hinted  at ;  I  mean  a  spiritual  and 
 hidden  meaning.  For  when  He  says  the  words.  Arise, 
 let  us  go  hence,  He  means  to  signify  that  to  all  of  us  there 
 lies  open  by  Him  and  with  Him  a  change  from  one  state 
 to  another,  and  a  refuge  from  a  worse  condition  in  a 
 better ;  in  order  that  we  may  realise  some  such  concep- 
 tion as  this, —  the  passing  from  death  unto  life,  and  from 
 corruption  into  incorruption,  by  Him  and  with  Him,  as 
 I  just  said,  as  passing  from  one  place  into  another.  It  is  a 
 fine  saying  then.  Arise,  and  let  us  go  hence  ;  or  you  may 
 interpret  it  to  yourselves  in  some  other  way.  From 
 henceforth  we  are  bound  to  be  transformed  from  loving 
 to  think  on  earthly  things  into  choosing  the  will  to  do 
 God's  pleasure ;  and  besides  this,  to  pass  from  slavery 
 into  the  dignity  of  sonship  ;  from  earth  into  the  city 
 above  ;  from  sin  to  righteousness, — the  righteousness  I 
 mean  that  is  due  to  faith  in  Christ ;  from  the  impurity 
 of  man's  nature  to  the  sanctification  by  the  Spirit ;  from 
 dishonour  to  honour ;  from  ignorance  to  knowledge ; 
 and  from  cowardice  and  faintheartedness  to  endurance 
 in  goodness. 
 
 Localising  then,  figurating  as  it  were,  our  transgres- 
 sions upon  earth  in  the  spot  whereon  He  stood.  He  says. 
 Arise,  and  let  us  go  hence.  For  if  this  meaning  entered 
 into  the  scope  of  His  speech,  and  He  means  to  show 
 thereby  His  affinity  to  us,  it  can  do  us  no  harm  at  all  to 
 act  in  this  way,  since  He  found  it  in  His  nature  so  to  do. 
 Moreover,  in  other  places  you  will  find  Him  saying  to 
 His  own  disciples :  We  must  work  the  works  of  Him  Thcd  Supra 
 sent  us,  ivhile  it  is  day ;  the  7iight  cometh,  when  no  man 
 can  ivork.  Do  you  hear  how  He  implicates  Himself 
 together  with  us  in  the  duty  of  doing  work,  although  He 
 
362    Christ  2>ointts  out  the  ivay  to  all  that  is  good. 
 
 Book  10.  does  not  lie  under  the  necessity  of  working  as  we  do  1 
 
 c.  XIV,  31.  ^j^j  ^jjj^g  form  of  speech  is  usual  with  us,  and  we  shall 
 find  it  just  as  much  amongst  ourselves  ;  and  the  inspired 
 Paul,  when  he  rebuked  the  Corinthians,  ventured  on  this 
 
 1  Cor.  expression,  exhorting  them  in  these  words  :  Noiu  these 
 th  ings,  ony  hrethren,  I  have  in  a  figure  transferred  to  r)iy- 
 self  and  Apollos ;  that  in  us  ye  might  learn  not  to  think 
 beyond  the  things  which  are  written.     And  there  is  no 
 
 Is.  ixiii.  question  that  we  have  not  an  elder,  nor  an  angel,  but  the 
 Lord  of  all  Himself,  though  He  was  not  subject  to  our 
 infirmities,  to  point  out  the  way  to  all  that  is  good,  and 
 to  turn  us  from  our  old  lusts  to  better  things.  For  we 
 have  been  ransomed  not  by  ourselves,  nor  by  any  other 
 creature,  but  rather  by  Christ  Himself  our  Saviour. 
 Therefore,  when  escaping  as  it  were  with  us,  in  our 
 company,  from  the  wickedness  of  the  world.  He  says, 
 Arise,  let  us  go  hence.  He  speaks  these  words  not  as 
 subject  to  it  as  we  are,  or  bound  by  human  infirmities  ; 
 but  as  our  leader  and  champion  and  guide,  to  point  out 
 the  way  to  incorruption  and  life  in  sanctification  and 
 love  of  God. 
 
CHAPTER  II. 
 
 That  the  Son  Is  Consuhstantial  with  God  the  Father,  and  not  of  an 
 aliiiii  or  foreign  nature,  as  some  of  tiie  perverse  assert. 
 
 XV.   1    I  am  the  true  Vine,  and  My  Father  is  the  Ilushandman.    Chap.  2. 
 
 C.  XV.  1. 
 
 He  wishes  to  show  us  that  it  behoves  us  to  love,  to 
 hold  fast  to  our  love  towards  Him,  and  how  great  a  gain 
 we  shall  have  from  our  union  with  Him,  when  He  says 
 that  He  is  the  Vine,  by  way  of  illustration ;  and  that 
 those  who  are  united  and  fixed  and  rooted  in  a  manner 
 in  Him,  and  who  are  already  partakers  in  His  nature 
 through  their  participation  in  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
 branches ;  for  it  is  His  Holy  Spirit  Which  has  united 
 us  with  the  Saviour  Christ,  since  connexion  with  the 
 Vine  produces  a  choice  of  those  things  which  belong  to 
 It,  and  our  connexion  with  It  holds  us  fast.  From  a 
 firm  resolve  in  goodness  we  proceed  onward  by  faith, 
 and  we  become  His  people,  obtaining  from  Him  the  Actsxvii. 
 dignity  of  Sonship,  For  according  to  the  holy  Paul, 
 He  that  is  joined  unto  the  Lord  is  one  Spirit,  As  then  i  Cor.  vi. 
 in  other  places  He  has  been  called  the  foundation  and 
 coping-stone  by  the  voice  of  the  prophets,  for  upon  Him  i  S.  Pet. 
 we  are  built  up,  ourselves  being  the  stones,  living  and 
 spiritual  stones,  into  a  holy  priestliood  for  a  habitation  of  Eph.  ii. 
 God  in  the  Spirit,  and  in  no  other  way  are  we  able  to  be 
 built  up  into  this,  save  only  if  Christ  be  the  coping- 
 stone,  so  here  by  a  similar  reflection  He  says  that  He 
 is  a  Vine,  as  it  were  the  mother  and  nourisher  of  its 
 branches.  For  we  are  begotten  of  Him  and  in  Him  in 
 the  Spirit,  to  produce  the  fruits  of  life ;  not  the  old  life 
 
3G4  The  rectification  of  our  condition  is  the  function 
 
 Book  10.  of  former  days,  but  that  which  consists  in  newness  of 
 
 ^'  ^^  ■  ^'  faith  and  love  towards  Him.    And  we  are  preserved  in 
 
 our  hold  on  this  life  by  clinging  as  it  were  to  Him,  and 
 
 holding  fast  to  the  holy  commandment  given  to  us,  and 
 
 by  making  haste  to  preserve  the  blessing  of  our  high 
 
 birth;  that  is,   by  our  refusing  to  grieve  in  any  way 
 
 whatever  the  Holy  Spirit  That  has  taken  up  His  abode 
 
 in  us,  by  Whom  God  is  conceived  to  dwell  in  us.     For 
 
 in  what  manner  we  are  in  Christ  and  He  in  us  the  wise 
 
 IS,  John  John  will  show  us  when  He  says:  Hereby  ive  knoiu  that 
 
 "'■     ■      we  are  in  Him  and  He  in  us,  by  the  Spirit  Which  He 
 
 i^Jdkn  gcLve  us;   and  again,  Hereby  know  we  thcd  ive  are  in 
 
 "■   '  ■     Him ;   he  that  saith  he  abideth  in  Him  ought  himself 
 
 cdso  to  walk  even  as  He  wcdked.       And  he  makes  this 
 
 Ibid.  iii.  even  clearer  to  his  hearers  by  the  words.  He  thcd  keepeth 
 
 His  commandments  abideth  in  Him,  and  He  in  him. 
 
 For  if  the  keeping  of  His  commandments  worketh  love 
 
 towards  Him,  and  we  are  joined  to  Him  by  love,  surely 
 
 what  has  been  said  has  been  shown  to  be  true  by  these 
 
 quotations.     For  just  as  the  root  of  the  vine  ministers 
 
 and   distributes    to  the  branches  the  enjoyment  of  its 
 
 own  natural  and  inherent  qualities,  so  the  Only-begotten 
 
 Word  of  God  imparts  to  the  Saints  as  it  were  an  affinity 
 
 to  His  own  nature  and  the  nature  of  God  the  Father,  by 
 
 giving  them  the   Spirit,  insomuch  as  they  have   been 
 
 united  with  Him  through  faith  and  perfect  holiness  ;  and 
 
 He  nourishes  them  in  piety,  and  worketh  in  them  the 
 
 knowledge  of  all  virtue  and  good  works. 
 
 And  when  He  calls  the  Father  Husbandman,  why  does 
 He  give  Him  this  title,  for  the  Father  is  not  idle  or  inert 
 in  His  dealings  with  us,  and  while  the  Son  nourishes  us 
 and  sustains  us  in  a  perfect  state  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
 rectification  of  our  condition  is  as  it  were  the  function  of 
 the  whole  sacred  and  consubstantial  Trinity,  and  the  will 
 and  power  to  do  alb  the  actions  done  by  It  pervades  the 
 whole  Divine  Nature  ?  Therefore  it  is  glorified  by  us  in 
 its  entirety,  and  in  one  single  aspect.  For  we  call  God 
 a  Saviour,  not  gaining  the  graces  which  are  compassion- 
 
of  the  whole  Sacred  Trinity.  365 
 
 ately  bestowed  upon  us  partly  from  the  Father,  and  Chap.  2. 
 partly  from  the  Son  Himself  or  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  ^'  ^^'  ^' 
 calling  our  salvation  the  work  of  One  Divinity.  And 
 if  we  must  apportion  the  gifts  which  are  bestowed  upon 
 us,  or  those  activities  which  They  display  about  creation, 
 to  each  person  of  the  Trinity  separately,  none  the  less  do 
 we  believe  that  everything  proceeds  from  the  Father  by 
 the  Son  in  the  Spirit.  You  will  think  then  quite  rightly 
 that  the  Father  nourishes  us  in  piety  by  the  Son  in  the 
 Spirit.  He  husbands  us,  that  is  He  watches  over  us, 
 and  cares  for  us,  and  deems  us  worthy  of  His  sustaining 
 providence  by  the  Son  in  the  Spirit.  For  this  view  will 
 be  more  correct  than  any  other,  in  my  opinion.  For  if 
 we  attribute  to  each  a  separate  activity  in  His  dealings 
 with  us,  apart  from  the  others,  is  it  not  beyond  con- 
 troversy that  since  the  Son  is  called  a  Vine  and  the 
 Father  a  Husbandman,  we  are  nourished  and  sustained 
 in  well-being  especially  by  the  Son  alone,  while  from 
 the  Father  we  receive  merely  His  providential  care. 
 For  it  is  the  function  of  the  vine  to  nourish  the 
 branches,  and  of  the  tiller  of  the  soil  to  tend  them.  And 
 if  we  think  aright,  we  shall  believe  that  neither  the  one 
 function,  if  performed  apart  from  the  Father,  nor  the 
 other  apart  from  the  Son  or  the  Holy  Ghost,  could 
 sustain  the  whole.  For  all  proceeds  from  the  Father  by 
 the  Son  in  the  Spirit,  as  we  have  said.  Very  appro- 
 priately now  the  Saviour  called  the  Father  a  Husband- 
 man, and  it  is  not  at  all  difficult  to  assign  the  cause. 
 For  it  was  to  the  intent  that  no  one  might  think  that  the 
 Only-begotten  merely  exercised  care  over  us  that  He 
 represents  God  the  Father  as  co-operating  with  Him, 
 calling  Himself  the  Vine  that  quickens  His  own 
 branches  with  life  and  productive  power,  and  the 
 Father  a  IliisbandTnan,  and  for  this  reason  teaching  us 
 that  providential  care  over  us  is  a  sort  of  distinct 
 activity  of  the  Divine  Substance.  For  we  were  bound  to 
 know  that  God  did  not  only  make  us  partakers  of  His 
 nature,  conceived  of  as  belonging  to  the  Holy  and  con- 
 
366  The  slgnijication  of  the  allegory. 
 
 Book  10.  substantial  Trinity,  but  also  He  watches  over  us  with 
 c.  XV.  1.  ^j^g  most  diligent  care,  which  is  illustrated  to  us  very 
 appropriately  on  this  occasion  by  the  figure  of  hus- 
 bandry. For  when  He  has  before  spoken  of  the  vine 
 and  its  branches,  how  is  not  the  illustration  of  the 
 husbandman  most  apt,  introducing  the  One  Who  takes 
 the  care  and  charge  of  the  whole,  that  is  God.  And  if 
 we  are  convinced  that  the  Son  is  really  and  truly  in  His 
 own  Father,  and  He  has  Him  that  begat  Him  in  His 
 own  nature,  and  all  things  are  brought  to  perfection  by 
 Eoth  in  the  Spirit  as  by  One  Divinity,  neither  will  the 
 Father  be  without  His  share  in  nourishing  us,  nor  can 
 the  Son  be  thought  not  to  partake  in  His  husbandry. 
 For  where  Their  identity  of  nature  is  seen  in  unmis- 
 takeable  language,  there  too  there  is  no  division  of 
 activity,  though  any  one  may  think  that  they  have 
 manifold  diversities  of  operations.  And,  as  there  is  one 
 Substance,  that  is  the  true  and  real  Godhead  conceived 
 of  in  three  Persons,  that  is  in  the  Father,  and  the  Son, 
 and  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  it  not  extremly  clear  and  incon- 
 trovertible that  when  we  speak  of  an  activity  of  one,  it 
 is  a  function  of  the  One  and  entire  Divinity,  in  the  way 
 of  inherent  power  ? 
 
 Moreover,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  accepting  His  Father 
 
 as  His  Fellow- worker  in  all  He  did,  once  went  amongst 
 
 Supra  X.  the  impious  Jews  and  said :    Many  good  tuorks  have  I 
 
 shoived  you  from  My  Father :  for  tvhich  of  those  ivorks 
 
 do  ye  stone  Me?      And  again,  about  working  on  the 
 
 Ibid.  V.    Sabbath-day:   3Iy  Father  tvorketh  even  until   noiu,  and 
 
 ''  I  work.     And  no    one  would  think    He  said   that  the 
 
 Father  acts  separately  in  His  dealings  with  the  world, 
 
 and  so  also  the  Son.      For  since  the  Father   does   all 
 
 things  by  the  Son,  and  could  not  otherwise  act,  as  He  is 
 
 His  wisdom  and  power,  for  this  reason  He,  on  the  other 
 
 hand,  called  the  Father  the  doer  of  His  own  works,  when 
 
 Supra      He    said:    /  do   nothing   of  Myself;    hut    the   Father 
 
 &xiv^  w.  <d>iding  in  Me  doeth  His  works.     I  think,  therefore,  we 
 
 oudit  to  take  this  view  and  no  other,  that  Christ  takes 
 
The  heretical  objection.  367 
 
 the  place  of  the  vine,  and  we  are  dependent  on  Him  as  Chap.  2. 
 branches,  enriched  as  it  were  by  His  grace,  and  drinking 
 in  by  the  Spirit  spiritual  power  to  bear  fruit. 
 
 And  since  we  who  have  chosen  the  right  path  are 
 assailed  by  the  trenchant  arguments  of  our  adversaries, 
 who  try  to  persuade  us  to  take  a  false  view,  we  will 
 make  things  clear  to  our  hearers,  compressing  into  short 
 compass  what  one  of  them  has  set  forth  at  length. 
 "  Well,"  he  says,  "  has  the  Only-begotten  refuted  and 
 brought  to  shame  those  who  think  that  He  is  of  the  same 
 Substance  with  God  the  Father.  For  note  how  He 
 clearly  calls  Himself  the  Vine  and  the  Father  the 
 Husbandman :  for  as  the  vine  is  not  the  same  in  substance 
 with  the  husbandman,  for  the  one  is  wood  and  the  other 
 is  man,  and  these  things  are  altogether  separate  and  alien 
 in  nature,  so  the  Son  is  not  of  the  same  Essence  with  the 
 Father,  and  the  definition  of  Their  Essence  is  widely 
 different  and  distinguishes  Them,  if  the  One  is  a 
 Husbandman  and  the  Other  a  Vine.  For  there  is  no 
 question  that  some  people  unjustifiably  attempt  to  prove 
 that  this  has  only  reference  to  the  Incarnation.  For  He 
 does  not  say  that  His  Flesh  is  the  Vine,  but  rather  His 
 Godhead.  But  will  it  not  be  clear  to  everyone,"  he 
 says,  "  that  our  body  has  no  dependence  on  the  Flesh  of 
 the  Saviour  as  the  branches  on  the  vine,  nor  yet  is  the 
 fruit  of  the  Saints  fleshly  but  spiritual  ?  Therefore,"  he 
 says,  "  putting  on  one  side  for  the  present  all  reference 
 to  the  flesh,  we  say  that  the  meaning  of  the  speech 
 relates  to  the  Divinity  itself  of  the  Son ;  and  we  main- 
 tain that  that  Divinity  is  the  Vine  on  which  we  depend 
 by  faith." 
 
 These  idle  ravings  then  suggested  themselves  to  him, 
 as  he  capriciously  rejected  according  to  his  own  private 
 judgment  the  correct  interpretation  of  the  Divine  doctrine, 
 and  distorted  it,  in  his  headstrong  folly,  into  conformity 
 with  his  own  preconceived  theory.  But  we  who  cling 
 to  the  truth  are  quite  of  the  opposite  opinion,  and 
 following  in  the  lines    of  the  knowledge  of  the  holy 
 
368       What  was  the  purpose  of  Christ's  saying? 
 
 Book  10.  fathers  shall  retain  the  correct  doctrine.     We  may  now 
 c.  XV.  1.  pertinently  inquire,   according  to    our   lights,  how   we 
 ought  to  interpret  the  meaning  of  the  text,  and  we  must 
 also  see  how  and  in  what  manner  we  may  equip  our- 
 selves to  encounter  their  arguments.    For  if  we  saw  that 
 no  harm  could  steal  therefrom  unto  the  hearts   of  the 
 simple-minded,  we  would  pass  them  over  in  silence,  and, 
 rightly    disdaining     to    intermeddle    with    their    vain 
 theories,    have    embarked    on   the    investigation  of  the 
 ensuing  passage.     But  since  such   doctrines  would  be 
 very  calamitous  if  they  gained  acceptance,  does  it  not 
 follow  that  we  ought,  fired  with  religious  zeal,  to  enter 
 on  the  contest  of  words  and  arguments  ?     For  thus  the 
 wickedness  of  our  adversaries  can  be  very  easily  detected. 
 Let  us  commence  by  saying  that  it  is  the  height  of  folly 
 unseasonably  to  reject  what  has  been  given  by  way  of 
 illustration  and  brought  in  as  a  similitude  of  the  relations 
 of  the  Trinity  to  display  the  manner  of  Their  Nature  or 
 Essence.    For  I  say  that  those  who  wish  rightly  to  com- 
 prehend anything  that  is  said,  do  well  in  looking  at  the 
 purpose  of  the  discussion,  and  ought  attentively  to  con- 
 sider what  is  the  meaning  of  the  Maker  of  the  speech  in 
 His  conversation.     For  consider,  too,  in  the  light  of  what 
 lies  before  us,  whether  I  do  not  seem  to  you  to  speak 
 well.     It  was  not  the  purpose  of  our  Saviour  Christ  to 
 teach  the   disciples  that  He  was   different  in  nature  or 
 separate  from  the  Father ;  and  it  was  not  for  this  reason 
 that    He  resolved   to   call   Him    That  begat   Him   the 
 Husbandman  and  Himself  the  Vine.    For  if  this  was  His 
 aim,   why    did   He  not  end  His  speech  here,  without 
 adding  any  qualification   to   it?     For  He  would  have 
 illustrated   what  His   purpose   was,  according   to    your 
 idea,  without  chance  of  confusion,  if  He  had  merely  given 
 these  names  to  Himself  and  the  Father.     But  now,  after 
 premising  that  He  was  the  Vine,  and  saying  that  we 
 depend  on  Him   as   branches,  and  then    investing   the 
 Father    with    the    character    of   the    Husbandman,    He 
 makes  it  quite  clear  and  obvious  to  all,  I  think,  that  He 
 
To  shoiv  God  as  the  origin  of  the  fruits  of  the  Sijirit.     369 
 
 has  no  such  meaning  as  you  suppose,  and  wishes,  by  Chap.  2. 
 palpable  illustrations  visible  to  the  bodily  eye,  to  ^'  ^^'  * 
 persuade  His  hearers  that  all  power  of  producing  the 
 fruits  of  the  Spirit  proceeds  from  Him  ;  as  the  branches 
 which  grow  up  from  the  root  are  pervaded  by  its 
 inherent  quality.  For  every  good  thing  which  we  have 
 is  given ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  God.  For  He  is  in  Him- 
 self the  originator  of  His  own  peculiar  attributes,  glory 
 and  might,  which  appertain  to  Him  alone.  Therefore 
 Christ,  being  as  it  were  the  root,  is  the  Vine,  and  we  are 
 the  branches.  And  if  He  called  the  Father  the  Husband- 
 man, do  not  think  that  He  spoke  of  Him  as  being 
 different  in  substance.  For  He  does  not  mean  this,  as 
 we  have  said ;  but  wishes  to  point  out  that  the  Divine 
 Nature  is  the  root  and  origin  in  us  of  the  power  of  pro- 
 ducing the  fruits  of  ihQ  Spirit  of  life,  besides  the 
 blessings  we  have  spoken  of,  tending  us  like  a  husband- 
 man, and  extending  over  those  who  are  called  by  faith 
 to  partake  in  it  the  providence  of  love.  The  unlikeness 
 of  the  illustrations  used  then  has  no  reference  to  the 
 definition  of  the  essence,  for  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  our 
 Saviour  Christ  to  speak  on  that  subject,  but  His  teaching 
 has  quite  another  object. 
 
 And  since  the  deluded  heretic  chooses  to  propound 
 his  false  views  in  his  folly,  and  says  that  no  argument  Cf.  supra 
 will  induce  those  who  as  it  were  distort  the  aim  of  the  P" 
 words  which  are  before  us  from  their  right  meaning,  and 
 attribute  to  them  a  reference  to  the  Incarnation  of  Christ, 
 for  we  were  not  united  to  Him  in  the  body,  nor  yet  did 
 the  Apostles  as  branches  abide  in  the  body  of  Christ,  nor 
 were  they  after  this  fashion  connected  with  Him,  but  in 
 temper  of  mind  and  faith  unfeigned  ;  let  us  briefly  reply 
 to  this,  and  show  him  that  he  is  altogether  astray,  and 
 does  not  follow  aright  the  holy  writings.  For  that  we 
 are  spiritually  united  with  Christ  in  a  disposition  made 
 conformable  to  perfect  love,  in  true  and  uncorrupted 
 faith,  in  virtue  and  purity  of  mind,  the  statement  of  our 
 doctrine  will  no  way  deny.     For  we  confess  that  he  is 
 
 VOL.  II.  B  b 
 
370      The  reference  is  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
 
 Book  10.  quite  right  in  saying  this  ;  but  in  venturing  to  say  that 
 
 c.  XV.  1.  ^^  reference  is  intended  to  our  union  with  Him  after  the 
 flesh,  we  will  point  out  that  he  is  wholly  out  of  harmony 
 with  the  inspired  writings.  For  how  could  it  be 
 disputed,  or  what  right-minded  man  could  deny,  that 
 Christ  is  the  Vine  in  this  relation  1  And  we,  as  being 
 branches  after  a  figure,  receive  into  ourselves  life  out  of 
 
 Eom.  xii.  and  proceeding  from  Him,  as  Paul  says :  For  ive  are  all 
 one  body  in  Christ,  seeing  that  ive  who  are  many  are  one 
 
 1  Cor.  X.  bread  :  for  we  cdliKirtahe  of  the  one  bread.  And  let  any  one 
 account  for  this  and  give  us  an  interpretation  of  it  with- 
 out reference  to  the  power  of  the  blessed  mystery.  Why 
 do  we  receive  it  within  us  ?  Is  it  not  that  it  may  make 
 Christ  to  dwell  in  us  corporeally  also  by  participation 
 and  communion  of  His  Holy  Flesh  1     Rightly  would  he 
 
 Eph.  iii.  answer,  I  deem.     For  Paul  writes,  that  the  Gentiles  have 
 
 ^'  ,         become    ^  felloiu-members     of    the    body,    and    felloiu- 
 
 fia  jxirtakers,  and  fellow-heirs  of  Christ.      How  are   they 
 
 shown  to  be  "  embodied "  ?  Because,  being  admitted  to 
 share  the  Holy  Eucharist,  they  become  one  body  with  Him, 
 just  as  each  one  of  the  holy  Apostles.  For  why  did  he 
 (S.  Paul)  call  his  own,  yea,  the  members  of  all  as  well  as  his 
 
 1  Cor.  vi.  own,  the  members  of  Christ  ?  For  he  writes  thus :  Knoiv 
 ye  not  that  your  members  are  members  of  Christ  ?  Shcdl 
 I  then  take  away  the  members  of  Christ,  and  make  them 
 m,embers  of  a  harlot?     God  forbid.     And  the   Saviour 
 
 Supra  Himself  says :  He  that  eateth  My  Flesh  and  drinketh  My 
 Blood,  abideth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him.  For  here  it  is 
 especially  to  be  observed  that  Christ  saith  that  He  shall 
 be  in  us,  not  by  a  certain  relation  only,  as  entertained 
 through  the  affections,  but  also  by  a  natural  participation. 
 For   as,   if  one   entwineth   wax    with    other    wax  and 
 
 '  (f  Ti  melteth  them  by  the  fire  there  resulteth  of  both  ^  one,  so 
 through  the  participation  of  the  Body  of  Christ  and  of 
 His  precious  Blood,  He  in  us,  and  we  again  in  Him,  are 
 co-united.  For  in  no  other  way  could  that  which  is  by 
 nature  corruptible  be  made  alive,  unless  it  were  bodily 
 entwined  with  the  Body  of  That  Which  is  by  nature 
 
by  Which  Eternal  Life  is  imijlanted  in  us.     371 
 
 Life,  the  Only-begotten.     And  if  any  be  not  persuaded  Ghap.  2. 
 by  my  words,  give  credence  to  Christ   Himself,  crying  ^'  ^^'   * 
 aloud :  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  ye  eat  the  Supra  vi. 
 Flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man  and  drink  His  Blood,  ye  have     ' 
 not  life  in  yourselves.     He  that  eateth  My  Flesh  and 
 drinJceth  My  Blood,  hath  eterncd  life ;   and  I  will  raise 
 him  up  in  the  last  day.     Thou  hearest  now  Himself 
 plainly  declaring  that,  unless  we  "  eat  His  Flesh,  and 
 drink  His  Blood,"  we  "  have  not  in  ourselves,"  that  is, 
 in  our  flesh,  "  Eternal  Life."     But  Eternal  Life  may  be 
 conceived   to  be,    and   most  justly,  the    Flesh   of  that 
 which  is  Life,  that  is,  the  Only-begotten.    And  how  or  in 
 what  manner  this  raises  us  up  on  the  last  day  hear  now  ; 
 and  I  will  not  scruple  to  tell  you.     For  since  the  Life, 
 that  is  the  Word  which  shone  forth  from  God  the  Father, 
 took  unto  Himself  flesh,  the  flesh  became  transformed 
 into  a  living  principle,  and  it  is  inconceivable  that  the 
 life  should  be   vanquished  by  death.     Therefore,  since 
 the  life  is  in  us,  it  will  not  endure  the  bondage  of  death, 
 but  will   wholly  vanquish  corruption,  since   it  cannot 
 endure  its  results.     For  corruption  does  not  inherit  in-  i  Cor. 
 corruption,  as  Paul  says.    For  if  Christ  uses  the  emphatic  ^^' 
 expression,  /  luill  raise  him  up,  He  not  only  invested 
 His  own  Flesh  with  the  power  of  raising  those  who  are 
 asleep,  but  the  Divine  and  Incarnate  Word,  being  one 
 with  His  own  Flesh,  says,  /  ivill  raise  him  up,  and  with 
 good  reason.     For  Christ  is  not  severed  into  a  duality  of 
 Sons,  nor  can  any  one  think  that  His  Body  is  alien  from 
 the  Only-begotten,  as  no  doubt  no  one  could  maintain 
 that  the  body  in  which  the  soul  dwells  is  alien  from  it. 
 
 When  then  by  these  disquisitions  Christ  has  been 
 shown  to  us  to  be  the  Vine  in  this  sense,  and  we  the 
 branches,  inasmuch  as  we  partake  in  a  fellowship  with 
 Him  that  is  not  merely  spiritual  but  also  corporeal,  why 
 does  he  talk  so  vainly,  asserting  that,  since  our  dependence 
 on  our  fellowship  with  Him  is  not  corporeal,  but  consisting 
 rather  in  faith  and  disposition  to  love  according  to  the 
 law,  He  did  not  call  His  own  Flesh,  he  says,  the  vine, 
 
 B  b  2 
 
372  BenUd  of  Christ 
 
 Book  10.  but  rather  His  Godhead  ?  And  yet,  why,  some  one  may 
 ^'  ^^'  say,  does  he  reject  the  interpretation  that  is  more  fitting 
 and  appropriate  to  the  passage,  and  hasten  to  adopt  one 
 widely  divergent?  For  shall  we  not  grant  that  Christ 
 is  the  Vine  in  a  more  appropriate  way  also  according  to 
 the  fellowship  of  the  flesh,  and  that  we  are  branches 
 through  the  similarity  of  our  nature  ?  For  that  which 
 proceeds  from  the  vine  is  of  like  nature  with  it.  And 
 this  we  say,  not  as  attempting  to  deny  the  possibility  of 
 union  with  Christ  by  right  faith  and  sincere  love,  but 
 rather  from  a  wish  to  point  out  that  Christ  is  the  Vine 
 and  we  are  the  branches,  both  in  a  spiritual  and  corporeal 
 sense. 
 
 Further,  the  statement  of  the  truth  is  simple  and 
 obvious  ;  but  our  adversary,  in  his  wickedness,  disdains 
 the  admission  that  Christ  was  the  Vine  in  a  corporeal 
 sense  also,  as  conferring  His  own  Life  on  the  branches, 
 that  is  to  say  on  us,  just  as  the  visible  and  earthly  vine 
 confers  life  on  the  branches  that  cling  to  it.  He  distorts 
 and  does  violence  to  the  meaning  of  the  thought,  making 
 it  have  reference  only  to  His  Godhead.  For  he  thought 
 that  he  might  thus  bring  a  calumny  against  it,  raising 
 this  ignorant  contention :  "  If  the  Son  is  the  Vine,"  he 
 Supra  says,  "and  the  Father  the  Husbandman,  and  the  Son  dif- 
 ^'  fers  in  nature  from  Him,  as  in  the  figure  of  the  vine,  the 
 
 Son  will  not  be  of  the  same  Substance  with  the  Father." 
 
 And  he  thinks  he  has  built  up  a  profound,  trenchant, 
 and  incontrovei-tible  theory  against  the  doctrines  of  the 
 Church,  but  will  no  less  here  also  be  convicted  of  folly. 
 For  when  he  first  asserts  that  the  Son  is  alien  in  nature, 
 and  places  Him  outside  the  Substance  of  Him  That  begat 
 Him,  how  then  can  he  any  longer  call  God  a  Father,  and 
 the  Son  a  Son  in  any  sense  ?  For  if  he  says  that  He  was 
 not  begotten,  that  is,  proceeded  from  the  Substance  of  the 
 Father,  just  as  the  offspring  of  men  from  men,  how  could 
 He  be  in  any  true  sense  the  Son  ?  How  then  can  he  set 
 1 S. John  aside  the  blessed  John,  when  he  says:  He  that  denieth 
 "■  the  Son,  loill  deny  the  Father  also :  he  that  confesseth  the 
 
involves  denial  of  the  Father.  373 
 
 Son,  confesseth  the  Father  also'?  And  the  saying  is  true.  Chap. 2. 
 For  the  denial  or  confession  of  the  One  altogether  involves 
 the  denial  or  confession  of  the  Other.  For  the  Father 
 could  not  exist  if  the  Son  did  not ;  nor  could  the  Son  be 
 conceived  of  if  He  That  begat  Him  were  not  conceived 
 of  with  Him.  If  then  he  denies  the  Son,  for  he  says  that 
 He  belongs  to  another  class,  he  thereby  denies  the  Father 
 also.  What  answer  then,  my  good  Sir,  have  you  to  make? 
 Whom  has  faith  left  ?  Where  is  the  glory  of  the  Holy 
 Trinity  1  For  the  nature  that  rules  over  the  universe  is 
 hereby  wholly  taken  away  ;  that  nature  which  is  shown 
 to  us  in  plain  language  in  the  Holy  Scripture.  For  their 
 temerity  and  falsehood  force  us  into  the  midst  of  difficult 
 discussions.  But,  perhaps  shrinking  from  so  prodigious 
 a  blasphemy,  he  says  that  the  Son  belongs  to  another  class, 
 but  was  begotten  of  God  the  Father.  But  we  will  ask 
 him  once  more  to  tell  us  how  then  does  he  grant  and 
 confess  that  He  is  begotten  1  For  if  as  one  of  created 
 beings,  according  to  a  state  of  mind  that  is  in  love  and 
 according  to  will,  for  all  things  are  said  to  be  produced 
 from  God,  this  none  the  less  involves  the  same  blasphemy. 
 And  if  he  says  that  He  is  truly  the  Son,  but  asserts  that 
 He  is  alien,  and  asserts  even  after  saying  this  that  He  is 
 different  in  class,  even  after  this  admission  he  commits 
 an  impiety  against  the  Father  Himself.  For  that  which 
 the  nature  of  created  beings  disdained  to  suiSer,  this  he 
 would  show  that  God  underwent.  For  surely  is  not  that 
 which  is  truly  the  offspring  of  anything  by  nature  mani- 
 festly of  the  same  substance  with  the  father  of  it  ?  Is  it 
 not  quite  obvious  to  every  one  ?  The  world  then  proceeds 
 according  to  a  suitable  principle,  for  no  creature  produces 
 anything  different  in  kind  from  itself.  And  only  in  God 
 shall  we  find  the  reverse,  since  He  has  begotten  the  Son 
 different  in  kind  and  not  of  His  own  Nature. 
 
 It  were  likely  then  that  our  adversary  should  not  like 
 to  make  any  reply ;  but  if  he  persists  in  his  folly,  and 
 thinks  that  the  Son  is  different  in  kind  from  God  the 
 Father,  we  will  not  be  slack  in  our  advocacy  of  the  doc- 
 
374  llie  identity  of  vine  and  branches  ivoidd  thus 
 
 Book  10.  trines  of  the  truth.  For  we  shall  show  that  he  says  that 
 ^'  ^^'  '  God  the  Father  is  the  same  in  kind  with  created  beings ; 
 and  how,  or  in  what  way,  you  may  now  learn.  He  clearly 
 contends  and  maintains  that  it  is  not  so  much  the  flesh 
 as  the  Divinity  Itself  of  the  Only-begotten  that  is  called 
 the  Vine.  Suppose  it  is  so  then.  For  I  will  ask  the 
 question,  and  let  him  make  the  reply.  "Does  he  think 
 that  the  Son  is  truly  God,  or  not ;  or  does  he  maintain 
 that  He  is  spurious,  or  that  His  dignity  only  consists  in 
 empty  titles?  "  And  if  he  maintains  that  He  is  not  God 
 by  nature,  let  him  ponder  over  the  testimony  of  the  Only- 
 Supra  begotten  Himself,  when  He  says,  /  am  the  Truth.  For 
 "^"  ■  the  truth  has  only  one  form,  and  does  not  admit  of  the 
 spurious  or  mis-named.  And  let  him  accept  the  witness 
 hereon  of  the  most  wise  John,  when  he  clearly  exclaims, 
 1  s.  John  and  says :  And  tve  are  in  the  true  God,  Jesus  Christ : 
 ^'  "  '  this  is  the  true  Ood  and  eternal  life.  But  if  perhaps  he 
 is  ashamed  of  this,  and  gives  up  his  contention,  and 
 confesses  that  the  Son  is  truly  God,  we  will  not  shift  our 
 position,  but  will  use  his  own  words  to  overturn  what  he 
 Supra  said.  "  Is  not  the  Father,  as  the  Husbandman,  different 
 p.  367.  ^j^  nature  from  the  vine  ;  for  the  one  is  man  and  the  other 
 wood  ? "  Thus  must  not  the  vine  be  conceived  of  as  really 
 and  truly  of  the  same  nature  with  its  branches  1  And  I 
 suppose  some  would  attain  such  a  pitch  of  folly  as  to 
 venture  to  deny  w^hat  is  so  clear.  When  then,  being  truly 
 God,  He  is  of  the  same  Substance  with  the  true  and  living 
 God,  that  is  the  Father,  and  He  is  the  vine,  and  we  are 
 the  branches,  of  the  same  nature  plainly  for  this  reason 
 with  the  vine;  shall  not  we  ourselves  also  surely  be  Gods 
 by  nature,  putting  oif  as  it  were  our  own  nature  ?  But 
 such  an  idea,  only  those  wicked  men,  who  shrink  from  no 
 impiety,  can  entertain.  For  we  have  been  created,  and 
 the  Son  is  God  by  nature.  Then  how  can  this  be  ?  And 
 how  can  that  which  was  said  of  Him  be  true,  if  the 
 branches  are  of  the  same  nature  with  the  vine  ?  For  it 
 must  be  that  either  we  ourselves  are  i;plifted  into  the 
 nature  of  the  true  Godhead,  or  that  is  brought  down  to 
 
make  God  human,  or  men  Divine.  375 
 
 us.     For  the  branches  are  of  like  nature  with  the  vine.  Chap.  2. 
 And  since  the  Son  clearly  says :    /  and  the  Father  are  g^  ^^ 
 one,  either  we  shall  ascend  with  Him  to  perfect  likeness  x.  30. 
 with  the  Father,  or  the  Father  Himself  will  be  drawn 
 down  with  the  Son,  Who  is  like  in  nature  to  us,  into  our 
 likeness.     You  see  then  what  a  mass  of  blasphemies  we 
 have  arising  from  his  statement.    Therefore  we  will  rather 
 follow  the  true  doctrine,  believing  that  the  Son  says  by 
 way  of  illustration :  "  I  am  the  Vine,  ye  are  the  branches, 
 My  Father  is  the  Husbandman," 
 
 2  Every  branch  in  Me  that  beareth  not  fruit,  He  taketh  it 
 away  :  and  every  branch  that  beareth  fruit,  He  cleanseth 
 it,  that  it  may  hear  more  fruit. 
 
 Our  connexion  with  Christ  is  of  the  mind,  and  implies 
 a  power  of  union  affecting  the  tenor  of  our  lives ;  perfect- 
 insf  us  in  love  and  faith.     And  the  faith  dwells  in  our 
 hearts,  making  the  manifestation  of  the  Divine  knowledge 
 complete :  while  the  manner  of  the  love  requires  us  to 
 keep   the    commandment    laid   down    for   us   by   Him. 
 For  thus  He  also  indicated  him  that  loves  Him,  saying : 
 "  He  that  loveth  Me  will  keep  My  commandments."    We  Cf.  supra 
 must  know  then  that  being  united  with  Him  by  faith,  ^^^"     " 
 and  giving  effect  to  the  manner  of  our  union  in  mere 
 barren  confessions  of  faith,  and  not  clenching  the  bond 
 of  our  union  by  the  good  works  that  proceed  from  love, 
 we  will  be  branches  indeed,  but  still  dead  and  without 
 fruit.   For  faith  without  works  is  dead,  as  the  Saint  says.  S.  James 
 If  then  after  this  manner  the  branch  be  seen  to  exist  Qf"26 
 fruitlessly,  depending,  so  to  speak,  from  the  trunk  of  the 
 vine,  know  that  such  a  man  will  encounter  the  pruning- 
 knife  of  the  husbandman.    For  He  will  wholly  cut  it  off, 
 and  will  give   it  to  the  fire  to  consume  as  worthless 
 rubbish;  for  this  is  the  judgment  of  the  barren,  as  I  think 
 also  in  the  case  of  the  fig-tree,  which  was  set  before  us 
 by  way  of  parable.    The  lord  of  the  vineyard  says  to  the 
 tiller  of  the  soil :  Cut  it  doiun ;  tvhy  doth  it  also  cumber  s.  Luke 
 the  ground  ?   So  in  this  case  too  I  think  that  the  God  "^"^^ ''' 
 
376  Faith  without  vjorks  is  dead; 
 
 Book  10.  and  Father  of  all  mows  down  the  thick  and  barren 
 ^'  ^^'  '  burden  of  branches  that  hangs  down  from  the  vine  in 
 the  figure  with  no  produce  of  fruit.  And  I  think  that 
 the  Overseer  of  our  souls,  that  is  God,  wishes  to  show  by 
 the  parable  here  employed  what  and  how  great  is  the 
 injury  which  the  soul  that  is  cut  off  from  fellowship 
 with  Him  has  to  endure.  For  it  will  wholly  wither 
 away,  and  become  barren  of  every  good  work,  and  will 
 unquestionably  be  abandoned  to  punishment,  and  be  the 
 prey  of  all  consuming  flames.  Moreover,  by  the  mouth 
 of  the  prophet  Ezekiel,  wishing  to  show  this  very 
 Ezek.  XV.  clearly.  He  said :  Son  of  man,  what  is  the  vine-tree  more 
 than  any  other  tree,  or  than  a  branch  ivhich  is  among 
 the  trees  of  the  forest  ?  Shall  wood  he  taken  thereof  to  do 
 any  luork  ?  Or  luill  men  take  it  to  hang  any  vessel  upon 
 it?  The  yearly  purging  of  it  the  fire  performs ;  and  at 
 last  it  faileth.  Is  it  meet  for  any  work  ?  Know  then  that 
 that  which  has  once  been  cut  off  and  wholly  severed  is 
 altogether  useless,  and  cannot  be  taken  to  serve  for  any 
 necessary  purpose,  but  is  soon  only  useful  for  firewood. 
 Is  it  not  clear  that  if  we  be  a  branch,  and  have  been 
 drawn  away  from  the  deceitfulness  of  a  plurality  of 
 gods,  and  have  confessed  the  faith  of  Christ,  but  are 
 still  barren,  so  far  as  the  union  which  shows  itself  in 
 works  is  concerned,  we  shall  surely  suffer  the  fate  of  the 
 barren  branches  ?  And  what  then  ?  For  we  are  wholly 
 cut  off,  and  we  shall  be  given  to  the  flames,  and  shall 
 have  lost  besides  that  life-giving  sap,  that  is  to  say,  the 
 Spirit,  Which  we  once  had  from  the  Vine.  For  that 
 which  Christ  said  of  the  man  who  buried  his  talent  one 
 may  see  accomplished  in  the  case  of  those  who  have 
 suffered  complete  severance.  For  just  as  the  talent  was 
 taken  away  from  him  at  once,  so  I  think  also  is  the 
 Spirit  taken  from  the  branch,  as  in  figure  of  sap  or 
 quality.  And  why  is  it  taken  away  ?  That  the  Spirit  of 
 the  Lord  may  not  seem  to  share  in  the  condemnation  of 
 those  who  are  doomed  to  go  to  the  perdition  of  fire  by 
 the  sentence  of  the  judge.    For  if  eai-thly  rulers  will  not 
 
therefore  the  branches  need  purging.  377" 
 
 on  a  sudden  determine  the  fate  of  those  who  have  once  Chap.  2. 
 been  held  in  honour,  and  dignified  by  kingly  favours,  °'  ^^'  '^' 
 but  if  such  an  one  be  convicted  of  some  crime  for  which 
 he  may  justly  pay  the  penalty,  this  fate  could  not 
 overtake  him  before  he  has  been  robbed  of  his  honours  ; 
 is  it  not  necessary  then  that  the  soul  that  has  been 
 sentenced  by  the  verdict  from  above  to  the  fate  of 
 punishment,  should  in  a  manner  be  divested  of,  and  lay 
 aside,  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  before  experiencing  the 
 evils  1  We  say  further  that  the  barren  branch  will  suffer 
 such  a  fate,  wishing  to  confirm  our  minds  as  far  as 
 possible,  to  be  prone  to  lay  fast  hold  on  love  towards 
 Him  by  the  active  principle  of  virtue  within  us  and 
 faith  unshaken,  while  He  says  that  the  fruitful  branch 
 will  not  at  all  be  left  without  experiencing  the  care  of 
 the  tiller  of  the  soil,  but  will  be  throughly  cleansed,  so 
 as  to  be  more  able  to  bear  fruit.  For  God  works  with 
 those  who  have  chosen  to  live  the  best  and  most  perfect 
 life,  and  to  do  good  works  so  far  as  in  them  lies,  and 
 have  elected  to  seek  perfection  as  citizens  of  God.  He, 
 as  it  were,  uses  the  working-power  of  the  Spirit  as  a 
 pruning-hook,  and  circumcising  in  them  sometimes  the 
 pleasures  which  are  always  calling  us  to  fleshly  lusts  and 
 bodily  passions,  and  sometimes  all  those  temptations 
 which  are  wont  to  assail  the  souls  of  men,  defiling  the 
 mind  by  divers  kinds  of  evils.  For  this  we  say  is  that 
 circumcision  which  is  not  the  work  of  hands,  but  is 
 truly  that  of  the  Spirit,  of  which  Paul  in  one  place 
 says :  For  he  is  not  a  Jeiu,  ivhich  is  one  outwardly :  Rom.  ii. 
 neither  is  that  circumcision  ivhich  is  outward  in  the  ^^'  ^^' 
 flesh.  But  he  is  a  Jeiu,  which  is  one  inwardly:  and 
 circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the  spirit,  not  in 
 the  letter ;  whose  praise  is  not  of  men,  but  of  God. 
 And  in  another  place,  again:  In  Whom  ye  also  believed  ColU.u. 
 and  were  circumcised  tvith  a  circur)icision  not  made 
 tuitJi  hands.  And  therefore  they  say  to  some,  that  if  the 
 branches  of  the  vine  in  the  figure  suffer  any  purging, 
 that   cannot   take    place,  I   suppose,  without    suffering. 
 
378  Tlie  general  cqyplication  of  the  words. 
 
 Book  10.  For  it  is  painful  so  far  as,  and  to  the  extent  that,  the 
 c.  XV.  2.  ^rood  can  suffer  pain.     In  the  same  way  then  we  must 
 think  it  affects  the  Saints :  and,  if  we  consider  attentive- 
 ly, we  shall  give  them  our  consent  and  approval.     For 
 our  God,  Who   loves  virtue,  instructs  us  by  pain  and 
 tribulation.     Moreover  the    prophet  Isaiah    says    thus: 
 Is.  iv.  4.    When  the   Lord  shall   have  washed  aivay  the  filth  of 
 the  sons  and  daughters  of  Zion,  and  shall  have  purged 
 the  blood  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst  thereof  by  the 
 spirit  of  judgment,  and  by  the  spirit  of  burning.    And 
 Heb.  xii.  the    inspired    Paul    himself   too    says :    //  ye    endure 
 ^"  chastening,  God  dealeth  tuith  you  as  sons,  for  ivhat  son 
 
 is  there  whom  his  father  chasteneth  not .?  Nay,  more, 
 the  choir  of  the  Saints  themselves,  who  exceed  all 
 conception,  do  not  reject  the  instruction  given  by  the 
 Holy  Ones,  but  rather  eagerly  welcome  it  with  the 
 Jer.x.24.  words:  Instruct  us,  Lord,  but  in  judgment,  and  not 
 in  lurath,  that  Thou  make  us  not  feiv.  For  in  wrath  will 
 be  accomplished  the  complete  severance  of  the  barren 
 branches,  for  He  sends  them  to  punishment ;  but  in 
 judgment  rather — that  is,  consideration  and  in  mercy — 
 will  be  accomplished  the  purging  of  those  which  bear 
 fruit,  which  brings  but  small  pain,  to  the  quickening  of 
 their  fertility,  and  occasioning  a  greater  abundance  of 
 blossom  springing  up.  Further,  some  accepting  this 
 Is.  xxvi.  exclaim:  Lord,  by  brief  tribidation  dost  Thou  chasten 
 ^^'  us ;   for  the  tribulation  of  purification  lasts  but  a  short 
 
 while,  but,  giving  us  instruction  from  above,  makes  us 
 blessed.  And  we  will  receive  the  blessed  David  as  a 
 Pg.  xciv.  witness,  who  thus  exclaims :  Blessed  is  the  man  whom 
 12,  13.  TJiou,  Lord,  chastenest,  and  instructest  in  Thy  law,  to 
 comfort  him  in  evil  days.  For  the  days  of  the  impartial 
 judgment  are  truly  days  of  evil  omen,  and  di'eadful  to 
 those  who  are  wholly  cut  off  and  doomed  to  the  perdition 
 of  punishment  by  fire ;  but  to  those  who  are  chastened 
 in  that  day  the  Lord  robs  them -of  their  terrors.  For 
 such  a  man  can  no  way  be  numbered  among  those  who 
 are  doomed  to  judgment  and  punishment,  as  he  is  not  a 
 
TJte  'particular  application  to  the  Jews.        379 
 
 barren  branch.  Let  then  the  fervour  that  shows  itself  in  Chap.  2. 
 works  be  combined  with  the  confession  of  the  faith,  and 
 let  it  unite  action  with  the  doctrines  concerning  God. 
 For  then  shall  we  be  with  Christ,  and  experience  the 
 secure  and  safe  power  of  fellowship  with  Him,  escaping 
 the  peril  that  results  from  being  cut  off  from  Him. 
 
 We  made  these  observations  because  we  thought  we 
 ought  to  deal  with  the  investigation  of  the  passage 
 after  a  spiritual  manner,  and  it  is  likely  that  Christ 
 wished  to  hint  at  some  other  meaning,  by  His  clearly 
 saying:  Every  branch  in  Me  that  heareth  not  fruit. 
 He  taketh  it  away;  and  every  branch  that  beareth 
 fruit.  He  cleanseth  it,  that  it  may  bear  more  fruit. 
 For  by  the  branch  that  has  been  taken  away  from 
 fellowship  with  Christ  by  the  severance  of  the  Father, 
 He  means,  I  think,  the  people  of  the  Jews,  who  are 
 not  capable  of  bearing  fruit ;  against  whom  the  thrice- 
 blessed  John  declares  that  the  axe  will  be  brought ;  s.  Matt, 
 saying  that  the  wood  which  is  cut  off  will  be  given  "^'  "'■ 
 over  to  the  flames ;  while  by  those  branches  which  do 
 not  need  to  be  completely  cut  off,  but  which  abide  in 
 the  Vine,  and  which  are  to  be  purged  by  the  provi- 
 dence of  God,  He  means  those  among  the  Jews  them- 
 selves who  believed,  and  the  converts  to  them  from 
 other  nations,  who  have  one  and  the  same  purification ; 
 for  it  is  accomplished  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  according  to 
 the  Scriptures :  but  the  manner  of  their  purification  is 
 separate  and  distinct.  For  the  children  of  Israel  have 
 cast  off  from  them  the  wish  to  guide  their  life  and  con- 
 duct by  the  Mosaic  Law,  while  the  heart  of  the  worship- 
 pers of  idols  is  stripped  of  the  past  deceitfulness  that 
 held  sway  over  their  hearts,  and  also  of  the  rubbish  of 
 impure  and  ignorant  customs,  in  order  that  they  may 
 bring  forth  the  fruit  of  the  divine  training  of  the  Gospel, 
 which  may  be  meet  for  the  table  of  God,  and  be  accept- 
 able to  Him.  And  that  what  we  have  said  is  clearly 
 true  there  is  no  difficulty  in  satisfying  ourselves  from 
 the    inspired    writings    themselves.      For   the    inspired 
 
380  The  nature  of  the  jmrification 
 
 Book  10.  Paul    enjoins   those   of  the   Jews    who   believed,  when 
 c.  XV.  2.  j^g^j.^jjg  ligt^t  of  the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  they  were 
 once  more   backsliders,  honouring  the    shadows   of  the 
 Gal.  V.  4.  Law:    Ye  are  alienated  from  CJirist,  ye  tvho  ivoidd  he 
 justified  by  the  Laiu ;  ye  are  fallen  aivay  from  grace. 
 Ibid.  2.    And  again :    /  say  unto  you  that  if  ye  receive  circuni- 
 cision,  Christ  ivill  profit  you  nothing.     And  if  the  wish 
 to  be  justified  according  to  the  Law  alienates  them  from 
 Christ,  is  it  not  beyond  question  that  it  is  the  discard- 
 ing of  the  Law  as  a  guide  of  conduct  that  invites  the 
 power  of  union  with   Christ?     In  this   way,  then,  the 
 Israelites  are  circumcised,  or  rather  purged,  and  so  also 
 he  that  once  worshipped  the  creature  more   than  the 
 Creator,  by  getting  rid  of  his  past  disease.     And  what 
 Rom.  V.   does  Paul  say  to  them  1     For  if,  while  we  ivere  enemies, 
 ^^'  we  luere  reconciled  to   God,  through  the   death  of  His 
 
 Son,  much  more,  being  reconciled,  shall  tue  be  saved  by 
 His  life.  And  he  charges  them  in  another  passage,  and 
 Gal.  iv.  9.  says :  But  noiv,  after  ye  have  come  to  knoiu  God,  or 
 rather  to  be  known  of  God,  how  turn  ye  back  again  to 
 the  iveak  and  beggarly  rudiments  of  the  ivorld  where- 
 unto  ye  desire  to  be  in  bondage  over  again?  As  there- 
 fore those  who  are  willing  to  serve  the  beggarly  ele- 
 ments become  alienated  from  Christ,  while  those  who 
 do  not  endure  to  serve  the  creature  rather  than  the 
 Creator  become  one  with  Him,  shall  we  not  confess 
 that  the  manner  of  the  purification  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
 be  the  most  profitable  cutting  away  by  the  Spirit  of 
 the  old  deceit,  bringing  in  all  manner  of  good  things 
 to  us  in  divers  ways  in  its  stead  ?  For  in  the  putting 
 off  and  casting  aside  of  evil  things,  the  beauty  of  vir- 
 tue is  conspicuous  by  contrast.  For  where  vileness  is 
 di'iven  out,  there  holiness  is  seen  to  arise. 
 
 We  must  show,  too,  that  our  circumcision  is  by  the 
 
 Spirit  fulfilling  the  need  of  purification  in  us,  and  that 
 
 Supra      the  Son  brings  in  the  Spirit ;  for  of  His  fulness  u-e  all 
 
 ^'  ^^'       received,  as  John  saith ;    and  He  it  is  that  says  to  us, 
 
 XX. 22.      Receive  ye  the  Holy  Sjnrit.     The  Father  then  worketh 
 
of  tlie  Jews  and  of  the  Gentiles.  381 
 
 our  purification  through  the  Son,  by  means  of  the  cir-  Chap.  -2. 
 
 cumcision  that  we  conceive  of  through  the  Spirit.     We 
 
 have  humbled  then  the  rash  and  impious  hardihood  of 
 
 our  adversaries,  who  did   not  scruple  to   maintain  that 
 
 as  Christ  spoke  of  Himself  as  the  Vine,  and  God  the 
 
 Father  as  the  Husbandman,  He  could  not  be  the  same 
 
 by  nature  with  Him.     "  For  no  argument  shall  convince  Supra 
 
 us,"  he  says,  "  that  the  husbandman  and  the  vine  are  ^'  '^'^^' 
 
 identical  in  essence."     When  then  the  Son  is  found  to 
 
 be  a  Husbandman  through  the  circumcision  by  the  Spirit, 
 
 they  must  be  of  this   mind  for  the  future,  that  since 
 
 husbandmen  are  of  the  same  class  with  each  other,  in 
 
 so  far  as  they  are  men,  it  is  clear  that  the  Son  is  not 
 
 alien  to   God   the  Father,  but  like  in   substance  with 
 
 Him. 
 
 3     Already  ye  are  dean,  because  of  the   word  ichich  I  have 
 spoken  unto  you. 
 
 He  makes  then  His  disciples  a  palpable  and  convinc- 
 ing demonstration  of  the  art  of  the  purifier  of  their 
 souls  ;  for  already,  He  says,  they  are  purged,  not  through 
 a  participation  in  anything  else,  but  merely  by  the 
 ivord  spoken  unto  them,  that  is,  the  divine  guidance 
 of  the  Gospel.  And  this  word  proceeds  from  Christ. 
 What  man  of  sense,  then,  can  any  longer  call  in  ques- 
 tion that  the  Father  has,  as  it  were,  a  pruning-knife 
 and  hand,  through  whose  instrumentality  everything 
 exists ;  that  is,  the  Son,  fulfilling  the  activity  of  that 
 husbandry  in  us,  which  He  attributes  to  the  person  of 
 the  Father,  teaching  us  that  all  things  proceed  from  the 
 Father  but  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  Son"?  For 
 it  is  the  Word  of  the  Saviour  that  purgeth  us,  though 
 the  husbandry  of  our  souls  is  attributed  to  God  the 
 Father.  For  this  is  His  Living  Word,  sharp  as  a  sword, 
 piercing  even  to  the  dividing  of  soul  and  spirit,  of  both  Heb.  iv. 
 joints  and  marrow,  and  quick  to  discern  the  thoughts  "' 
 and  intents  of  the  heart.  For,  reaching  into  the  depths 
 of  each   man's    inmost   soul,  and    having   every  man's 
 
382  TJie  inconsistency  of  pressing 
 
 Bo)K  10.  hidden  purpose  revealed  before  It  as  God,  It  brings  Its 
 c.  XV.  3.  j^gQQ  g(jgQ  ^Q  he^T  upon  our  vain  pursuits  by  the  work- 
 ing of  the  Spirit.  For  in  this,  I  suppose,  we  shall  deem 
 our  purification  to  consist.  And  all  things  that  profit 
 us  in  the  attainment  of  virtue  It  increases  and  multi- 
 plies to  bear  the  fruit  which  is  conceived  in  right- 
 eousness. 
 
 When  then  the  manner  of  His  husbandry  of  our  souls 
 is  shown  in  the  excellence  of  its  operation,  the  ingenious 
 and  impious  attempt  of  our  adversaries  is  surely  brought 
 to  nought,  when  they  say  that  the  Son  is  distinct  in 
 nature  from  God  the  Father,  as  He  is  called  the  Vine, 
 and  the  Father  the  Husbandman.  Let  us  consider  and 
 reflect  on  the  fact  that  He  declares  that  His  disciples  are 
 clean,  not  through  the  special  and  distinct  working  of 
 God  the  Father  in  them,  that  is,  apart  from  the  Only- 
 begotten,  but  because  they  were  obedient  to  His  Word. 
 As  then  He  is  the  Quickener  of  our  souls  by  the  Son, 
 and  in  the  Son,  in  the  same  way  as  He  is  also  the 
 Husbandman  or  Guardian,  He  may  properly  be  thought 
 to  act  not  otherwise  than  by  the  Son.  And  if  those  who 
 start  the  argument  against  us  think  they  ought  to  abide 
 by  the  false  theory  they  once  broached,  and,  as  Christ 
 said  that  He  was  the  Vine,  think  they  are  therefore,  as 
 it  were,  perforce  compelled  to  degrade  Him  into  a  sepa- 
 rate and  foreign  nature,  what  is  there  now  to  hinder  us 
 too  from  going  to  the  same  height  of  shamelessness,  and 
 distorting  the  meaning  of  the  illustration,  and  being  con- 
 verted against  our  will  by  a  like  folly,  and  choosing  to 
 revolt  from  this  puerile  and  ridiculous  conception  ?  For 
 if,  since  He  is  spoken  of  as  the  Vine,  they  think  that  for 
 this  reason  He  falls  away  from  His  natural  relationship 
 with  God  the  Father,  and  is  wholly  difterent  in  Sub- 
 stance, since  the  vine  and  the  husbandman  are  not 
 identical  in  nature ;  why  cannot  we  also,  encountering 
 them  with  an  argument  as  ignorant  and  unscholarly  as 
 their  own,  say  this — Are  only  the  branches  profited  by 
 the  care  of  the  tiller  of  the  soil ;  and  will  the  branches 
 
the  ajJj^llcation  too  far.  383 
 
 that  depend  from  the  stem  alone  reap  the  profit  of  His  Chap.  2. 
 art,  or  will  the  nourisher  or  nurse  too  of  the  branches,  ^'  ^^' 
 that  is,  the  vine,  to  which  they  cling  and  are  fixed  by- 
 nature,  require  some  tending  ?  I  do  not  think  this  will 
 be  difficult  to  demonstrate.  For  our  adversary  himself 
 will  at  once  agree  with  us  that  if  the  trunk  were  not 
 tended,  the  branches  could  not  remain  in  good  condition. 
 Since  then  Christ  has  called  Himself  the  Vine,  and  the 
 trunk  itself  of  the  vine  requires  the  fostering  care  of  the 
 tiller  of  the  soil,  or  it  will  be  wholly  and  entirely  ruined, 
 we  shall  draw  the  inference  that  the  Son  is  on  a  level 
 with  ourselves,  and  requires,  as  we  do,  the  Father's  pro- 
 vidence, that  He  may  not  Himself  be  distorted  from 
 what  He  is  into  something  else,  and  fall  away  from  His 
 native  dignity  or  the  position  that  He  holds.  For  the 
 ridiculous  argument  of  the  enemies  of  divine  truth 
 ,  reduces  itself  to  this. 
 
 But  let  us  have  done  with  these  diseased  and  foolish 
 ravings,  and  enter  upon  a  discussion  concerning  the 
 Holy  Apostles.  For  He  says:  Already  ye  are  clean, 
 because  of  the  luord  which  I  have  spoken  unto  you :  just 
 as  though  He  were  to  say,  the  manner  of  your  spiritual 
 purification,  which  is  conceived  of  as  by  the  Spirit  and 
 in  the  Spirit,  has  been  wrought  by  the  Father,  through 
 My  Word  on  you  fii'st.  Behold,  casting  off"  the  burden  of 
 the  vain  customs  and  corruption  of  this  world,  be  ready 
 to  bring  forth  fruits  acceptable  to  God:  rid  yourselves 
 of  the  vain  and  profitless  law  of  the  Jews,  and  pay  heed 
 to  it  no  more.  My  Word  has  purified  you :  for  no  longer 
 do  you  conduct  your  lives  by  the  Mosaic  Law,  or  accord- 
 ing to  the  dispensation  of  the  writings  thereof.  For  you 
 will  not  seek  sanctification  in  what  ye  eat  and  drink,  nor 
 in  doctrines  of  baptisms,  nor  yet  in  sacrificial  atone- 
 ments ;  but  consider  that  ye  are  established  in  firm  faith, 
 and  make  haste  to  appease  God  by  every  kind  of  good 
 work.  For  in  them  is  seen  the  power  of  spiritual  bond- 
 age. Those  who  are  destined  to  be  pure  will  be,  He 
 .  says,  even  as  you  are.     For  they,  just  escaping  from  the 
 
384  Tlie  heualy  of  holiness. 
 
 Book  10.  net  of  the  devil,  and  getting  away  from  the  snares  of  idol- 
 ^'  ^^  ■  ^'  worship,  will  be  taught  no  longer  to  be  governed  by  his 
 decrees  ;  but,  shaking  off  the  impurity  of  former  customs 
 as  vain  rubbish,  and  being  thus  for  the  future  fitted  to 
 bear  the  fruits  of  the  virtue  that  loves  God,  will  be  joined 
 to  Me  in  the  manner  of  branches  ;  and,  being  dependent 
 on  their  love  towards  Me,  will  have  their  hearts  enriched 
 by  the  influences  of  the  Spirit,  and,  imbibing  the  grace 
 of  My  goodness,  will  continue  stedfast  to  the  end  and  be 
 nurtured  in  righteousness.  The  Israelites,  when  they 
 have  been  converted  to  faith  in  Me,  and  have  been 
 attached  to  Me  in  the  manner  of  branches,  then  receiv- 
 ing into  their  mind  purification  through  My  Word,  no 
 longer  devote  themselves  to  the  service  of  the  letter  ;  and 
 not  fixing  their  heart,  as  now,  on  shadows  and  types, 
 bear  the  fruit  of  a  true  and  spiritual  service  to  God.  For 
 Supra  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that  wo  ship  Him,  oinist  ivor~. 
 ^^'  '  ship  in  Spirit  and  truth.  At  the  same  time  also  He 
 shows  clearly,  as  in  a  figure,  to  His  disciples  the  beauty 
 that  will  belong  to  those  who  are  about  to  be  purified,  and 
 gives  them  the  greatest  encouragement  to  attain  the  still 
 more  ample  excellence  ;  showing  them  that  their  service 
 and  the  training  of  their  past  teaching  had  not  been  vain 
 — that  teaching  of  the  Gospel,  through  Avhich  they  were 
 destined  to  benefit  those  who  dwell  in  the  whole  world — 
 displaying  themselves  as  an  example  to  those  that  be- 
 lieve on  Christ.  For  it  has  been  written  concerning  the 
 Heb.  xiii.  Saints,  that  it  behoves  us  to  watch  closely  the  issue  of 
 '•  their  life,  and  to  imitate  their  faith.     And  Paul  incites 
 
 1  Cor.  xi.  those  who  serve  God  to  be  imitators  of  himself. 
 1. 
 
 4  Abide  in  Me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear 
 fruit  of  itself,  except  it  abide  in  the  vine ;  so  neither  can 
 ye,  except  ye  abide  in  Me. 
 
 We  shall  know  then,  by  an  accurate  investigation  of 
 the  words  before  us,  that  the  being  received  of  Christ 
 through  faith  pure  and  true  is  the  first  work  of  that  zeal 
 which  is   requisite   and  dear  to   God.     For  this  is  the 
 
We  are  united  to  God  tltrowjh  love.  385 
 
 meaning  of  being  numbered  among  the  branches,  which  Chap.2. 
 cUng  to  the  true  Vine,  I  mean  Christ.  But  the  fruit  of 
 our  second  meditation  is  by  no  means  less  in  importance 
 than  our  fii-st,  but  it  has,  indeed,  an  even  more  pregnant 
 meaning :  the  loving  to  be  united  to  God,  and  to  lay  fast 
 hold  on  Him,  through  a  love  exhibited  in  works,  which 
 has  the  fulfilment  of  the  holy  and  Divine  command.  For 
 this  causes  us  inseparably  to  inhere  in,  and  to  be  closely 
 united  to.  Him,  as  the  Psalmist  expresses  it :  My  soul  Ps.  Ixiii. 
 lias  been  joined  unto  Thee.  The  being  received  then 
 as  it  were  into  the  rank  of  branches  will  not  be  sufficient 
 for  complete  joy  of  heart,  or  for  the  sanctification  which, 
 as  it  were,  exhibits  Christ  sanctifying  us.  But  I  main- 
 tain that  the  following  Him  purely  through  love  perfect 
 and  imfailing  is  also  necessary.  For  by  this  means,  the 
 power  of  union  or  intimate  conjunction  with  the  Father 
 may  be  best  maintained  and  preserved.  When  therefore 
 Christ  said  to  His  disciples.  Already  ye  are  clean  he-  Supra 
 cause  of  the  word  which  I  have  spoken  unto  you ;  lest 
 any  one  of  those  who  have  once  been  purified  should  be 
 considered  incapable  of  falling  away,  even  though  he 
 should  bestow  no  care  to  remain  in  a  state  of  grace.  He 
 adds  this  useful  injunction — that  it  is  necessary  to  cd)ide 
 in  Him.  And  what  will  this  be?  Nothing  else,  as  I 
 think,  but  quite  obviously  that  which  Paul  well  ex- 
 presses :  Wherefore  let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  i  Cor.  x. 
 heed  lest  he  fall.  For  a  thousand  backslidings  befall  those  " 
 who  think  that  they  are  firmly  fixed,  and  who  do  not 
 take  great  precautions  not  to  lose  the  place  which  they 
 have  obtained ;  and  I  think  that  we  require  the  utmost 
 modesty  and  sobriety,  even  though  a  man  think  himself 
 firmly  fixed  by  the  progress  he  has  abeady  made  to- 
 wards establishing  himself  in  righteousness.  He  then 
 has  shown  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  punishment  of 
 him  who  has,  as  it  were,  been  cut  off"  from  intimate  union 
 with  God,  through  slipping  back  from  negligence  into 
 what  is  wrong,  in  the  statement.  As  the  branch  cannot 
 bear  fruit  of  itself  except  it  abide  in  the  vine,  so  neither 
 
 VOL.  II.  C  C 
 
386        TJte  life-'produclng  ivater  of  the  Sjjirit. 
 
 Book  10.  can  ye,  except  ye  abide  in  Me.     For  unless  the  branch 
 c.xv.5,6.  j^g^^  supplied  to  it  from  its  mother  the  vine  the  life- 
 producing  sap,  how  would  it  bear  grapes,  or  what  fruit 
 will  it  bring  forth,  and  from  what  source  ?     You  will 
 perceive  that  the  language  of  Christ  has  an  application 
 by  analogy  to  ourselves.      For  no  fruit  of  virtue  will 
 spring  up  anew  in  us,  who  have  once  fallen  away  from 
 intimate  union   with  Christ.     To  those,  however,   who 
 are  joined  to  Him  Who  is  able  to  strengthen  them,  and 
 Who  nourishes  in  righteousness,  the  capacity  of  bearing 
 fruit  will  readily  be  added  by  the  provision  and  grace 
 of  the  Spirit,  as  by  life-producing  water.     And  knowing 
 Supra      this,  the  Only-begotten  said  in  the  Gospels  :  //  any  man 
 vn.  37.     thirst,  let  him  come  unto  Me  and  drink.    And  to  this,  the 
 Evangelist,  inspired  by  the  Spirit,  has  testified,  when  in  his 
 Ibid.  39.  excellent  explanation  he  says:  But  this  spake  He  of  the 
 Spirit,  Which  they  tlicd  believe  on  Him,  tvere  to  receive. 
 And  the  blessed  David,  speaking  as  though  to  God  the 
 Ps.xxxvi.  Father,  thus  addressed  Him :   With  Thee  is  the  fountain 
 '   '        of  life,  and  Thou  shcdt  give  them  to  drink  of  the  river  of 
 blessedness.    For  by  the  fountain  of  Divine  and  spiritual 
 life  and  of  the  fulness  of  blessedness,  who  else  could  be 
 meant  but  the  Son,  Who  fattens  and  waters  our  souls  in 
 the  position  of  branches  clinging  to  Him  by  faith  and 
 love,  with  the  quickening  and  joy-giving  grace  of  the 
 Spirit. 
 
 5  /  am  the  Vine,  ye  are  the  branches  :  he  that  ahideth  in 
 Me   and  I  in   him,  the   same   beareth   much  fruit :    for 
 
 6  apart  from  Me  ye  can  do  nothing.  If  a  man  abide  not 
 in  Me,  lie  is  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  and  is  withered  ; 
 and  they  gather  them,  and  cast  them  into  the  Jlre,  and 
 they  are  burned. 
 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  openly  says  that  He  has  been 
 called  the  Vine  for  this  reason,  and  this  reason  only,  that 
 we  may  clearly  understand,  and  not  merely  perceive  with 
 the  eyes  of  the  body,  as  by  a  palpable,  sensible,  and  most 
 visible  figure,  that  to  those  who  are  eager  to  be  closely 
 
The  example  of  the  holy  Apostles.  387 
 
 joined  to  Him,  and  who  choose  to  enjoy  a  close  union  Chap.  2. 
 with  His  nature,  will  be  added  the  capacity  and  the  ^'  ^^' 
 conditions  requisite  for  the  production  of  virtue  and 
 spiritual  fruit-bearing  ;  since  they  are  evidently  provided, 
 from  its  source,  as  from  the  vine  their  mother,  with  a 
 potential  and  an  actual  force.  In  those  however  who 
 have  as  it  were  been  torn  away  or  cut  off  from  their  hold 
 on  Him,  by  turning  to  what  is  wrong  and  to  conduct 
 displeasing  to  God,  not  merely  will  no  capacity  of  a  fitness 
 for  virtue,  or  of  being  able  to  show  the  fruits  that  spring 
 from  goodness  be  seen,  but  the  doom  of  being  consumed 
 by  all-devouring  fire,  as  by  an  inevitable  necessity,  will 
 await  them.  For  that  which  is  useless  for  righteousness 
 seems  fit  to  pay  the  penalty,  just  as  the  withered  branches 
 will  be  only  useful  for  the  fire. 
 
 You  would  find  an  indisputable  and  true  proof  of  what 
 we  have  said,  not  by  perusing  the  chapters  of  the  saints 
 of  old,  but  rather  by  applying  your  attention  to  the  study 
 of  the  holy  Apostles  themselves.  For  they,  by  neglecting 
 in  no  way  love  towards  Christ,  but  abiding  in  Him,  and 
 considering  that  nothing  whatever  should  be  set  before 
 righteousness  towards  Him,  have  become  known  through- 
 out the  world.  And  they  exhibited  through  the  world 
 the  fruit  of  their  virtue,  and  showing  themselves  a  pattern 
 of  a  God-loving  state,  as  a  bright  image  to  all  under  the 
 sun,  they  wreathed  for  themselves  the  fadeless  crown  of 
 glory  with  God.  But  he,  who  by  a  few  pieces  of  silver 
 was  entrapped  into  the  net  of  destruction,  I  mean  the 
 base  and  most  mercenary  Judas,  was  cut  off"  from  the  true 
 Vine,  that  is  Christ,  and  withered  away  in  a  certain 
 sense,  and  lost  together  his  position  of  discipleship  and 
 the  quickening  quality  of  the  Spirit.  For  he  was  cast 
 outside,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Saviour.  For  he 
 became  alienated  from  Christ,  and  was  given  over  like 
 rubbish  to  him  that  chastises  with  fire.  Pertinently  then 
 does  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  set  forth  to  His  hearers  the 
 joy  of  heart  that  springs  from  the  desire  of  intimate  union 
 with  Him,  and  on  the  other  hand  place  before  them  the 
 
 c  c  2 
 
388  Chrisfs  ttvofold  method  of  salvation. 
 
 Book  10.  punishment  resulting  from  severance,  thus  conceiving  a 
 
 ^'  ^^'  twofold  method  of  salvation.  For  either  by  an  aim  which 
 looks  forward  to  glory  and  life,  or  our  dread  of  the  chastise- 
 ment by  fire,  we  shall  lay  hold  more  earnestly,  with  all 
 the  strength  of  our  mind,  on  intimate  union  with  Him. 
 
 But  He  calls  the  Father  Husbandman,  attributing  to 
 His  Divine  Nature  the  watchful  care  over  us,  as  also  we 
 have  previously  shown  at  length.  For  He  will  be  found 
 doing  the  work  of  a  hand  to  the  Husbandman,  Who  uses 
 no  other  hand,  according  to  His  Consubstantiality  both 
 from  Him,  and  in  Him ;  as  is  really  the  case,  and  as  it  is 
 in  our  power  to  see  in  the  following  way.  For  as  a  proof 
 that  all  things  are  done  by  the  Son,  as  by  the  hand  of  the 
 Father,  listen  to  what  the  Father  Himself  says  respecting 
 
 Acts  vii.  His  creatures  :  My  Jiand  made  all  these  things ;  whereas 
 all  things  were  made  by  the  Son,  according  to  the  holy 
 writings. 
 
 We  must  observe  that  the  divine  Paul  figures  darkly 
 to  us  the  true  cutting,  even  though  it  be  not  that  of  a 
 
 Rom.  xi.  vine,  when  he  says :  Behold  then  the  goodness  and 
 severity  of  God:  toward  them  that  fell,  severity;  but 
 toward  thee,  goodness,  if  thou  continue  in  His  goodness : 
 otherivise  thou  also  shalt  be  cut  off. 
 
 7  If  y^  abide  in  Me,  and  My  tvords  abide  in  yov,  ye 
 shall  ask  whatsoever  ye  ivill,  and  it  shall  he  done  unto 
 you. 
 
 He  says  that  the  love  of  unbroken  union  with  Him, 
 and  the  keeping  in  mind  as  a  Divine  and  spiritual  treasure 
 entrusted  to  them  the  pure  treasure  of  the  lessons  of  the 
 Gospel,  and  the  true  instruction  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
 faith,  established  also  by  unerring  interpretations,  will  be 
 the  root  of  the  most  perfect  goodness.  For  the  whole 
 discourse  of  the  Saviour  would  convey  this  meaning  to 
 us,  if  we  consider  the  aim  set  forth  in  the  Gospels.  For 
 in  the  promise  of  Christ  that  He  will  continually  give 
 what  is  good  to  those  who  ask  Him,  how  shall  we  deny 
 that  a  very  clear  pledge  of  this  is  given  to  us  ?    I  suppose 
 
Faith  alone  is  insufficient.  389 
 
 it  is  necessary  to  inquire  what  in  addition  is  the  accurate  Chap.  2. 
 meaning  of  the  words :  If  ye  abide  in  Me,  and  My  ^'  ^^'  '^' 
 words  abide  in  you,  ye  shall  ask  tvhatsoever  ye  ivill,  and 
 it  shall  be  done  unto  you.  For  can  any  one  say  that  to 
 abide  in  Christ  can  be  attained  without  keeping  in  one- 
 self also  His  words  1  Now  to  this  question  men  of  sense 
 will  doubtless  answer  "  No."  For  our  hearer  must 
 remember,  that  when  inquiring  into  the  kind  of  love 
 towards  Christ,  and  investigating  what  it  was,  and  how 
 it  could  exist  in  perfection,  we  said  that  there  are  two  Supra 
 methods  given  ;  I  mean  that  through  faith  which  is  wholly  ^'  ' 
 blameless,  and  that  again  which  projects  itself  in  actuality, 
 which  enters  secretly  by  pure  love.  And  if  we  trust  our 
 Saviour's  words  that  this  is  so  with  us,  it  follows  that 
 they  adopt  a  dangerous  and  intolerable  explanation  of  the 
 relationship,  in  admitting  the  bare  faith,  which  consists 
 in  words  only,  but  not  receiving  the  love  which  is  moulded 
 by  right  actions  to  perfection.  They  indeed  abide  in 
 Christ  in  the  sense  of  the  relationship  that  results  from 
 belief,  and  so  far  as  they  do  not  adopt  another  religious 
 worship ;  but  when  they  no  longer  have  His  words  in 
 themselves  they  will  be  condemned.  And  we  do  not  go 
 so  far  as  to  say  that,  burying  the  preaching  of  the  Gospels 
 in  oblivion,  they  are  altogether  unmindful  of  the  words 
 of  the  Saviour,  submitting  everything  to  their  own  plea- 
 sures, and  directing  their  unbridled  impulse  to  the 
 consideration  of  earthly  things  alone,  and,  on  account  of 
 this,  carry  themselves  away  from  the  true  Vine,  and, 
 despising  the  favour  of  intimate  relationship  with  Him, 
 by  their  own  passions,  they  deem  the  citizenship  that  is 
 in  Christ  of  no  account.  Now  concerning  every  such 
 person  Christ  Himself  says :  JSfot  every  one  that  saith  s.  Matt. 
 unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdoTii  of^^^'  ' 
 heaven :  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  My  Father  Which 
 is  in  heaven.  And  that  faith  which  is  alone,  and  by 
 itself,  and  which  does  not  obtain  the  assistance  of  the 
 light  that  proceeds  from  works,  will  not  suffice  to  secure 
 an  intimate  relationship  with  God,  the  disciple  of  Christ 
 
390  A  TiyJit  faith  tends  to 
 
 Book  10.  also   proves,  saying:    Tliou   believest  that  God   is  one  ; 
 c.  XV.  7.  ^/^g  devils  also  believe  and  shudder.     Shall  one  then  say 
 
 S.  James  i    •     i         i  n    •    ^       ^  11  -111 
 
 ii,  19.  to  those  who  think  that  a  faith  bare  and  alone  will  be 
 sufficient  to  enable  them  to  get  possession  of  the  fellow- 
 ship that  is  from  above, — will  even  the  band  of  demons 
 rise  to  fellowship  with  God,  since  they  acknowledge  His 
 Unity,  and  have  believed  in  His  Existence  ?  How  could 
 this  be  ?  For  the  mere  knowledge  that  the  Creator  and 
 Producer  of  all  things  is  One  God  is  useless.  But  I  think 
 it  necessary  that  the  confession  of  piety  towards  Him 
 should  accompany  faith.  For  such  a  man  abideth  in 
 Christ,  and  will  be  seen  to  possess  His  words,  according 
 
 Ps.  cxix.  to  the  text  in  the  Book  of  Psalms :  /  have  hept  Thy 
 saying  in  my  heart,  that  I  may  not  sin  against  Thee. 
 Just  as  if  any  one  should  place  into  a  brazen  vessel  the 
 element  of  fire,  he  will  make  the  vessel  entirely  the 
 sharer  of  the  warmth  arising  from  it,  so  also  the  mind 
 which  in  soul  and  heart  is  wholly  possessed  by  the  Divine 
 and  heavenly  doctrine,  by  striving  up  to  every  kind  of 
 virtue  is  always  thereby  inflamed  towards  it.     For  it  is 
 
 Ibid.  140.  written:  Thy  tuord  is  very  pure:  therefore  Thy  servant 
 loveth  it. 
 
 "  Let  him  therefore,"  He  says,  "who  establishes  himself 
 therein,  and  has  attained  to  this  high  honour,  so  as  to 
 remain  in  Me,. and  to  have  My  words  in  him,  go  boldly 
 on,  and  with  complete  confidence  ask  for  whatever 
 tendeth  to  bliss,  and  without  delay  it  shall  be  given 
 him.  For,"  He  says,  "I  will  grant  it."  "Well  then,"  says 
 our  opponent, "  if  any  one  should  ask  for  what  is  wrong, 
 will  He  take  more  fully  of  this,  and  will  He  that  loves 
 virtue  allot  him  such  a  portion  as  this  ? "  Get  thee 
 behind  me,  thou  man  of  evil  counsel !  For  God  will 
 provide  nothing  that  is  opposed  to  His  own  Nature, 
 nor  any  of  those  things  which  are  numbered  among  evil 
 things.  But  my  view  seems  more  appropriate :  does  it 
 not  appear  right  and  just?  It  is  clear  then  that  He  who 
 abides  in  Christ,  and  has  His  words  in  him,  knows, 
 by  the  very  fact  of  his  goodness  and  righteousness,  how 
 
good  works  and  fit  requests.  391 
 
 to  think  only  those  things  which  are  acceptable  to  God.  Chap.  2. 
 For  it  is  clear  that  He  has  permitted  to  those  who  have  ^'  ^^'  ' 
 His  Word  in  their  hearts  to  ask  whatsoever  they  may 
 reasonably  wish  ;  well  knowing  that  they  only  aim  at  a 
 participation  in  blessings  of  a  spiritual  and  Divine  nature. 
 As  then  our  (^'aviour  Christ  has  excellently  defined,  in 
 these  words,  the  character  of  the  man  who  prays  and 
 asks  to  receive  whatever  he  wills  from  God,  let  us  mould 
 our  own  condition  into  conformity  with  this  ideal,  if 
 we  desire  to  obtain  the  heavenly  blessing.  But  if  you 
 know  that  you  are  yourself  not  such  an  one  as  Christ 
 has  just  indicated  to  us,  take  it  not  ill  if  you  stumble, 
 but  if  the  effort  seems  burdensome  to  you,  uniting  with 
 your  faith  the  glory  which  proceeds  from  good  works, 
 (for  this  is  abiding  in  Christ),  and,  having  in  yourself 
 His  words,  go  forward  in  confidence,  and  yourself 
 receive  without  delay  whatever  you  request  from 
 God. 
 
 8     Herein  is  My  Father  glorified,  that  ye  hear  much  fruit,  and 
 so  shall  ye  be  My  discijyles. 
 
 He  says  that  God  His  Father  has  been  glorified,  being 
 justly    admired    for    His    incomparable    goodness    and 
 crowning  as  it  were  His  exceeding  kindness  with  actual 
 proof.    For   He   so   loved   the   ivorld    according   to   the  Supra 
 Scripture,  that   He  gave  His  Only-begotten  Son,  that '"'     * 
 whosoever  helieveth  on  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
 eternal  life.     The  life  of  all,  that  of  course  which   is 
 fulfilled  by  Christ,  is  then  the  fruit  of  the  kindness  of 
 God  the  Father.    For  this  reason  I  suppose  He  Himself, 
 conversing  with  God  the  Father,  said:  I  glorified  Thee  on  infra 
 the  earth,  having  accomplished  the  ivork  tuhich  Thou  hast  ^^"' 
 given  Me   to  fidfil  it.     For   the    Only-begotten,  being 
 entrusted    as    it    were    with    the    salvation    of  us    all, 
 has  well  accomplished  it  by  the  Father,  and  He  a  Being 
 not   comprehended   under    the   condition    of    necessary 
 obedience,  but  Himself  the  absolute  wisdom  and  power 
 of  His  Father,  apart  from  Whom  nothing  whatever  can 
 
392  Tlie  service  of  the  Gospel 
 
 Book  10.  exist.      For  all  things   are   by  Him,  according  to  the 
 
 c.  XV.  8.  jjoly  Evangelist,  and  we  in   a   special  manner.     And 
 
 for    this    reason   the    blessed    David    declares    that   the 
 
 ordering  of  all  that  concerns  us,  and  the  directing  aright 
 
 of  the  life  of  all  is  entrusted  by  the  Father  to  the  Son, 
 
 Ps.  ixviii.  as  His  power  and  wisdom,  when  he  says :  0  God,  order 
 
 the  ivorhing  of  Thy  j)oiver :    0  God,  confirm  that  ivhich 
 
 Ibid.        Thou  hast  prepared ;  and  once  more :    0  God,  give  Thy 
 
 ^^""  ^'   judgment  to  the  King.     For  it  was  the  work  of  Him 
 
 Who  alone  reigns  with  God  the  Father  to  restore  the 
 
 earth  that  was  entirely  corrupted,  and  to  be  able   to 
 
 mould   it   anew   into   its   former   state.     Therefore  My 
 
 Father   was   glorified   by   giving   His    Own    Son   as   a 
 
 ransom  for  the  life  of  the  world,  being  content  to  see 
 
 among  us  Him  "Who  is  above  every  creature,  not  that  He 
 
 might   bring   any   addition   of  perfection  to  His   Own 
 
 Nature.     For  He  is  all  perfect  and  self-sufficing,  having 
 
 power  over  all  things,  but  in  order  that  you  may  bring 
 
 forth  more  fruit  and  become  My  disciples.  For  if  He  had 
 
 not  become  man,  we  should  not,  being  deemed  worthy 
 
 of  sharing  His  nature,  and  being  united  to  Him  like 
 
 branches,  and  gaining  for  Him  the   power   of  bearing 
 
 fruit  by  sharing  in  His  Spirit,  have  produced  the  fruit  of 
 
 a  state  of  life  pleasing  to  God,  which  He  even  calls  much, 
 
 putting    in   the    background   that   which    sprang    from 
 
 service    of  the    Law,  and    showing   that    it  is   of  less 
 
 Heb.  vii.  importance.     For  the  Law  hath  'made  nothing  perfect, 
 
 ^^'  according  to  the  saying  of  Paul.   For  this  reason  He  said 
 
 to  His  holy  disciples,  nay  to  all  of  us  who  have  been 
 
 S.  Matt,   united  to  Him  by  faith  and  perfect  love :   Verily,  verily 
 
 ^'     ■       I  say  unto  you,  Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed 
 
 the  righteousness  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall 
 
 in  no  ivise  enter  into   the   kingdom   of  heaven.     And 
 
 Ibid.  xiii.  again :  Every  scribe  tuho  hath  been  made  a  disciple  to  the 
 
 kingdom   of  heaven,   is  like   unto  a  rich  man   ivhich 
 
 bringeth  forth  out  of  his  treasure  things  neiu  and  old; 
 
 casting,  as   it  were,  from  the  treasury  of  their  hearts 
 
 the  Mosaic  injunctions,  and  the  memory  of  the  ancient 
 
is  the  "  onuch  fruit."  393 
 
 writings.  He  therefore,  who  is  a  willing  hearer,  and  Chap.  2. 
 ready  to  learn,  and  is  full  of  the  torchlight  of  the  '  ^^'  * 
 Gospel,  has  his  wealth  increased  and  multiplied ;  I 
 mean,  of  course,  spiritual  wealth.  For  he  brings  forth 
 things  new  and  old,  transforming  the  shadow  of  the  Law 
 and  the  ]30wer  of  servitude  to  the  Law  into  the  pattern 
 of  citizenship  according  to  the  Gospel.  For  what  the 
 Law  figured  by  types,  this  Chiist  did  openly  in  truth. 
 Wherefore  also  He  said :  /  cmne  not  to  destroy  the  Laiu,  s.  Matt. 
 but  to  fulfil;  and  again:  Verily,  verily,  1  say  unto  you,  ^-p- 
 0  ne  jot  or  one  tittle  shall  in  no  ujise  pass  away  from  the 
 Laiu,  till  all  things  he  accomplished.  The  power  then  of 
 the  service  of  the  Gospel  is  the  much  fruit,  spiritual, 
 and  in  truth ;  seeing  that  the  Only-begotten  became 
 Man  for  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.  And  on  this 
 account  it  has  followed  that  those  who  are  on  the  earth 
 are  His  disciples.  For  He  spoke  to  those  of  old  time  and  Heb.  i.  1. 
 formerly  through  the  prophets  as  God ;  but  has  told  us 
 and  said  concerning  us:  And  they  shall  cdl  he  taught  0/ Supra 
 God.  For  to  us  who  believe  in  Him,  not  merely  has  no  '^^' 
 other  person  intervened  and  conveyed  the  message  from 
 Him,  or  become  a  mediator  of  His  Will  towards  us, 
 as  Moses  doubtless  was  to  the  Israelites  in  Mount  Sinai : 
 or  again,  the  prophets  after  Moses  to  those  among  them ; 
 but  Christ  Himself  has  taught  us.  And  for  this  reason 
 we  are  all  taught  of  God.  We  should  not  then  have  at 
 all  become  His  disciples,  we  should  not  have  brought 
 forth  the  fruits  of  love  towards  God,  and  this  in 
 abundance,  unless  the  Father  had  been  glorified  by 
 His  goodness,  taking  such  pleasure  in  us,  that  the  Word 
 proceeding  from  His  Essence  should  become  Man.  For 
 we  shall  think  thus  when  we  hear  the  Holy  Scripture 
 declaring  that  He  gave  His  own  Son.  For  He  also 
 approved  of  His  choosing  to  suffer  this  for  us ;  and, 
 on  this  account,  is  said  to  have  given  Him :  and  with 
 justice. 
 
394  We  must  do  Christ's  Will, 
 
 Book  10. 
 
 C-.  3 
 
 10. 
 
 JrSOOK    iU. 
 
 C-.  XV.  9,      9     Even  as  the  Father  hath  loved  Me,  I  also  have  loved  you : 
 10     abide  ye  in  My  love.     If  ye  keep  My  commandments,  ye 
 abide  in  My  love  ;  even  as  I  have  kept  My  Father  s  com- 
 mandments and  abide  in  His  love. 
 
 We  must  consider  the  mysteries  set  forth  in  the  text 
 with  the  clearer  eye  of  the  understanding ;  for  the  saying 
 has  a  deep  meaning,  and  puts  before  us  in  its  complete- 
 ness, so  to  speak,  the  significance  of  the  Incarnation. 
 For  He  assures  us  that  He  Himself  was  loved  by  God 
 the  Father,  and  that  He  so  loved  us  in  turn,  after  the 
 same  manner,  that  is,  according  to  which  He  Himself 
 considered  that  He  was  loved  by  His  own  Father, 
 What  charge  then  did  He  lay  upon  them  ?  That  it  is 
 our  duty  to  abide  in  His  love.  But  He  gives,  as  it  were, 
 an  explanation  and  most  convincing  reason  of  His  being 
 with  justice  loved  by  the  Father,  namely,  the  keeping  of 
 His  commandments ;  and  exhorts  us,  too,  to  hasten  to 
 fulfil  this,  and  thus.  He  says,  to  remain  in  His  love. 
 We  have  clearly  shown  what  His  meaning  is  then, 
 summing  up  and  condensing  into  small  compass  the 
 sense  of  the  passage,  so  far  as  possible.  But  since  I  think 
 it  right  to  rob  of  its  terrors  that  which  is  likely  some- 
 times to  disturb  in  no  small  degree  the  mind  of  the  pure, 
 come,  let  us  say  how  and  in  what  way  we  apprehend 
 the  meaning  of  the  passage.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  then 
 appears,  setting  Himself  forth  as  a  type  and  pattern 
 of  the  holy  state  of  life,  and  as  being  on  this  account 
 under  the  Law,  and  not  disdaining  to  take  the  measure 
 of  our  poverty,  in  order  that  designedly  moulding 
 Himself,  according  to  His  plan,  into  conformity  with  our 
 dispositions,  He  might  be  found  as  in  figures  to  those 
 that  are  His,  a  guide  of  the  way  to  our  recovery  of  a 
 state  and  of  a  life  strange  to  us  and  wholly  untrodden. 
 We  must  now  inquire  then  what  commandment  of  the 
 Father  He  has  kept,  and  in  what  way,  or  in  what 
 manner  He  is  said  to  have  been  loved  by  Him.  Let  then 
 the  most  wise  Paul  come  to  our  aid,  and  initiate  us  into 
 
(6«  He  accor)ii>lished  Ills  Father  s   Will.         395 
 
 the  mystery  by  his  words  concerning  Him ;  how  heing  Chap.  2. 
 in  the  form  of  God,  He  e7)iptied  Hiviself  taking  the  ^q^^"  ^' 
 form  of  a  servant,  heing  made  in  the  likeness  of  men;  Phil.  ii. 
 and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  He  hath  humbled  '^''^' 
 Himself,  becoming  obedient  even  unto  death;  yea,  the 
 death  of  the  cross.  Wherefore  also  God  highly  excdted 
 Him,  and  gave  unto  Him  the  Name  ivhich  is  above 
 every  name.  You  have  heard  how,  though  He  was  the 
 true  God,  seeing  that  He  was  of  the  same  fashion  with 
 His  Father,  He  humbled  Himself,  becoming  obedient 
 unto  death.  For  when  God  determined  to  save  the 
 corrupted  race  upon  the  earth,  and  it  did  not  satisfy 
 justice  that  any  created  being  should  accomplish  this, 
 the  Only-begotten  God,  Who  knows  the  Will  of  God 
 the  Father,  Himself  undertook  the  task,  as  the  enterprise 
 exceeded  all  the  power  that  there  was  in  the  world.  And 
 thus  He  came  down  to  a  voluntary  subjection,  so  as  even 
 to  descend  to  death,  and  that  a  most  shameful  one.  For 
 how  could  the  being  nailed  to  a  cross  be  honourable,  and 
 how  would  it  not  rather  pass  every  disgrace  ?  Since 
 therefore  He  endured  these  things,  God  hath  highly 
 exalted  Him.  You  have  therefore  in  His  willing 
 obedience  the  fulfilment  of  the  purposes  of  the  Father ; 
 which  purposes,  the  Son  says,  were  ranked  by  Him  as 
 commands.  For  understanding  as  Word  the  counsels  in 
 the  Father,  and  searching  out  the  secret  thoughts  of  Him 
 that  begat  Him,  nay  rather  being  Himself  the  Wisdom 
 and  the  Power  of  the  Father,  He  realises  His  plan, 
 accounting  it  as  a  command,  and  thus  naming  it  after 
 a  human  analogy.  And  see  herein  the  measure  of  His 
 love.  For  God  hath  highly  exalted  Him,  He  says. 
 He  exalts  and  glorifies  Him  that  was  abeady  exalted 
 and  glorified ;  although  He  is  by  nature  very  God ; 
 inasmuch  as  He  does  not  exist  as  one  of  the  creatures, 
 according  to  the  identity  of  His  Substance,  on  this 
 account  being  deemed,  and  being  in  reality,  beyond 
 all  height  that  is  conceived,  and  even  the  Lord  of  Glory  l  Cor,  ii. 
 according  to  the  holy  writings.    But  of  a  truth,  He  says,  ^' 
 
396  A  j)romise  for  the  future, 
 
 Book  10.  He  is  exalted  and  glorified ;  how,  or  when,  and  in  what 
 c  XV.  9,  ^g^y.  2  When  of  course,  He  was  in  the  form  of  a  servant 
 and  in  the  likeness  of  our  humiliation  ;  that  is,  man  like 
 ourselves.  For  He  returns  clothed  with  our  flesh  to  be 
 again  highly  exalted  and  glorified  with  the  Father.  And 
 He  was  loved  by  Him,  and  not  then  for  the  first  time, 
 when  He  fulfilled  His  voluntary  subjection ;  and  you 
 will  better  understand  this  by  the  following  consider- 
 ations. For  according  to  the  manner  in  which  He  was 
 always  exalted  and  glorified,  with  reference  to  His  Own 
 Nature,  He  that  was  bereft  of  the  glory  suited  to  God,  so 
 far  as  the  definition  of  His  Humanity. was  concerned,  is 
 said  to  have  been  glorified  and  exalted  when  He  became 
 Man.  For  being  thus  from  the  beginning  loved  always 
 and  through  all  time.  He  is  said  to  have  been  loved  even 
 when  clothed  in  flesh.  For  on  this  account  He  appeared 
 amongst  us ;  that  is.  He  took  our  form  upon  Him  and 
 became  Man,  in  order  that  He  might  make  pleasing  to 
 God  that  which  was  hated  on  account  of  the  trans- 
 gression at  the  beginning,  and  the  sin  which  had  crept 
 in  in  the  interval.  For,  for  this  reason,  Christ  is  said 
 to  have  appeared  as  the  Door,  and  the  Beginning, 
 and  the  Way  of  all  things  good  to  us.  Does  He  then  tell 
 you  that  He  has  been  loved  without  reproach,  because 
 His  Fathers  co7}imands  have  been  kept  by  Him'?  Did 
 not  the  declaration  of  the  mystery  seem  difficult  to  you, 
 and  was  not  the  deep  meaning  of  the  Incarnation  accom- 
 plished in  our  behalf  hardly  attainable  by  your  reason"? 
 Prov.viii.  But  they  are  all  'plain  to  him  that  understandeth,  and 
 right  to  them  that  find  knoiuledge. 
 
 Abide  therefore.  He  says,  in  My  love ;  that  is,  coming 
 with  all  zeal  and  ardour,  make  it  the  object  of  your 
 anxiety  and  concern  to  be  worthy  of  such  a  love  from 
 Me  as  I  have  from  God  the  Father.  For  I  was  an 
 obedient  worker  of  the  wishes  of  the  Father,  and  on 
 this  account  I  abide  closely  in  His  love.  But  when 
 ye  also  yourselves  become  keepers  of  My  command- 
 ments, ye  in   a  like  manner  will  wholly  abide  in  My 
 
and  a  promise  for  the  present.  397 
 
 love.   You  will  have  then,  He  says,  no  excuse  for  apathy  chap.  2. 
 
 in  the  work.     For  you  will  not  bestow  labour  on  these  ^- ^^-  ^> 
 
 ■^  10. 
 
 things  without  profit.      For  I  shall  manifestly  give  you 
 
 as   much   love   as  I  have  from  the  Father ;    and  crown 
 the   keeper   of  My  words  with  honours  almost  equal. 
 For  the  Father  has  highly  exalted  Me,  and  has  given  Phil. ii. 9. 
 Me  the  Name  luhich  is  above  every  name.     For  I  have 
 been  declared  God  of  the  universe,  yet  I  shall  not  be 
 found  envious  or  to  grudge  you  such  good  things.     For 
 I  have   shown  you,  who  are  men,  and  who   have  for 
 this  reason  received  the  nature  of  slaves,  to  be  gods, 
 and  sons   of  God ;    making  you  illustrious  through  My 
 grace  with  dignities  surpassing  your  nature  to  receive ; 
 have  admitted  you  into  the  fellowship  of  My  kingdom  ; 
 have  shown  you  conformed  to  the  Body  of  My  c/^or^/ ;  ibid.  iii. 
 have  honoured  you  with   incorruption   and  life.     But     * 
 this  standeth  as  yet  but  in  hope,  and  is  preserved  for 
 the  age  that  is  to  come.     And  what  have  ye  now  for 
 the  time  present?     Have   I  not  made  you  illustrious, 
 and  glorified  you,  and  made  you  holy  beyond  the  de- 
 votees of  all  nations  ?   Nay,  ye  have  rebuked  the  unclean 
 spirits ;   I  have  given  you  power  to  heal  all  manner  o/S.  Matt. 
 disease,  and  all  manner  of  sickness.     I  have  given  the 
 promise  unto  you :    Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you.  He  Supra 
 that  believeth  on  Me,  the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  ^^^' 
 also;  and  greater  luorks  than  these  shall  he  do.     If  we 
 allow  our  minds  to  be  impressed  with  the  sense  of  the 
 passage  before  us,  we  shall  think  that  this  is  what  He 
 says  to  His  holy  disciples.     And  if  we  at  all  times  keep 
 our  mind  yoked  fast  to  the  doctrines  of  the  truth,  and 
 if  we  turn  the  investigation  into  which  we  enter  so  far 
 as  we  can  to  the  profit  of  our  hearers  and  to  foster  the 
 practice   of  a   righteous    life,  we  shall   avoid  foolishly 
 falling  over  any  stumblingblock  in  the  way.     For  it 
 is  written  in  the  Book  of  Psalms :    Great  is  the  peace  Ps.  cxix. 
 tltat  they  have  who  love  Thy  laiv;    and  they  have  no 
 sttimblinghlock  in  their  path. 
 
398  Christ  encourages  His  disciples 
 
 Book  10.  _ 
 
 c.  XV.  11.  11      These  tilings  have  I  spoken  unto  you  that  My  joy  may  abide 
 
 in  you,  and  that  your  joy  may  he  fulfilled. 
 
 When,  after  introducing  to  us  the  parable  of  the  vine, 
 He  went  on  to  teach  us  that  the  branch  which  is 
 separated  and  sundered,  as  it  were,  from  the  mother 
 who  nourishes  it  will  be  wholly  useless,  and  doomed 
 to  be  consumed  by  fire,  He  thereby  terrified  His  dis- 
 ciples not  a  little.  For  awful  tidings,  even  though  they 
 have  no  reference  to  the  present,  are  likely  to  cause  no 
 little  alarm  to  their  hearers,  especially  when  the  obscu- 
 rity of  the  future  engenders  the  suspicion  that  what 
 they  hear  may  come  to  pass.  Just  as  the  voyager  who 
 is  about  to  cross  the  sea  before  him,  when  it  seems 
 probable  that  a  storm  will  actually  arise,  and  the 
 billows  rage,  and  the  wild  waves  lash  themselves  in 
 fury,  even  though  he  do  not  see  these  things  before  his 
 eyes,  and  they  stand  yet  merely  in  expectation,  and 
 that  perhaps  baseless,  fears  them  as  though  they  were 
 in  his  sight.  He  then  fitly  raises  up  anew  His  disciples, 
 trembling  and  struck  with  terror  at  these  dreadful 
 tidings,  and  stupefied  by  the  thought  of  future  trials, 
 to  a  sustained  courage  ;  and  leaving  His  sad  discourse, 
 speaks  to  them  of  their  joy  of  heart  in  God.  For  it  is 
 not.  He  says,  O  My  disciples,  for  this  cause  that  I  have 
 now  spoken  these  words  unto  you,  to  rob  your  minds 
 of  courage,  or  to  inspire  in  you  a  vague  terror,  nor  that 
 you  should  be  found  altogether  broken  down  by  the 
 thought  of  evil  to  come,  and  unable  to  endure  to  secure 
 your  own  blessedness,  but  that  you  might  be  quite 
 otherwise  affected,  and  have  pleasure  of  heart  in  Me, 
 a7id  that  My  joy  should  abide  in  you. 
 
 And  I  think  we  ought  to  consider  more  attentively 
 what  the  sense  of  this  passage  is,  and  what  Christ 
 wishes  us  to  take  as  His  meaning.  We  must  take  it 
 then  as  having  a  twofold  meaning :  for  either  one  may 
 say  the  words  that  you  may  have  joy  concerning  Me 
 or  in  Me,  as  used  in  an  argument  which  bears  no  mean- 
 
by  His  Words  and  Example.  399 
 
 ing  but  the  obvious  one :  for  so  ye  yourselves  may  make  Chap.  2. 
 your  own  power  complete,  reflecting  on  the  reward  of  ^"  ^^'  ' 
 blessings  which  exceed  all  things  earthly,  and  the  return 
 that  your  exertions  will  win,  and  the  greatness  of  your 
 glory  with  God ;  or  considering  it  in  another  sense,  we 
 will  not  shrink  from  entering  upon  a  more  profound 
 inquiry.  For  we  ought  most  eagerly  and  keenly  to  hunt 
 in  all  reverence  for  the  aim  of  all  these  investigations. 
 What  do  then  the  words  that  My  joy  may  be  in  you 
 signify?  Do  they  mean  that  the  Only -begotten  is  as 
 we  are,  that  is,  a  Man,  only  without  sin,  resolved  to 
 undergo  all  the  sufferings  which  the  accursed  madness 
 of  the  Jews  compelled  Him  to  experience  ?  For  w^e 
 shall  find  Him  insulted  and  persecuted,  and  buffeted 
 with  bitter  reproaches,  and  spat  upon,  and  beaten  with 
 rods,  and  not  exempt  from  the  insult  of  the  scourge, 
 and,  last  of  all,  to  crown  all  this,  nailed  to  the  cross 
 through  our  means  and  for  our  sakes.  And  in  the 
 presence  of  all  this  awful  suffering,  He  was  not  bowed 
 down  m  agony,  and  did  not  even  shrink  from  the  igno- 
 miny of  suffering  as  His  plan  required,  but  was  full 
 of  the  pleasure  of  heart  and  joy  which  became  Him, 
 since  He  saw  the  multitude  of  those  who  were  saved, 
 and  the  Will  of  God  the  Father  fulfilled.  For  this  cause 
 He  accounted  dishonour  joy,  and  thought  suffering 
 pleasure.  For  when  they  dared  against  Him  many 
 things  repugnant  to  His  nature,  we  shall  find  it  written 
 that  Jesus  then  rejoiced  in  the  Spirit,  and  said,  I  thank  s.  Luke 
 Tliee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  Thou  ^' 
 didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and  understand- 
 ing, and  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes:  yea,  Father, 
 for  so  it  tuas  tvell-pleasiiig  in  Thy  sight.  Note  that 
 when  He  saw  wisdom  given  to  babes  and  simple  folk, 
 He  rejoiced  and  exulted  by  the  Spirit,  and  offered 
 up  thanks,  as  in  our  behalf,  to  the  Father  Who  saves 
 us ;  but  when  He  passed  through  the  land  of  the  Sa- 
 maritans, and  was  tuearied  with  His  journey,  as  it  is  Supra  iv. 
 written.  He  sat  by  the  well   of  Jacob.     But  when   the 
 
400  Our  joy  may  he  like  Christ's. 
 
 Book  10.  woman  represented  to  Him  the  need  of  drawing  water, 
 ^'  ^^'  '  He  told  her  what  was  likely  to  come  to  pass  ;  and  fore- 
 told that  a  multitude  of  Samaritans  would  come,  and 
 seemed  to  make  of  small  account  the  necessaries  of  life. 
 For  what  did  He  say  to  His  disciples,  when  they  coun- 
 Supra  iv.  selled  Him  to  partake  of  what  they  had  to  eat  ?  My 
 oneat  is  to  do  the  will  of  My  Father,  and  to  accomj^lish 
 His  %uork.  Is  it  not  thereby  clear  that  He  accounted 
 the  fulfilling  of  His  Father's  Will,  that  is,  providing  a 
 refuge  in  salvation  for  the  backsliders,  as  pleasure  and 
 joyl     It  is  beyond  doubt. 
 
 All  this  then,  He  says,  I  have  spoken  unto  you,  that 
 My  joy  may  be  in  you ;  that  those  things  may  give  you 
 encouragement  that  give  encouragement  to  Me  ;  that  you 
 may  face  perils  bravely,  girding  yourselves  with  the 
 hope  of  those  who  will  be  saved ;  and,  if  suffering  come 
 upon  you  in  this  work,  that  ye  may  not  be  brought  low 
 into  the  feebleness  of  apathy,  but  may  joy  more  abun- 
 1  Tim.  ii.  dantly,  when  the  pleasure  of  Him  That  willeth  that  all 
 men  shotdd  be  saved  and  come  to  the  knoivledgt  of  the 
 truth  is  fulfilled  by  you.  For  I,  too,  rejoiced  at  this,  and 
 thought  My  sufferings  very  sweet.  When  then,  He  says, 
 you  elect  to  have  this  joy,  which  I  thought  became  My- 
 self, then  you  will  have  it  perfect  and  complete. 
 
 For  we  think  that  joy  most  full  and  complete,  which 
 is  in  God,  and  through  God,  and  results  from  good 
 works,  through  the  fixity  and  stability  of  the  hope ; 
 and  because  it  arose  from  a  proper  source,  not  only  we, 
 but  also  Jesus  Himself  took  pleasure  in  it.  And  we 
 say  that  the  joy  which  is  of  the  world  is  incomplete : 
 because  it  is  clearly  transient  and  excited  by  unworthy 
 causes  ;  earthly  things  which  flit  away  like  phantoms  and 
 shadows.  Just  as  we  say  that  hatred  is  perfect  which  has 
 a  just  and  righteous  origin  amongst  us  ;  just  as,  of  course, 
 the  blessed  David  says  about  the  opponents  of  the 
 Ps.  glory  of  God,  /  hated  them  with  a  2:)erfect  hatred ;   and 
 
 csxxix.     perfect  love  that  which  prepares  those  who  have  chosen 
 it,  in  God  and  through  God,  to  offer  themselves  wholly 
 
The  boundless  love  of  Christ.  401 
 
 unto  God  ;  not  that  which  is  fixed  on  any  earthly  objects,  Chap.  2. 
 and  things  worthy  of  no  account.  ^\^^'  ^"' 
 
 12  Tins  is  My  commandment^  that  ye  Icve  one  another,  even  as 
 
 13  /  have  loved  you.     Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that 
 a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends. 
 
 He  now  makes  clearer  by  the  illustration  here  given 
 the  meaning  of  the  preceding  passage ;  that  is,  the 
 necessity  of  His  disciples  having  His  joy  in  them  ;  and 
 clearly  says,  "  I  give  you  this  injunction,  and  teach 
 those  who  think  they  ought  to  follow  Me  to  do  this, 
 and  be  thus  minded  to  practise  such  manner  of  love 
 towards  one  another  as  I  have  heretofore  shown  and 
 fulfilled."  How  great  a  measure  can  a  man  then  find 
 to  the  love  of  Christ,  He  Himself  shows  when  He  says 
 that  nothing  can  be  greater  than  such  love,  which 
 excites  to  forsake  life  itself  for  those  one  loves.  And 
 by  all  this  He  not  only  exhorts  His  own  disciples  that 
 it  becomes  them  so  little  to  shrink  from  fearing  to 
 encounter  dangers  for  those  they  love,  but  that  also  He 
 Himself  without  shrinking  held  Himself  in  utmost 
 readiness  to  undergo  the  death  of  the  flesh.  For  the 
 power  of  our  Saviour's  love  attained  so  great  a  measure. 
 And  these  words  were  borne  out  by  His  action,  and 
 by  His  encouragement  to  His  disciples  to  attain  an 
 exceeding  great  and  extraordinary  courage,  and  by  His 
 exhorting  them  to  the  perfection  of  brotherly  love,  and 
 fencing  their  hearts  with  the  armour  of  enthusiasm  and 
 love  of  God,  and  raising  them  up  into  a  zeal  invincible 
 and  undaunted,  so  as  impetuously  to  hasten  to  establish 
 everything  according  to  His  good  pleasure.  Such  a 
 man  Paul  showed  himself  to  us,  when  he  said,  For  to  Phil.i.21. 
 rue,  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.  And  again : 
 For  the  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us :  because  tee  thus  2  Cor.  v. 
 judge  that  one  died  for  all,  therefore  all  died.  And  '  '^' 
 besides :  Who  shall  separate  us  frorti  the  love  of  Chi'ist  ?  Rom.viii. 
 Shall  trilndation,  or  anguish,  or  famine,  or  nakedness, 
 or  iieril,  or  sword  ?    Note  how  he  promises  that  nothing 
 
 VOL.  II.  D  d 
 
402  Tlie  disciiiles  are  encouraged 
 
 Book  10.  shall  be  able  to  overcome  it  or  prevail  to  cut  us   off 
 c.^xv.  12,  £^.Qj^  ^]^g  \oYQ  of  Christ.     But  if  tending  the  flocks  and 
 Cf.  infra  feeding  the  lambs  of  Christ  be  to  love  Him,  is  it  not 
 j^^"  ■^^'     quite  clear  that  he  who  preaches  the  word  of  salvation 
 to  those  who  know  not  God   will  prevail  over  death, 
 persecution,  and  the  sword,  and  will  think  distress  of 
 no  account  at  all  ?     And,  if  it  be  fitting  to  condense  the 
 meaning  and  to  compress  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  and 
 to  express  in  a  few  words  what  He  wishes  His  disciples 
 to  do.  He  bids  them   to  keep  their  hearts  undaunted 
 and  free  from  every  fear,  and  minister  the  word  of  faith 
 in  Him,  and  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  who  are  in  the 
 world.     And  the  selfsame  command  He  gives   by  the 
 Is.  xl.  9.  word  of  the  prophet  Esaias :  0  Zion,  that  bringest  good 
 tidings,  get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain.     0  Jeru- 
 salem, that  bringest  good  tidings,  lift  up  thy  voice  with 
 strength ;  he  strong,  fear  not.   And  we  shall  find  that  the 
 holy  disciples  themselves  have  power  to  do  this  aright, 
 when  they  ask  of  God  by  earnest  prayer :  for  on  one  occa- 
 sion, accusing  the  madness  of  the  Jews,  they  exclaimed  : 
 Acts  iv.    And  noiu,  Lord,  look  upon  their  threatening s :  and  grant 
 ^^'  unto  Thy  servants  to  speak  Thy  ivord  with  boldness. 
 
 For  those  who  resist  and  impiously  rail  against  such 
 
 as  openly  minister  the  Gospel  are  very  many.    But  even 
 
 if  the  terror  be  keen  and  the  waves  of  evil  counsel  rise 
 
 up  most  dreadfully,  there  will  be  no  mention  of  suffering 
 
 among  His  true  disciples  until  the  righteous  acts  that 
 
 proceed  from  love  attain  their  end — such  love,  I  mean,  as 
 
 Heb.  xii.  our  Saviour  set  forth  to  us  as  a  pattern.  Who  for  the  joy 
 
 that  tvas  set  before  Him  endured  the  cross,  despising  the 
 
 shame,  in  order  that  He  might  accomplish  salvation  for 
 
 those  who  have  sinned.    And  if  He  had  not  been  willing 
 
 to  suffer  for  us,  we  should  be  still  dead,  servants  of  the 
 
 s.  Matt,  devil,  fools  and  blind,  and  remaining  in  need  of  every- 
 
 "^V^  .     thing  good,  and  slaves  of  pleasure  and  sin ;  having  no 
 
 12.  ho'pe,  and  luithout    God   in  the  luorld.    But  now  the 
 
 Saviour  has  even  given  His  life  for  us  from  the  love  that 
 
 Ho  has  unto  us,  and,  exhibiting  an  incomparable  love  of 
 
to  'preach  the  Gospel  boldly.  403 
 
 mankind,  has  made  us  enviable  and  thrice-blessed,  in  Chap.  2. 
 
 C.  X 
 
 15. 
 
 want  of  no  manner  of  thing  that  is  goDd.  ^'  ^^'     ' 
 
 The  meaning  then  of  the  text  as  thus  conceived  will 
 fit  in  with  the  inspired  chapters  of  the  disciples.  And  if 
 the  saying  shall  go  forth  to  all  the  world,  that  is,  This  is 
 My  covionandme^it,  that  ye  love  one  another,  even  as  I 
 have  loved  you,  much  profit  will  result  to  all  from  the 
 investigation.  For  if  love  towards  brethren  keeps  and 
 works  the  fulfilment  of  the  whole  command  of  our 
 Saviour,  how  will  not  he  who  tries  as  far  as  possible  to 
 accomplish  this  without  laying  himself  open  to  censure 
 and  blame  be  very  worthy  of  admiration,  since  the  sum 
 of  all  the  virtues,  so  to  speak,  is  stored  up  in  it  ?  For  love 
 towards  one  another  is  next  to  love  to  God,  and  all  the 
 power  of  righteousness  towards  God  is  concluded  as  in 
 this  one  word,  namely,  Thou  shall  love  thy  neighbour  as  Galv.  14. 
 thyself. 
 
 14  Ye  are  My  friends,  if  ye  do  the  things  which  I  command 
 
 15  you.  No  longer  do  I  call  you  servaiits ;  for  the  servant 
 hnoweth  not  what  his  lord  doeth  :  but  I  have  called  you 
 friends ;  for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  My  Father  I 
 have  made  known  unto  you. 
 
 In  contrast  to  the  terrors  which  will  sometimes  assail 
 those  inclined  towards  obedience  and  love  of  virtue 
 He  has  set  the  gain  of  their  love  towards  Him,  in  order 
 that  by  the  consolations  ensuing  from  this,  and  by  their 
 aiming  at  what  is  greater,  that  which  is  burdensome 
 may  disappear  and  that  which  sometimes  seems  to 
 cause  pain  sink  into  insignificance.  Sweet  is  their 
 labour  to  those  who  love  God,  since  indeed  theirs  is  a 
 near  and  rich  reward.  Who  then  could  conceive  any 
 thing  greater,  and  what  will  he  say  is  more  glorious,  than 
 to  be  and  be  called  the  friend  of  Christ  ?  For  see  how 
 the  reward  surpasses  the  very  limits  of  the  nature  of 
 man.  For  all  things  are  subject  unto  HIhi  that  made 
 them,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Psalmist ;  and  there 
 is,  I  suppose,  nothing  in  Creation  which  has  not  been 
 subjected  to  the  yoke  of  slavery,  in  accordance  with  the 
 
 D  d  2 
 
404  We  are  made  friends  of  God 
 
 Book  10.  decree  becoming  the  Creator  and  His  work.  For  the 
 15.^^  '  work  produced  is  not  on  an  equality  with  its  producer ; 
 and  how  coukl  it  be?  But  God,  Who  is  over  all,  will 
 hold  sway  over  and  direct  His  own  works.  The  universe 
 then  being  under  the  yoke  of  subjection,  and  putting 
 itself  under  servitude  to  God,  the  Lord  leads  up  His  holy 
 ones  to  a  supernatural  glory,  if  they  appear  willing  to 
 work  His  Will  and  bring  to  Him,  as  an  offering  that  is 
 due,  a  blameless  subjection.  Their  reward  then  is 
 glorious  and  worthy  of  envy. 
 
 But  we  must  consider  this  point  especially  at  this 
 juncture,  for  it  will  be  of  no  small  profit.  For  if 
 friendship  towards  Christ  will  be  sufiicient  in  the  case  of 
 any  for  the  dignity  of  freedom  and  the  being  no  longer 
 called  slaves,  how  could  He  be  a  slave  except  as  made 
 and  created,  according  to  the  thoughtlessness  of  some? 
 For  He  is  not  able  to  allot  the  honour  of  freedom  to  all 
 others,  while  His  own  Nature  is  bereft  of  this  attribute. 
 For  I  suppose  He  must  appear  in  possession  of  it  more 
 than  all  the  rest,  for  then  will  He  most  suitably  give  to 
 those  who  have  it  not  the  blessing  that  is  His  own. 
 But  the  dignity  must  be  conferred  on  and  given  to  the 
 holy  Apostles,  or  perhaps  also  to  all  others  who  mount 
 up  through  faith  to  the  friendship  that  is  towards  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  by  way  of  honour,  but  not  existing 
 in  like  manner  with  that  enjoyed  by  Him.  For  they, 
 mounting  up  by  their  likeness  to  Him  to  the  glory  of 
 liberty,  would  display  by  this  that  which  naturally 
 belongs  to  Him  alone.  For  that  which  is  by  position  is 
 compared  with  that  which  is  by  nature. 
 
 This  however  we  must  demonstrate ;  for  I  think 
 it  is  necessary  to  go  through  every  inquiry  which  is 
 useful  and  particularly  necessitates  explanation.  For 
 the  justice  which  is  derived  from  faith  in  Christ  has 
 a  more  ancient  manifestation  than  that  justice  which  is 
 according  to  the  law  ;  and  further,  because  the  knowledge 
 of  the  Divine  mysteries  is  revealed  to  those  that  believe 
 and  obey  Christ,  and  the  counsel  of  God  the  Father  is 
 
through  obedience  and  sacrifice.  405 
 
 interpreted  by  him  who  knows  that  of  the  Son,  but  to  Chap.  2. 
 
 those  who  are  disobedient,  not  at  all.  ^•_'^^-  ^^' 
 
 Come  then,  let  us  again  illustrate  this  by  the  inspired 
 
 Scripture,    dwelling    somewhat    at    length    upon    it    to 
 
 advantage.     It   has   then    been   written   in   a   book   of 
 
 Moses  that  Abraham  believed  in  God,  but  his  faith  was  Gen.  xv. 
 
 accounted  unto  him  for  righteousness ;  and  he  ivas  called,  J  t 
 
 ■f  -J  '  S.  James 
 
 the  friend  of  God.     And  what  was  the  manner  of  his  ii.  23. 
 faith,  or  how  then  was  he   called  the  friend  of  God? 
 He  heard  the  words,  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and  Gen.  xii. 
 from  thy  kindred,  unto  a  land  that  I  tvill  show  thee. 
 Moreover,  when  he  was  enjoined  to  sacrifice  his  only  son 
 as  a  type  of  Christ  he  learnt  the  purpose  hidden  in  God. 
 And  for  this  reason  the  Saviour  spoke  concerning  him  to 
 the  impious  Jews,  saying:  Your  father  Abraham  rejoiced  Supra 
 to  see  My  day ;  and  he  saw  it  and  was  glad.     Therefore  ^"^"  ^^' 
 the  inspired  Abraham,  owing  to  obedience  and  sacrifice, 
 was  called  the  friend  of  God  and  put  on  himself  the 
 boast  of  righteousness. 
 
 And  not  only  this,  but  he  was  deemed  worthy  of 
 Divine  converse,  and  knew  the  counsel  of  God,  which 
 came  to  pass  in  the  last  times.  For  in  the  fulness  of 
 time  Christ  died  for  us — the  true,  sacred,  and  holy 
 sacrifice  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
 
 But  see  again  a  like  fulfilment  in  the  case  of  those 
 who  mount  up  by  faith  to  the  friendship  of  our  Saviour 
 Christ.     They  also  heard  the  words  Get  thee  out  of  thy 
 country.     And  that  they  did  it  eagerly  we  may  learn 
 from  what  they  say:  For  ive  have  not  here  an  abiding  Heb. xiii. 
 city,  but  we  seek  after  the  city  which  is  to  come,  tvhose     ; 
 builder  ctncl  maker  is  God.     For  they  are  strangers  and  10. 
 sojourners   upon   earth,  being   citizens   of  heaven    and 
 leaving  the  land  of  their  birth  to  speak  allegorically 
 of  their  heavenward  aspirations,  desiring    eagerly  the 
 resting-place  above.     For  this  the  Saviour  set   before 
 them  when  He  said,  /  go  and  ivill  lorepare  a  iilace  for  Supra 
 you  ;  and  when  I  come,  I  tvill  receive  you  with  Myself;  ^^^* 
 that  ivhere  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  also.     They  were  told 
 
406       Tlie  Gospel  dispensation — that  hy  faith — 
 
 Book  10.  to  go  forth  from  tbeir  kindred ;  and  how  shall  we  show 
 jg'"^^'  '  this  ?  We  will  refer  to  Chi'ist's  own  words :  He  that 
 s.  Matt,  loveth  fatlier  or  mother  more  than  Me  is  not  ivortliy  of 
 ^'  Me.     And  that  the  things  of  God  were  preferred  to  their 
 
 earthly  and  fleshly  relationship,  and  their  love  towards 
 Christ  set  forth  as  far  stronger,  is  certainly  unquestioned 
 amono-   those   who   reverence    Him.     And   the    blessed 
 Abraham  was  ordered  to  bring  to  God  his   own   son 
 for  an  odour  of  a  sweet-smelling  savour,  while  others, 
 girding  themselves  with  the  righteousness  that  is  by 
 faith,  were  commanded  to  offer  not  others  but  them- 
 Eom.  xii.  selves.     For   he    says :    Present   your    bodies    a   living 
 sacrifice,  holy,  acceptcd)le  to  God,  ivhich  is  your  reason- 
 able service.   Since  it  has  been  wi'itten  concerning  them  : 
 Gal.v.24.  They  thcd  are  of  Christ  Jesus  have  crucified  the  flesh 
 ivith  the  passions  and  the  lusts  thereof,  they  knew  thS 
 Heb.vi.5.  mystery  that  is  in  Christ.     For  they  know  the  poivers 
 of  the  age  to  come,  and  what  will  be  in  the  last  days ; 
 for  they  will  receive  the  rewards  of  their  labours,  and 
 take  as  requital  the  recompence  of  their  piety  towards 
 Christ.     Therefore  we  shall  become  just  and  the  friends 
 of  God,  as  did  Abraham.     And  the  Gospel  dispensation 
 is  far  more  ancient  than  that  of  the  Law.     I  mean  by 
 the   Gospel   dispensation  that  which    is    by  faith   and 
 friendship  towards  God,  then  moulded  first  in  Abraham, 
 as  in  the  beginning  of  his  race  according  to  the  flesh, 
 that  is  of  Israel,  but  now  coming  as  from    a  type  to 
 truth,  and   being   well   fulfilled   in  the   holy   disciples 
 themselves,    as    in    the   beginning    of  a    spiritual   race 
 preserved  as  a  people  for  God's  own  possession,  which 
 also  is  called  a   holy  nation   and  a  royal  priesthood. 
 Therefore  it  has  been  said  to  the  mother  of  the  Jews, 
 I  mean  the  synagogue,  by  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist: 
 Ps.  xliv.   Instead  of  fcdhers  thy  sons  have  been  born. 
 
 For  the  inspired  disciples  are  truly  sons  of  the  syna- 
 gogue of  the  Jews,  for  they  were  nourished  up  in  the 
 Mosaic  usages.  They  became  fathers,  holding  the  posi- 
 tion of  Abraham,  and  were  the  beginning  of  the  spiritual 
 
is  more  ancient  titan  that  of  the  Laiv.         407 
 
 race,  and  for  this  reason  were  ordained  as  rulers,  offering  Chap.  2. 
 up  as  a  sacrifice  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  all  the  world,  ^'  ^^'  " 
 as  did  Abraham  Isaac  as  a  type  of  Christ.  We  thus 
 speak,  not  depriving  the  blessed  Abraham  of  the  glory 
 which  is  his  due  and  befits  him,  but  showing  in  him,  as 
 in  a  figure,  what  has  been  appointed  in  the  last  days 
 by  Christ.  The  reward  of  friendship  with  God  which 
 was  then  seen  in  Abraham  first  is  intimately  conjoined 
 with  the  freedom  which  comes  by  faith,  and  now  also 
 it  is  seen  in  the  holy  disciples  as  the  firstfruits  of  a  new 
 generation.  Let  then  the  inspired  Paul  point  out  to  us 
 the  necessity  of  thus  speaking,  vehemently  contending 
 with  the  Jews,  that  the  righteousness  that  is  of  faith 
 is  far  older  than  that  of  the  Law.  For  when  he  made 
 mention  of  the  circumcision  according  to  the  flesh,  he 
 afiirmed  that  this  was  given  to  the  firstfruits  of  the 
 race,  that  is  Abraham,  'for  no  other  reason  save  his 
 ,  becoming  the  sign  and  seal  of  the  faith  tuhich  he  had  Rom.  iv. 
 ivhile  he  ivas  in  uncircunicision.  But  if  uncircum-  • 
 cision  with  which  also  is  faith  was  before  the  Law,  but 
 circumcision  which  has  not  the  glory  of  faith  after  the 
 Law,  and  Abraham  believed  in  uncircunicision,  how  will 
 not  the  justice  through  faith  of  those  who  are  justified 
 and  freed  through  love  towards  God,  as  was  Abraham, 
 be  more  ancient  than  the  dispensation  by  the  Law  ?  For 
 thus  also  he  will  be  father  of  many  nations  by  ibid.  I8. 
 promise,  not  according  to  the  flesh.  And  these  things 
 have  we  now  pertinently  said  on  account  of  our  Lord's 
 word :  JS^o  longer  do  I  call  you  servants :  ye  are  My 
 friends ;  for  all  things  that  I  heard  from  My  Father,  I 
 have  made  knoivn  unto  you. 
 
 16  Ye  did  not  choose  Me,  but  I  cJiose  you,  ayid  have  appointed 
 you,  that  ye  should  (jo  and  hear  fruit,  and  that  your  fruit 
 should  abide  :  that  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  of  the  Father  in 
 My  name.  He  shall  give  you. 
 
 His  aim  is  neither  to  depress  His  holy  disciples  by 
 words  too  grievous,  being  aware,  as  God,  of  the  great 
 
408      Christ  encourages  the  zeal  of  His  disciples 
 
 Book  10.  tendency  of  human  reason  to  weakness,  nor  again  does 
 c.  XV.  16.  jj^  permit  them  by  immoderate  assurances  to  fall  into 
 a  state  of  backsliding,  for  this  is  indeed  a  disease  and 
 a  serious  one.  But  forming  a  mean  between  these  two 
 from  a  mixture  of  both,  He  fitly  leads  them  into  a  safe 
 path,  and  works  in  them  a  knowledge  of  the  more  stable 
 state  and  of  the  complete  uncertainty  of  that  which  is 
 removed  from  it. 
 
 When  therefore,  then,  he  has  abundantly  comforted 
 them  with  the  words  of  consolation,  and  with  respect 
 to  those  things  at  which  they  would  be  likely  to  be 
 cast  down,  persuading  them  in  turn  to  rejoice.  He  again 
 incites  them  by  His  injunctions  to  diligence  to  a  con- 
 fident courage ;  persuading  them  to  change  their  minds 
 and  rather  to  rejoice  at  those  things  at  which  they  had 
 not  without  reason  been  dismayed,  and  charges  them 
 to  display  the  utmost  zeal,  and  put  into  practice  an 
 overflowing  measure  of  brotherly  love,  and  to  benefit 
 those  as  yet  without  faith,  and  to  hasten  by  the  words 
 and  deeds  that  make  for  righteousness  to  draw  those 
 who  are  astray  to  a  willingness  to  be  united  to  God  by 
 faith. 
 
 Offering  Himself  then  as  an  Image  and  Pattern  of 
 that  which  must  be  done,  and  bringing  before  them  that 
 which  has  been  already  accomplished  by  Him  in  their 
 behalf,  He  persuades  them  to  imitate  their  Teacher  and 
 themselves  to  be  conspicuous  in  like  righteousness  when 
 He  says:  Ye  did  not  choose  Me,  hut  I  chose  you,  and 
 what  follows. 
 
 Conceive  Him  then  as  saying :  "  Gird  yourselves  with 
 love  towards  one  another,  O  My  disciples ;  for  ye  ought 
 indeed  yourselves  also  to  devise  and  do  towards  one 
 another,  and  perform  with  an  eager  zeal,  those  things 
 which  I  have  fii'st  accomplished  towards  you.  For  / 
 chose  you,  and  it  is  not  you  that  have  chosen  Me.  I  drew 
 you  to  Myself  and  made  Myself  known  to  those  who  knew 
 Me  not  through  My  exceeding  kindness,  and  I  brought 
 you  into  a  steadfast  opinion  so  as  to  lead  j^ou  up,  that 
 
hy  reference  to  His  oivn  ivork.  409 
 
 is,  to  confer  on  you  the  ability  to  reach  forward  to  what  Chap.  2. 
 is  greater,  and  to  bear  fruit  unto  God.  Attain  therefore 
 to  the  complete  confidence  that  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask 
 in  My  nar^ie  ye  shall  receive.  Since,  therefore,  ye  follow 
 in  the  track  of  My  words  and  ministry,  and  have  the 
 mind  which  My  true  disciples  ought  to  be  endued  with, 
 it  follows  that  ye  ought  not  by  your  own  tarrying  to 
 throw  obstacles  in  the  way  of  him  who  of  his  will  seeks 
 the  faith  and  is  self-called  to  a  life  of  piety ;  but  that 
 you  should  rather  attach  yourselves  as  guides  to  those 
 who  are  still  ignorant  and  astray,  and  bring  to  those 
 who  do  not  yet  prefer  to  learn  it  the  Gospel  of  salva- 
 tion, and  eagerly  exhort  them  to  attain  unto  the  true 
 knowledge  of  God,  even  though  the  mind  of  your 
 hearers  be  hardened  into  disobedience.  For  thus  they 
 would  be  in  your  condition,  that  is,  they  will  advance 
 and'  will  return  by  gradual  growth  in  what  is  better 
 to  fruit-bearing  in  God,  so  as  to  have  the  fruit  that  ever 
 remains  and  is  preserved  and  that  most  acceptable  object 
 of  prayer,  the  bestowal  of  whatsoever  they  wish,  if  only 
 they  ask  in  My  name." 
 
 So  much  then  on  this  head :  for  it  is  necessary  again, 
 compressing  in  a  few  words  the  drift  of  the  text,  to 
 make  it  clear  to  our  hearers.  He  persuades  His  disciples 
 to  have  so  much  love  towards  others,  and  wishes  them 
 to  exhibit  as  much  zeal  in  their  persistent  endeavour 
 in  all  directions  to  pursue  and  bring  to  holiness  the  souls 
 of  those  who  have  not  yet  believed,  as  He  Himself  first 
 showed  towards  us  and  them.  For  that  He  Himself 
 chose  His  disciples  is  unquestioned,  and  I  think  it  un- 
 necessary to  state  how  and  in  what  way  the  call  of  each 
 was  made.  Still,  that  the  discourse  of  the  Saviour  is 
 pregnant  with  the  meaning  I  have  j  ust  given  to  it  what 
 follows  will  equally  persuade  us.     For  he  says : 
 
 1 7     These  things  I  Jiave  spoken  mito  you  that  ye  may  love  one 
 
 another. 
 
 For  shall  we  not  allow  that  the  choosing  out  of  those 
 
410  Tlie  disciples  luork  luith  zeal. 
 
 Book  10.  still  faithless  and  astray  to  obedience  to  God  is  the  work 
 c.  XV.  17.  Qf  ^]^g  highest  love  of  all  ?  But  this  is  undeniable.  And 
 2  Cor.  V.  Paul  hastened  to  do  this  when  he  said :  We  are  cnn- 
 
 20. 
 
 bassadors  therefore  on  behalf  of  Christ,  as  though  God 
 ivere  entreating  by  us:  we  beseech  you  on  behalf  of 
 Christ,  he  ye  reconciled  to  God.    So  also  does  Peter,  saying 
 
 Acts  iii.  boldly  to  the  Jews :  And  now,  brethren,  I  tvot  that  in 
 igiwrance  ye  did  it,  as  did  cdso  your  rulers.     Rejient  ye 
 
 Ibid.  ii.  therefore  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name 
 of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  You  see  then  how  and  with 
 what  zeal  they  meet  those  who  have  not  believed,  and 
 bring  to  them  the  word  which  they  have  not  sought, 
 not  making  it  necessary  for  these  in  their  ignorance  to 
 choose  themselves  as  their  teachers,  but  anticipating  in 
 this  even  him  who  has  as  yet  been  unwilling  to  learn 
 any  elementary  truth. 
 
 But  since  our  Saviour's  words  have  this  addition,  that 
 ye  should  go  and  bear  fruit  and  that  your  fruit  should 
 abide,  it  is  our  duty  to  inquire  what  this  means.  For 
 what  is  the  meaning  of  the  expression  that  the  fruit  of 
 His  disciples  remains  ?  I  think  then  that  by  fruit 
 which  remains  our  Saviour  means  that  produced  by 
 the  training  of  the  Gospel  and  not  by  the  righteous- 
 ness of  the  Law.  For  the  latter  has  become  obsolete  by 
 reason  of  its  inability  to  accomplish  anything.  For  the 
 Law  accomplished  nothing,  as  Paul  says ;  but  the  new 
 righteousness  burst  as  it  were  into  blossom  in  its  stead 
 and  lifted  up  its  head,  making  obsolete  and  putting 
 away  the  former,  and  bringing  in  the  fruit  that  truly 
 remains  and  is  preserved.  Thus  speaks  the  inspired 
 Paul  addressing  us,  and  saying  that  the  righteousness 
 by  the  Law  was  gladly  and  readily  accounted  by  him 
 as  loss  in  order  that  he  might  gain  Christ,  that  is,  the 
 righteousness  and  fruit-bearing  of  the  Gospel  by  the 
 faith  that  is  in  Him.  For  such  fruit  as  this  will  continue 
 and  be  perennial,  being  capable  of  fulfilling  the  soul  of 
 man  with  righteousness.  For  no  other  new  instruction 
 will  steal  in  beside  the  messages  of  the  Gospel  making 
 
Christ  forewarns  His  cUscvples.  411 
 
 the  former  obsolete,  as  was  undoubtedly  the  case  with  Chap.  2. 
 the  Mosaic  command.  But  the  Word  of  the  Saviour  will  ^  ^^^^  * 
 stand  for  ever,  as  indeed  He  Himself  says :  Heaven  and  xxiv.  35. 
 earth  shall  pass  away:  hut  My  words  shall  not  pass  away. 
 
 18  If  the  luorld  hateth  yoii,  ye  knoiv  that  it  liath  hated  Me 
 before  it  hated  you^ 
 We  shall  find  the  course  pursued  in  each  case  by  our 
 Saviour  in  no  way  whatever  inferior,  as  I  suppose,  to  the 
 skill  and  fine  art  of  physicians,  as  He  everywhere  follows 
 a  plan  profitable  to  His  hearers.  For  physicians  check 
 the  stubborn  maladies  which  sometimes  arise  in  bodies 
 by  means  of  the  resources  of  their  art.  But  Christ  fences 
 off  the  entrance  to  evil,  fortifying  as  it  were  each  indi- 
 vidual SQul  with  commands  ensuring  prevention.  Since 
 therefore  the  disciples  were  destined  to  be  rulers,  not 
 indeed  over  one  nation  or  one  district  only,  but  rather  to 
 be  the  instructors  of  the  universe,  and  to  preach  to  all 
 throughout  the  world  the  message  of  the  Gospel  and  of 
 God,  and  to  turn  their  hearers  to  a  belief  in  the  true  God 
 alone,  and  to  change  them  from  sin  to  a  willingness  to 
 do  what  became  them,  and  to  make  the  law,  I  mean  that 
 of  the  Gospel,  the  rule  of  their  life ;  He  bids  them  account 
 as  nothing  the  hatred  of  the  world,  that  is  of  those  who 
 set  their  hearts  on  worldly  things  and  choose  to  live 
 wantonly  and  impiously.  For  could  any  one  venture  to 
 say  that,  in  seeing  fit  to  give  such  injunctions  to  His 
 disciples,  showing  that  it  was  profitable  to  be  hated.  He 
 did  so  without  a  reason,  and  not  to  profit  them  in  any 
 thing  that  is  necessary  ?  Put  aside  this  folly ;  for  His 
 Word  would  not  fall  away  into  such  a  meaning  as  this. 
 He  counsels  them  not  to  guard  against  being  noway  hated 
 by  every  one,  and  says  excellently,  in  the  clearest  and 
 most  precise  language,  //  the  world  hateth  you,  that  is, 
 if  those  who  honour  what  is  of  the  world  and  set  their 
 affections  on  earthly  things  alone  should  view  you  with 
 hatred,  know  then  indeed.  He  declares,  that  your  Master 
 endured  this  before  you. 
 
412    The  disciples,  dislil-ed  hy  Jeivs  and  hecdhens, 
 
 Book  10.  But  any  one  might  very  readily  perceive  that  the 
 '  command  of  the  Saviour  will  bring  full  profit  to  the 
 expounders  of  the  sweetest  mysteries,  if  he  would  look 
 at  the  nature  of  the  circumstances.  For  it  is  always  dear 
 — nay,  rather,  it  is  the  object  of  their  earnest  endeavour — 
 to  thrust  away  as  grievous  and  as  monstrous  the  word 
 that  maketh  wise,  and  to  set  upon  those  who  are  zealous 
 to  introduce  the  noblest  of  studies,  and  those  by  which 
 they  will  become  better  than  they  were  before ;  yielding 
 up  the  victory  to  their  private  pleasures  only.  But  a 
 necessary  consideration  had  well-nigh  escaped  my  notice, 
 although  especially  appropriate  to,  and  connected  with, 
 the  investigation  of  the  words  before  us. 
 
 For  the  Jews,  serving  only  the  letter  of  the  Mosaic 
 Law,  and  putting  their  own  construction  on  those  things 
 
 Heb.  ix.  that  were  performed  as  types  itntd  a  time  of  reformation, 
 made  no  account  whatsoever  of  the  training  of  the  Gospel, 
 but  thought  they  ought  to  consider  its  ministers  as  even 
 more  unendurable  than  their  bitterest  foes.  And  others, 
 pursuing  a  different  error,  and  attaching  the  unspeakable 
 glory  of  God  to  the  creature,  I  mean  tbe  heathen,  did  not 
 very  gladly  receive  the  word  that  was  capable  of  illumin- 
 ing them.  For  being  as  it  were  absorbed  in  their  former 
 vices,  they  accounted  their  ignorance  as  most  precious, 
 and  were  as  little  as  possible  inclined  to  depart  from  the 
 disease  akin  to  it.  And  since  the  nature  of  the  case  was 
 so,  who  could  doubt  that  the  disciples  of  the  Saviour 
 would  not  only  be  hated  by  the  Jews  but  also  utterly 
 despised  by  those  diseased  with  the  error  of  the  Greeks  ? 
 But  they  were  very  unwelcome,  nay,  they  were  intolerable, 
 to  those  preferring  to  devote  themselves  to  pleasure  and 
 honouring  a  life  that  spent  itself  in  luxury.  But  if  the 
 disciples  of  the  Saviour  were  to  consider  the  consequence 
 of  being  hated  by  those  already  mentioned  as  grievous, 
 while  they  rather  hastened  to  strive  after  and  extra- 
 vagantly to  pursue  the  affection  of  those  in  this  diseased 
 condition,  is  it  not  quite  clear  to  all  that  they  would  be 
 manifestly  not  putting  forth  the  word  that  is  able  to  save 
 
ivere  not  to  seek  to  please  men.  ^413 
 
 to  any  one  whatsoever,  but  would  be  rather  bestowing  Chap.  2. 
 their  thoughts  on  vain  trivialities,  and  restraining  the  ^"  ■^^' 
 rebuke  that  proceeds  from  boldness  of  sj^eech  according 
 to  the  Will  of  God,  speaking  and  expounding  forsooth 
 according  to  each  individual  taste  1 
 
 The  injunction  therefore  not  too  eagerly  to  seek  to  be 
 loved  and  to  disregard  incurring  the  hatred  of  some  is 
 necessary  if  they  gain  profit  from  their  counsels.     This 
 also  we  shall  see  St.  Paul  doing  when  he  says  plainly : — 
 Fo7'  am  I  noiu  persuading  men,  or  God  ?  or  am  I  seeking  Gal.i.  lO. 
 to  please  men  ?    If  I  were  still  wishing  to  please  men,  I 
 should  not  be  a  servant  of  Christ.     And  again,  when  he 
 had  rebuked  someone  in  Corinth,  and  heard  that  he  was 
 excessively  pained,  he  says  :    For  if  I  make  you  sorry,  2  Cor.  ii. 
 who  then  is  he  that  maketh  me  glad,  but  he  that  is  made  "" 
 so7vy  by  me?  For  godly  sorroiv  tuorketh  repentance  unto  ibid. vii. 
 salvation,  a  repentance  ivhich  bringeth  no  regret.   It  will  ^^' 
 therefore   be    quite    indisputable   that  the  word  which 
 consults  the  pleasure  of  the  listeners  will  flatter  rather 
 than  benefit  the  world  ;  but  he  who  obeys  the  words  of 
 the  Saviour  will  not  conduct  his  ministry  in  this  way. 
 For  he  will  prefer  rather  to  please  Him,  and  will  regard 
 even  the  being  hated  by  those,  and  will  consider  even 
 the  hatred  of  those  who  have  chosen  to  treat  virtue  with 
 the  utniost  hostility,  as  spiritual  wealth. 
 
 When  then.  He  says,  the  hatred  that  you  have  stirred 
 up  against  you  in  the  world  is  found  at  times  to  militate 
 against  your  good  repute,  overcome  and  cast  aside  this 
 stumbling-block  in  your  path,  seeing  that  honours  paid 
 you  by  those  who  love  the  world  cannot  give  you  much 
 pleasure,  if  they  cannot  endure  to  hear  the  word  that 
 profits  them.  For  I  am  of  a  truth  your  Lord  and  Master. 
 But  that  those  who  preferred  to  mind  earthly  things  and 
 despised  the  heavenly  blessings  hated  Christ  Himself  also 
 to  their  own  destruction,  I  think  it  not  difficult  to  show. 
 For  He  said  in  the  Gospels  to  some :  The  world  cannot  Supra 
 hate  you ;  but  Me  it  hateth,  because  I  testify  of  it  that  its  ^"" 
 ivorks  are  evil.    Making  Himself  then  again  a  pattern  to 
 
414  Christ  turns  trouble  into  joy. 
 
 Book  10.  His  holy  disciples  in  this,  He  bids  them  follow  the  track 
 
 ■  there  laid  down  when  He  said  again  openly  in  another 
 
 S.  Matt,  place :  Blessed  are  ye  when  mien  shall  persecute  you,  and 
 
 ^'     '     '  shall  reproach  you,  and  say  all  manner  of  evil  against 
 
 you  falsely  for  My  sake.    Rejoice  and  be  eaxeeding  glad ; 
 
 for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven:  for  so  persecuted 
 
 they  the  ijrophets  which  ivere  before  you. 
 
 19  If  y^  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love  its  own  :  hut 
 because  ye  are  not  of  the  ivorld,  but  I  chose  you  out  of  the 
 world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  you. 
 
 He  lightens  by  His  art  even  that  which  was  most 
 grievous,  and  gives  them  unexpected  pleasure  at  that 
 which  it  was  reasonable  to  suppose  would  greatly  trouble 
 them.  For  to  be  hated  by  any  is  truly  burdensome, 
 because  sly  injuries  and  unexpected  devices  are  the  result; 
 yet  this  too  is  sweet  when  it  happens  for  the  sake  of  God 
 and  righteousness,  and  it  supplies  a  convincing  proof 
 that  the  man  against  whom  some  thus  act  is  not  of  the 
 world.  For  as  we  find  physical  so  also  shall  we  find 
 moral  affinities,  and  a  sameness  and  complete  likeness 
 of  disposition  is  sufiicient  to  undermine  mere  blood- 
 relationship. 
 Ecclns.  For  every  crecdure  loveth  its  like,  according  to  the 
 ^g"'  ^^'  Scripture,  and  a  man  tvill  be  attached  to  his  like.  Now 
 whereas  similarity  of  character  renews  the  law  of  love 
 towards  one  another,  the  holy  will  live  with  the  holy  and 
 very  readily  conform  to  him,  and  be  joined  to  him  in 
 friendly  union.  And  so  also  will  be  the  attitude  of  one  of 
 like  disposition  towards  a  blasphemer.  For  this  reason 
 the  Mosaic  Law  made  a  complete  distinction  between 
 what  was  holy  and  profane,  keeping  such  things  apart 
 and  separate  from  one  another  according  to  the  law 
 of  love. 
 1  Cor.  XV.  Evil  company  doth  corrupt  good  manners,  and 
 ^^"  differences  of  disposition  are  at  war  with  one  another,  and 
 
 wills    that  are  divided  look  in  opposite  directions  and 
 almost  accuse  one  another :  each  being  enamoured  of  its 
 
Hatred  by  the  ivorld  a  iwoof  of  virtue.        415 
 
 own  pursuit.  The  lover  of  virtue  then  must  incur  hatred  Chap.  2. 
 for  the  very  things  which  excite  our  admiration — his  ^'  ^^' 
 rebuking  vice  and  unveiling  the  vileness  of  the  wicked 
 by  the  contrast  that  his  own  manner  of  life  presents. 
 For  when  goodness  is  seen  by  its  side,  what  is  evil  must 
 appear  unseemly.  For  this  cause  then  I  think  those  who 
 are  not  enamoured  of  the  same  manner  of  life  rage 
 against  the  virtuous. 
 
 He  bids  then  His  disciples  not  be  pained,  even  though 
 they  see  themselves  hateful  to  the  world  on  account  of 
 their  love  of  virtue  and  righteousness  towards  Him,  but 
 explains  that  they  ought  on  the  contrary  to  rejoice,  re- 
 ceiving the  hatred  of  the  world  as  a  proof  of  their  dignity 
 and  praise  with  God.  For  see  how  dangerous  He  has 
 shown  their  not  enduring  to  suffer  (which  it  was  likely 
 they  would  prefer)  to  be.  For  to  be  hated  by  any  was  not 
 absolutely  without  loss.  But  it  has  not  the  free  pardon 
 from  God,  and  the  great  gain  which  results  from  pre- 
 ferring to  suffer  it.  For  if  the  man  who  is  hated  by 
 those  who  mind  worldly  things  is  considered  as  outside 
 the  world,  it  is  necessary  then  to  suppose  that  the  man 
 who  is  not  hated  is  united  to  the  vices  of  the  world. 
 
 What  then  has  Christ  established  by  these  words  ? 
 That  they  should  preach  His  word  with  boldness,  and 
 should  not  permit  their  hearers  to  be  unprofited,  from 
 their  regard  towards  sinners  or  those  who  prefer  to  dis- 
 obey the  Divine  command ;  but  that,  leaving  unnoticed 
 the  affronts  that  will  often  result  from  being  hated,  they 
 should  give  bold  and  fearless  counsel,  passing  by  nothing 
 whatsoever  or  esteeming  anything  of  more  consequence 
 than  the  necessity  of  serving  God.  This  object  St.  Paul 
 well  accomplishes  when  he  writes  thus:  For  am  I  »ou' Gal.i.  10. 
 'jjersuading  men,  or  God?  or  arti  I  seeJdng  to  please 
 'men  ?  If  I  were  still  pleasing  vien,  I  should  not  he  a 
 servant  of  Christ.  For  it  is  not  possible  to  please  evil 
 men  and  God.  For  how  could  the  two  coincide,  the  will 
 of  each  presenting  the  widest  divergence  ?  For  one  looks 
 towards  virtue,  and  the  other  looks  towards  vice.     The 
 
41 6  Christ  removes  imjjediments  fror)i  His  disciples'  path. 
 
 Book  10.  man  therefore  who  wishes  only  to  be  the  servant  of  God, 
 '^'  ^'  '  and  who  regards  nothing  as  superior  to  piety  towards 
 Him,  must  necessarily  be  in  conflict  with  those  who  love 
 the  world,  whenever  he  persuades  them  to  a  state  of 
 mind  out  of  harmony  with  the  vain  folly  of  the  world. 
 For  advice  which  calls  to  something  else  is  most  intoler- 
 able to  lovers  of  pleasure,  as  assuredly  are  profitable  and 
 severe  remedies  to  those  whose  bodies  are  diseased  by 
 these  passions. 
 
 20  Remember  the  ivord  that  I  said  unto  you,  A  servant  is  not 
 greater  than  his  lord.  If  they  2)ersecuted  Me,  they  will 
 also  2)ersecu('e  you;  if  they  kept  My  word,  they  will  kee}) 
 yours  also. 
 
 After  having  first  then  shown  that  the  hatred  His 
 followers  would  incur  was  honourable  to  them  if  justified 
 by  the  occasion — for  it  can  well  be  borne,  nay,  it  is 
 even  thrice-longed  for,  when  it  happens  on  account  of 
 God,  Who  is  able  to  set  men  above  hindrances — He  re- 
 moves that  which,  as  God,  He  was  aware  would  induce 
 them  to  be  slow  to  be  willing  to  devote  all  their  energies 
 to  the  duty  of  preaching  the  heavenly  doctrine.  Far 
 whereas  disgrace  and  danger  follow  for  the  most  part 
 those  that  are  bent  on  teaching,  whenever  their  words 
 are  not  found  agreeable  to  those  whom  they  admonish, 
 and  besides  persecution  is  incurred,  their  message  some- 
 times not  being  received,  He  vigorously  and  earnestly 
 exhorts  them  to  be  prepared  for  these  things  and  very 
 ready  to  meet  them.  This  too  He  has  set  forth  in  other 
 S.  Matt,  words,  saying :  Woe  unto  the  ivorld  because  of  occasions 
 xvni.  7.  ^y  stumbling!  for  it  must  needs  be  that  the  occasions 
 come.  But  He  exercises  an  entire  control  over  them, 
 representing  His  own  condition  in  this  respect  in  order 
 that  they  may  not  aim  at  what  is  greater  nor  be  found 
 behaving  unseemly  after  a  different  manner,  but  neces- 
 sarily as  it  were  folio  wing  in  the  wake  of  the  glory  of 
 the  Lord  may  be  anxious  not  to  be  above  Him.  He  sig- 
 nifies to  them  that  they  will  meet  every  kind  of  oppro- 
 
Men  by  humility  endure  provocation.         417 
 
 brium,  saying,  "  the  slave  is  not  above  his  lord."  For  Chap.  2. 
 Me,  He  says,  wicked  men  assailed  with  unbridled  ^'  ^^' 
 tongue ;  and,  leaving  no  kind  of  insult  untried,  they 
 called  Me  a  man  possessed  of  a  devil,  and  a  drunkard, 
 and  the  fruit  of  fornication.  Yet  I  did  not  immediately 
 seek  their  punishment,  but  not  being  cut  to  the  heart 
 by  theu'  insults,  I  vouchsafed  unto  My  hearers  the  word 
 of  salvation.  Do  not,  then,  seek  out  of  reason  your  own 
 aggrandisement,  nor  scorn  the  limits  within  which  your 
 Lord  was  bound,  Who  lowered  Himself  to  such  humilia- 
 tion for  us  to  benefit  all.  Therefore  it  makes  men 
 superior  to  the  bitterness  of  speech  and  the  impiety  of 
 those  who  are  accustomed  to  find  fault,  as  indeed  also  the 
 blessed  prophet  Jeremiah  when  harassed  said  with  re- 
 spect to  this  very  thing :  My  strength  hath  failed  me  Jer.  xv, 
 by  reason  of  those  who  curse  me;  while  the  inspired 
 Paul,  showing  still  more  nobility  of  character  under  the 
 like  treatment,  and  gaining  a  great  victory  over  the 
 impiety  of  those  who  insulted  him,  says  :  Being  reviled,  i  Cor.  iv, 
 we  bless  ;  being  defamed,  we  entreat.  For  to  love  to  con-  ' 
 tend  against  such  things  as  these  is  the  work  of  a  mind 
 humble  of  spirit  according  to  the  Scripture,  and  adorned 
 with  a  truly  modest  temper.  For  long- suffering  and  for- 
 bearance spring  up  and  arise  as  though  from  a  good  root, 
 especially  at  such  a  time.  But  the  inability  to  endure 
 words  of  provocation  or  any  kind  of  ill  repute  whatever 
 among  men,  would  give  a  clear  proof  of  an  understand- 
 ing that  loves  boasting,  and  of  a  disposition  but  little 
 estranged  from  the  love  of  worldly  glory.  For  what  in- 
 jury can  insolence  inflict  on  him  who  is  free  from  pride  ? 
 And  how  shall  the  reviling  of  any  one  be  grievous  to 
 him  who  aims  not  at  worldly  reputation? 
 
 He  well  exhorts  us  to  have  a  mind  that  goes  beyond 
 this  most  worthless  reputation — I  mean  that  which  is  the 
 object  of  worldly  honour — and  that  mounts  far  beyond 
 such  things  as  these.  But  He  forearms  them  as  it  were 
 with  a  necessary  safeguard,  so  that  they  may  be  willing 
 to  manifest  such  a  spirit,  and  sets  before  them  an  argu- 
 
 YOL.  II.  E  e 
 
418    The  discijjles  are  forearmed  against  persecution 
 
 Book  10.  mcnt  which  thrusts  aside  the  contumely  that  results 
 c.  XV.  _  .  £^,Qj^  weakness,  namely  that  which  we  mentioned  at  fii'st, 
 the  following  in  the  wake  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  and 
 with  joy  confronting  everything  that  comes  in  its  season, 
 until  they  attain  to  glory  through  God  ;  not  being  bowed 
 down  by  dishonour  like  a  feeble  laggard,  nor  checking 
 the  boldness  of  their  teaching  and  neglecting  the  Divine 
 commands  when  they  are  bitterly  reviled,  but  rather  to 
 lay  hold  of  love  towards  their  brethren,  and  to  hasten  in 
 every  way  to  help  those  that  are  astray. 
 
 Persuading  them  therefore  to  shun  the  temporary 
 honour  of  the  world  that  lies  immediately  before  them, 
 He  makes  another  earnest  contention,  useful  and  neces- 
 sary. For  if,  He  says,  they  persecuted  Me,  they  will  cdso 
 persecute  you.  And  the  drift  of  this  is  allied  to  His 
 previous  words.  He  still  therefore  persuades  them  to 
 endure  suffering,  and  removes  by  anticipation  the  weak- 
 ness caused  by  the  reflections  that  naturally  arise  in  us. 
 For  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  disciples  of  the  Saviour, 
 incurring  the  anger  of  the  persecutors  of  the  truth,  would 
 fall  into  the  terrors  of  persecution.  But  it  was  very 
 right  for  them  to  reflect  that  when  they  preached  the 
 message  of  the  glory  of  Christ,  they  would  at  all  events 
 partake  of  the  riches  of  His  mercy,  so  that  they  should 
 think  nothing  at  all  a  hindrance  in  the  way  of  so  desii'- 
 able  a  zeal,  but  should  appear  superior  to  all  panic  and 
 danger,  having  nothing  painful  to  undergo,  but  rather 
 exultins:  in  the  honours  that  all  men  would  bestow  on 
 them  as  ministering  unto  them  the  word  of  salvation. 
 And  it  was  a  perfectly  right  object  that  those  who  were 
 anxious  to  call  men  into  eternal  life  and  were  found  to  be 
 messengers  to  their  hearers  of  blessings  from  God  should 
 expect  this,  and  seek  to  be  included  among  men  so 
 blessed.  But  as  every  man  inclines  his  own  purpose  in 
 the  direction  of  his  wishes,  and  directs  it  to  suit  his  will 
 and  pleasure,  it  was  the  more  necessary  that  it  should  be 
 pointed  out  that  those  who  are  hostile  to  the  truth  and 
 are  subjugated  by  the  pleasures  of  vice  must  fight  through 
 
hy  the  Example  of  Christ  419 
 
 conviction  with  those  who  call  them  away  from  the  ob-  Chap.  2. 
 jects  of  their  pursuit.     For  lessons  which  have  this  object  ^'  ^^"  "  " 
 are  not  pleasant  to  those  who  love  pleasure.    It  remained 
 then  of  necessity  to  show  what  they  would  have  to  expect 
 from  those  who,  being  ranked  among  their  foes,  would  per- 
 secute them,  and  insult  them,  and  try  every  kindof  assault. 
 
 Christ  therefore  exhorts  them  to  confront  this  boldly, 
 not  denying  that  it  will  happen.  And  because  His 
 followers  ought  to  show  a  manful  spirit,  He  instructs 
 them  and  foretells  the  dangers  they  will  encounter.  For 
 if,  He  says,  they  persecuted  Me,  they  will  also  persecute 
 you.  This  is  just  as  if  He  had  said  :  "  I,  the  Creator  of 
 the  Universe,  Who  have  all  things  under  My  hand,  both 
 in  heaven  and  on  earth,  did  not  put  a  bridle  on  their  rage, 
 nor  restrained  as  it  were  by  bonds  the  inclination  of  each 
 of  my  hearers.  But  I  rather  left  to  the  choice  of  each  his 
 own  course,  and  permitted  all  to  do  as  they  liked. 
 And  therefore  I,  when  persecuted,  endured  it,  though  I 
 had  the  power  of  preventing  it.  When  therefore  ye  also 
 are  persecuted,  enduring  for  a  time  the  aversion  of  those 
 who  hate  you,  and  not  being  too  much  troubled  by  the 
 ingratitude  of  those  whom  you  benefit,  following  in  the 
 wake  of  My  dispensation  pursue  the  same  course  as 
 I  did,  that  you  may  attain  the  like  glory.  For  those 
 who  suffer  with  Me  shall  also  reign  with  Me." 
 
 And  by  the  third  addition,  //  they  kept  My  tcord, 
 they  ivill  keep  yours  also,  He  bids  them  not  to  be  dis- 
 heartened when  their  teaching  is  sometimes  not  re- 
 ceived ;  and  He  does  this  also  excellently  and  well.  For 
 he  who  has  been  appointed  to  this  work  thinks  that 
 he  has  lost  his  labour  if  any  refuse  to  obey  his  words. 
 But  the  case  is  not  so.  Let  no  one  think  that  it  is : 
 for  how  is  that  possible  ?  For  the  adviser  who  has 
 once  spoken  and  set  forth  the  knowledge  of  what  is 
 good,  has  done  that  which  was  in  his  power.  The  rest 
 will  depend  upon  the  disposition  of  his  hearers.  For 
 it  is  easy  for  them  to  turn,  each  to  what  he  wishes, 
 either  to  obedience  or  the  opposite.     Those    then  who 
 
 E  e  2 
 
420  Tlie  Apostle  must  lyreach.  the  Word, 
 
 Book  10.  are  our  guides  to  the  best  life  must  not  shrink  back, 
 c.  XV.  -  .  gQ  ^T^^^  they  may  sow  in  the  reprobates  the  Word  that 
 is  able  to  profit  by  Divine  power,  and  may  be  able  to 
 order  aright  what  we  cannot  attain  unto  by  their  faith- 
 ful ministration,  a  thing  which  we  find  well  practised 
 and  brought  to  perfection  in  the  distribution  of  the 
 talents.  For  one  is  found  taking  ten,  and  another  five, 
 and  another  two,  and  besides  these  yet  another  taking 
 one,  who,  disdaining  to  use  it  for  commercial  purposes, 
 buried  the  talent  in  the  earth.  And  for  this  reason  it 
 S.  Matt,  was  said  to  him :  Thou  luicked  and  slothful  servard, 
 XXV.  26,  ij^Q^  oughtest  to  have  put  viy  money  to  the  bankers, 
 and  at  my  coming  I  shoidd  have  received  back  mine 
 own  loith  interest.  For  just  as  those  who  have  been 
 trained  to  agricultural  industry,  and  who  have  this 
 object  in  view,  cutting  up  the  land  vdth  the  plough 
 and  then  burying  the  seed  in  the  furrow,  leave  the 
 rest  no  longer  to  their  own  skill  but  rather  entrust  it 
 to  the  power  and  favour  of  God,  I  mean  the  taking 
 root  of  that  which  is  cast  into  the  earth  and  nourish- 
 ing it  up  to  perfect  fruit,  so  I  think  the  expounder  of 
 the  noblest  truths  ought  only  to  distribute  the  Word 
 and  leave  the  rest  to  God. 
 
 The  Saviour  therefore  gives  His  advice  in  this  mat- 
 ter to  His  disciples  as  a  medicine  for  want  of  spirit 
 and  a  cure  of  listlessness.  For  do  not  ever  choose  to 
 shrink.  He  says,  from  continuing  to  teach,  even  if  some 
 of  those  who  have  once  been  admonished  should  make 
 of  no  account  the  teaching  that  has  been  given  them. 
 But  finding  that  even  My  words  are  often  not  received 
 by  many,  do  not  strive  to  surpass  My  reputation,  and, 
 following  in  My  steps  in  this  also,  lay  aside  despon- 
 dency. And  this  instruction  was  very  necessary  to  the 
 holy  Apostles,  since  they  were  about  to  preach  to  all 
 men  the  message  of  God  and  salvation.  And  therefore 
 the  inspired  Paul,  as  having  been  nominated  to  his 
 Apostleship  by  Christ,  has  shown  himself  to  us  a  man  of 
 this  kind,  and  is  often  seen  to  attain  manliness  herein. 
 
hilt  he  must  leave  the  result  to  God.  421 
 
 For  it  is  easy  to   show  that   he   thought   he   ought  to  Chap.  2. 
 
 despise  the  love  of  honour,  and  to  treat  persecution  as  '  ^  ' 
 
 utterly  of  no  account,  while  he  considered  it  of  great 
 
 importance   not   to  be  too   fainthearted,  even  if  some 
 
 entirely  refused   to   receive   the    Word   that  was    once 
 
 scattered  among  them.     For  he  writes  to  some  :    Ye  are  1  Cor.  iv. 
 
 ,  .    ,  10, 11. 
 
 wise  in  Christ,  hut  we  are  fools  for  Christ's  sake;   we 
 
 are  iveak,  hut  ye  are  strong ;   %ve  have  dishonour,  hut  ye 
 
 have  glory.    Even  unto  this  present  hour  we  hoth  hunger 
 
 and   thirst;    and  yet  again,  besides,  these  words:    TTe  ibid.  13. 
 
 (ire  made  as  the  filth  of  the  tvorld,  the  offscouring  of  all 
 
 things  even  until  notu.  So  you  see  then  that  he  was  above 
 
 worldly  repute,  on  account  of  the  commandment  of  the 
 
 Saviour.    But,  showing  his  nobleness  in  persecutions,  he 
 
 said :   Who  shall  separate  us  from,  the  love  of  Christ  ?  Rom.viii. 
 
 Shall  tribulation,  or  anguish,  or  persecution,  or  famine, 
 
 or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword?     He  writes  also  to 
 
 others,  that  to  speak  the  same  things,  to  me  indeed  is  not  P^iii-  "i- 
 
 irksome,  hut  for  you  it  is  safe.     And  yet  again  to  the 
 
 Galatians :  My  little  children,  of  whom  I  wm  again  in  Gal.  iv. 
 
 travail  until  Christ  he  formed  in  you.     You  hear  with 
 
 how    little    hesitation    he    repeats    the    same    message, 
 
 though  the  first  that  he  had   originally  given  had  not 
 
 gained  acceptance,  and  well  says  that  he  travailed  in 
 
 birth  for  some  until  the  forming  of  Christ  in  them  should 
 
 appear.     And  his  preaching  eflfected  this,  moulding  his 
 
 hearers  into  the  love  of  God  and  into  the   likeness  of 
 
 Christ  by  faith. 
 
 21      But  all  these  things  will  they  do  unto  you  for  My  Name's 
 sake,  because  they  know  not  Him  that  sent  Me. 
 
 He  declares  that  those  who  choose  to  act  impiously 
 against  His  holy  disciples  will  do  it  on  no  other  plea  than 
 "  My  Name  "  only.  For  this  is  a  reproach  against  those 
 who  honour  God,  and  an  excuse  for  setting  themselves 
 against  them  on  the  part  of  those  who  do  not  know 
 Him.    But  since  it  is  clear  to  all  that  no  one  would  suffer 
 
422  Those  ivho  reject  Chrisfs  servants 
 
 Book  10.  anything  for  the  sake  of  God  without  reward,  for  a 
 ^'  ^^'  "  '  glorious  crown  will  await  them,  He  incites  them  again 
 to  courage,  and  makes  their  spirit  steadfast,  thrusting 
 aside  the  misery  of  that  which  they  expect  by  the  hope 
 of  the  return.  He  points  out  then  that  the  very  perils 
 they  endure  are  gain  and  an  object  of  prayer,  and  rids 
 of  all  its  terrors  that,  the  very  prospect  of  the  occuri'ence 
 of  which  might  stupefy  some,  and  exhorts  His  disciples  to 
 welcome  it  with  the  greatest  eagerness.  And  indeed  when 
 they  were  once  summoned  before  the  impious  Council  of 
 the  Jews,  and  had  been  severely  buffeted  with  stripes 
 Acts  V.  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  they  went  forth  from  the  presence 
 of  the  council,  rejoicing,  according  to  the  Scripture,  that 
 they  were  counted  luorthy  to  suffer  dishonour  for  the 
 Name  of  the  Lord.  And  of  a  truth  they  earnestly  exhort 
 us  to  endure  suffering  in  this  cause,  and  in  no  way  to  be 
 dismayed  by  it,  even  if  we  have  to  encounter  any  pain 
 1  S.  Pet.  for  Christ's  sake.  For  let  none  of  you  suffer  as  a  mur~ 
 ^^'  '  derer,  or  a  thief,  or  an  evil-doer :  hut  if  a  nucn  suffer  as 
 a  Christian  let  him  not  be  ashar)ied ;  but  let  him  glorify 
 God  in  this  Name.  Most  pleasant  then  is  suffering  for 
 Christ's  sake,  and  sweet  is  peril  when  its  presence  is 
 occasioned  by  love  towards  God. 
 
 But  consider  how  here  again,  showing  Himself  as  One 
 with  His  Father,  He  says  that  neither  the  Jews  nor 
 those  who  were  about  to  persecute  the  preachers  of  the 
 Name  of  Christ,  knew  either  the  Father  or  the  Son.  For 
 he  who  deems  it  his  duty  to  dishonour  the  Son  is 
 avowedly  a  hater  of  the  Father  ;  not  indeed  as  trans- 
 gressing against  another  nature,  but  as  insulting  the 
 true  dignity  of  His  natural  Divinity.  For  none  could  be 
 convicted  of  insolence  against  the  Son,  if  he  respected 
 the  nature  of  the  Father.  And  if  he  were  at  all 
 acquainted  with  the  actual  nature  of  the  Father,  how 
 came  he  to  be  ignorant  that  He  was  begotten  by  Him  ? 
 And  will  not  he  who  spoils  the  fruit  produced  from  it 
 injure  the  parent  tree  ?  Sin  against  the  Son  therefore  is 
 a  convincing  proof  of  ignorance  of  God  the  Father. 
 
reject  both  Father  and  Son.  423 
 
 But  whereas  He  did  not  say,  Because  they  hiww  not  Chap.  2. 
 My  Father,  but  Him  that  sent  Me,  I  think  He  wished  to  °-  ''''•  ^^■ 
 hint  at  something  of  this  kind.  His  aim,  as  it  seems, 
 was  to  show  that  those  who  practised  persecution  against 
 His  devoted  servants,  plainly  tied  their  heads  as  it  were  in 
 a  noose  of  a  double  transgression.  For  not  merely,  He  says, 
 will  they  be  convicted  of  ignorance  of  My  origin,  or  be 
 justly  condemned  on  he  charge  of  atheism,  but  will  ac- 
 tually be  found  rebuking  the  true  wisdom  of  God  the 
 Father.  For  if  He  sent  His  own  Son  to  raise  that  which 
 had  fallen  away,  to  renew  that  which  was  worn  out,  to  set 
 forth  life  to  all  in  the  world,  while  those  in  the  world  set 
 themselves  against  and  impiously  oppose  such  as  choose  to 
 preach  Him  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  they  will  be  very 
 clearly  convicted  of  ignorance  and  of  fighting  against  Him 
 that  sent  Me.  For  by  the  expression  "  being  sent,"  He 
 introduces  a  clear  proof  of  His  Incarnation.  But  he  that 
 is  ignorant  of  Him  that  sent  Me,  shows  by  this  very  fact 
 his  ignorance  of  God,  and  dishonours  the  mystery  of  My 
 mission. 
 
 22     If  I  had  not  come  and  spoken  unto  them,  they  had  not  had 
 sin  :  hut  now  tliey  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin. 
 
 We  may  take  in  two  ways  the  meaning  of  the  words 
 before  us.  For  if  any  one  should  suppose  that  this  pas- 
 sage was  directed  against  Greeks  and  Jews  alike,  we  say 
 that  unless  the  Divine  and  heavenly  message,  I  mean  the 
 Gospel,  had  come  to  all  that  are  on  the  earth,  pointing 
 out  to  each  individual  the  way  of  salvation  and  making 
 plain  the  works  of  righteousness,  their  complete  igno- 
 rance of  what  is  pleasing  to  God  would  perhaps  have 
 been  a  strong  reason  in  each  case  for  the  pardon  of  those 
 who  are  not  eager  in  pursuing  virtue.  This  ignorance  of 
 theirs  makes  them  seem  worthy  of  pardon.  But  whereas 
 the  word  of  the  Gospel  has  been  directed  to  all  men,  what 
 reason  for  pardon  is  there,  or  with  what  words  should  any 
 one  address  Him  that  judgeth,  when  accused  after  know- 
 
424  Christ  foretells  to  the  disciples 
 
 Book  10.  ledge  of  the  worst  crimes  ?  But  if  the  Lord  is  saying 
 c.  XV.  22.  ^j^^g  concerning  the  Jews  only,  as  having  very  often 
 listened  to  His  teaching,  and  as  being  in  no  way 
 ignorant  of  what  He  commanded  them  to  think  and  do, 
 let  Him  illustrate  it  thus:  They  will  not  endure  your 
 teaching,  He  says,  but  will  bring  upon  you  trials  and 
 persecutions,  and  will  devise  against  you  every  kind  of 
 terror,  and  from  their  bitterness  will  be  consumed  with 
 an  unjust  hatred  against  you,  not  able  indeed  to  charge 
 you  with  any  wickedness,  but  blaming  only  your  love 
 towards  Me.  But  searching:  as  it  were  for  an  excuse  for 
 the  cruelty  of  their  madness,  and  diminishing  the  baseness 
 of  their  love  of  self-gratification,  they  will  actually  cite 
 Moses  and  the  books  of  Moses,  and  will  pretend  that  I 
 was  an  opponent  of  their  ancestral  laws.  But  if  I  had 
 not  come  and  set  forth  commands  superior  to  the  Law 
 given  by  Moses ;  if  I  had  not  fulfilled  it  by  many  words, 
 showing  that  it  was  now  high  time  to  pass  beyond  mere 
 types,  and  that  there  had  been  enough  of  patterns  and 
 shadows,  but  that  the  hour  had  come  in  which  the  truth 
 itself  should  shine  forth  ;  if  I  had  not  shown  this  from 
 Supra  the  Law  itself,  saying  in  the  clearest  language.  If  ye 
 believed  Moses,  ye  ivould  believe  Me;  for  he  ivrote  of 
 Me ;  if  I  had  not  made  it  clear  that  My  word  harmon- 
 ized with  the  testimonies  of  the  prophets,  and  that  the 
 power  of  My  Presence  had  already  been  predicted  and 
 proclaimed,  they  would  have  had  reasonable  grounds  for 
 their  madness  against  Me  and  you.  Since  nothing  has 
 been  left  out,  but  everything  that  was  essential  has  been 
 said,  the  reason  which  they  have  devised  to  cover  the 
 nakedness  of  their  sin  is  vain. 
 
 This  consideration  then  I  think  should  harmonize 
 with  the  words  of  the  Saviour ;  but  in  showing  the 
 terrible  charges  that  will  be  brought  against  those  who 
 injure  them,  and  in  saying  that  those  who  dare  to  do 
 such  things  will  one  day  be  chastised.  He  removes  the 
 greater  part  of  their  grief  and  wisely  withdraws  that 
 which  was  likely  to  cause  them  no  small  pain.      For 
 
 V.  46. 
 
that  God  ivill  judge  those  who  reject  Him.      425 
 
 the  conviction  that  the  workers  of  wickedness  will  pay  Chap.  2. 
 the  penalty  of  their   crimes  sometimes  makes   it  pos-  ^*  ^^'  "^' 
 sible  to  those  who  are  injured  to  endure  their  wicked- 
 ness.    And,  knowing  this,  the  Master  of  all  things  says : 
 Vengeance  belongeth  unto  Me  ;  I  tvill  recompense,  saith  Rom.  xii. 
 the  Lord.     Nay,  even  the  blessed  Paul   himself,   when     ' 
 struck  by  one  of  the  high  priests,  had  no  other  consola- 
 tion for  the  bitterness  of  suffering  than  this  that  we  have 
 mentioned.    For  what  did  he  say  ? — God  shall  smite  thee,  Acts 
 thou  whited  ivall.     This  then  is  a  medicine  for  human  ^'"'  ' 
 weakness — I  mean  the  expectation  of  the  punishment  of 
 those  who  have  chosen  to  act  unjustly.    Our  Lord,  how- 
 ever, is  superior  to  and  above  human  littleness.      When  i  s.  Pet. 
 He  was  reviled.  He  reviled  not  again  ;  when  He  suffered,  "*  "  ' 
 He  threatened  not,  according  to  the  Scripture.    But  when 
 struck    on   the    face,    He    made    no   angry  remark,   nor 
 threatened    the    man   who    dared   to   strike    Him,    but 
 answered  indeed  with  the  greatest  mildness  and  forbear- 
 ance,  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  hear  witness  of  the  evili^rdra. 
 hut  if  tvell,  tvhy  smitest  thou  Me  ?     The  word  then  of  the  ^^"^' " 
 prophet  is  true  :   Who  shall  he  made  equal  to  the  Lord  Ps.  ixviii. 
 in  the  clouds,  or  tvho  shall  he  likened  to  the  Lord  among  ^' 
 the  sons  of  God  ? 
 
 23     He  that  hatetli  Me  hateth  My  Father  also. 
 
 He  makes  a  definite  charge  of  atheism  against  those 
 who  choose,  in  the  impiety  of  their  minds  and  the 
 estrangement  of  their  hearts,  to  hate  Him.  And  the 
 charge  is  a  true  one.  For  those  who  dishonour  the  Son 
 will  not  be  guiltless  of  transgression  against  the  Father, 
 convinced  of  the  justice  of  their  hatred.  For  just  as 
 those  who  depreciate  the  shining  of  the  sun,  because  it 
 appears  and  exists  for  no  necessary  purpose,  bring  charges 
 of  uselessness,  and  direct  their  censure  also  against  its 
 Author  ;  and  just  as  whoever  sees  fit  to  despise  the  scent 
 of  flowers  will  cast  reproach  on  this  account  against 
 that  from  whence  it  was  derived — the  case  will  be  the 
 same,  I  suppose,  with  respect  to  the  Only-begotten  and 
 
426  A  war  III  ng  to  those 
 
 Book  10.  His  Father.      For  it  is  impossible  for  those  who  cen- 
 
 ^'  ^^"     •  sure   what   proceeds   from   anything   else   to  praise  its 
 
 s.  Matt,  author.    For  this  reason  Christ  said  to  the  Jews  :  A  good 
 
 tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit :  neither  can  a  corrwpt 
 
 tree  bring  forth  good  fruit ;   when  He  further  told  them 
 
 to  make  this  accurate  and  unexceptionable  distinction  in 
 
 Ibid.  xii.  this  matter:    Either  make  the  tree  corrupt  and  its  fruit 
 
 33. 
 
 corrupt.  For  whatever  one  could  truly  predicate  of  one 
 of  such  things  as  these,  that  I  suppose  he  must  neces- 
 sarily make  applicable  to  both.  For  when  there  is  one 
 nature,  surely  the  attributes  are  entirely  common  even 
 though  they  are  capable  of  separate  manifestation ;  and 
 whatever  a  man  might  do  against  what  proceeds  from 
 any  fountain,  that  he  would  plainly  do  against  the 
 fountain  itself.  Wherefore  Christ  says  that  he  thcdhateth 
 Me,  hcdeth  My  Fcdher  cdso.  And  He  appropriately  attri- 
 butes a  reference  to  the  Person  of  the  Father  to  any 
 charges  that  men  may  make  against  Himself.  And  He 
 will  none  the  less  satisfy  us  by  this  discourse  that  He  is 
 not  distinct  from  Him  by  reason  of  the  complete  identity 
 of  Their  Natures.  And  besides  He  terrifies  His  hearers 
 by  showing  how  very  perilous  it  is  to  choose  to  transgress 
 by  hating  Him,  and  He  assures  them  that  the  man  who 
 rejects  His  worship  will  be  defenceless  and  an  easy  prey 
 to  his  enemies,  inasmuch  as  he  insults  the  Person  of  the 
 Father  Himself.  For  since  insolence  against  His  Son 
 affects  Him  too,  He  will  also  be  offended. 
 
 Is  it  not  quite  clear  that  the  reception  of  this  belief 
 raised  the  confidence  of  His  holy  disciples  ?  At  the  same 
 time,  Christ  illustrated  another  essential  and  profound 
 truth — I  mean  this  of  which  I  will  speak.  Some  thought 
 in  their  unparalleled  madness  and  excessive  folly,  that 
 when  they  were  transgressing  against  the  Son,  and 
 opposing  the  words  of  the  Saviour,  they  were  giving 
 pleasure  to  God,  Who  was  the  Giver  of  the  Law ;  and 
 while  they  continued  to  confer  the  meed  of  victory  on 
 the  prophetic  dispensation  of  Moses,  they  showed  them- 
 selves true  guardians  of  the  love  of  God.     It  was  neces- 
 
who  reject  the  Son.  427 
 
 sary  therefore  to  show  the  falsity  of  their  boast,  and  to  Chap.  2. 
 teach  the  world  that  those  who  act  counter  to  the  laws  ^'  ^^"  ^^' 
 of  the   Saviour  set  themselves  as  it  were   against  the 
 entire  Divine  Nature,  insulted  in  the  Person  of  the  Son 
 ]iy  their  contumacy,  and  by  their  persistent  and  inex- 
 cusable disobedience,  which  He  clearly  declares  is  not 
 merely  aimed  against  His  own  Person,  but  also  affects 
 all  who  preach  the  Word  for  Him  and  through  Him.    He 
 then    that    enters    upon    opposition    against    the    holy 
 Apostles  themselves   is  an   enemy  of  God,  and  shows 
 insolence  towards  Him,  and  is  altogether  hostile  to  the 
 ineffable  and  unspeakable  Nature  of  the  Divine  Being, 
 for  the  Apostles  do  not  preach  themselves,  but  the  God  cf.  2  Cor, 
 and  Lord  of  all,  that  is,  Christ.  ^^"  ^" 
 
 24  If  I  had  not  done  among  tJieni  the  works  which  none  other 
 did,  they  had  not  had  sin  ;  hut  now  have  they  both  seen  and 
 luited  both  Me  and  My  Father. 
 
 Christ  none  the  less  shows  by  these  words  that  no 
 excuse  was  left  to  the  Jews  why  they  should  not  en- 
 counter the  doom  of  punishment  and  meet  irretrievable 
 damnation  For  clearly  nothing  that  could  profit  them 
 is  left  undone,  as  both  a  long  discourse  is  vouchsafed 
 them  which  might  easily  have  put  them  on  the  way  of 
 salvation,  and  miracles  were  shown  to  them  which  no  one 
 in  the  world  had  ever  seen  before.  For  what  saint  ever 
 vied  with  the  Saviour  in  working  miracles  ?  As  then 
 the  desire  of  honouring  Him  was  so  far  repugnant  to  the 
 Jews  that  they  even  preferred  to  hate  Him  in  the  impiety 
 of  their  minds,  will  not  the  burden  of  the  charge  weigh 
 most  gi'ievously  upon  them  ?  For  it  would  be  better  for 
 them  that  they  should  never  have  heard  His  wise  words 
 or  witnessed  His  unspeakable  wonder-working  power ; 
 for  perhaps  then  they  might  have  devised  some  such 
 specious  plea  as  this  for  pardon :  "  We  never  heard  any 
 of  the  truths  essential  to  salvation,  nor  did  we  see  any- 
 thing to  induce  faith  in  us."  But  since  it  was  not  from 
 one  of  the  holy  prophets,  but  from  Christ  Himself  Who 
 
428  Tlie  grievous  contumacy  of  the  Jeivs. 
 
 Book  10.  came  from  above  and  was  sent  to  us,  that  they  got  their 
 c.  XV.  25.  information ;  and  since  they  also  saw  strange  miracles 
 with  their  own  eyes,  for  Christ  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
 blind  although  no  other  man  had  ever  before  been  able 
 to  do  this ;  what  can  excuse  the  madness  of  the  Jews,  or 
 what  plea  can  extricate  them  from  punishment?  For 
 though  they  had  heard  and  seen,  they  hated  both  the 
 Son  and  the  Father ;  they  both  dishonoured  the  Word 
 sent  from  the  Father  through  the  Son,  and  also,  rejecting 
 the  honour  due  to  the  works  of  the  Divine  Nature,  stood 
 convicted  of  glaring  impiety  against  the  entire  Nature  of 
 God,  which  was  the  agent.  For  the  Father  Himself 
 certainly  co-operated  with  the  Son  when  He  worked  His 
 wonders,  not  as  doing  marvellous  works  by  an  external 
 instrument,  but  as  being  in  the  Son  through  the  identity 
 of  Their  Nature  and  the  immutability  of  Their  Substance. 
 The  wretched  Jews  then  showed  ingratitude,  and  lie  under 
 the  grievous  charge  of  gross  contumacy,  since  they  held  as 
 of  no  account  the  incomparable  teaching  of  the  Saviour, 
 and  besides  dishonoured  through  the  Son  and  in  the  Son 
 the  Nature  of  the  Father,  although  that  Nature  was  shown 
 to  be  the  worker  of  exceeding  great  miracles  to  them, 
 which  ought  to  have  drawn  and  attracted  the  most 
 stubborn  and  unteachable  into  ability  to  think  what 
 was  right  and  what  conduced  to  the  glory  of  God. 
 
 25     But  this  Cometh  to  pass,  that  the  word  may  he  fulfilled  that 
 is  written  in  their  Law,  They  hated  Me  without  a  cause. 
 
 And  He  shows  clearly  that  this  was  not  unforeseen  by 
 the  Law,  which  predicted  all  that  was  to  come  to 
 pass  ;  but  we  say  that  it  was  not  for  this  reason  that  the 
 Law  predicted  these  latter  days  that  the  Jews  when  they 
 visited  with  hatred  both  the  Father  and  the  Son  might 
 be  convicted  of  injustice,  but,  inasmuch  as  They  were 
 destined  to  be  so  hated  by  them,  the  Divine  and  Sacred 
 Law  presaged  it,  showing  that  the  Spirit  was  in  no  way 
 ignorant  of  the  future.  For  it  was  written  in  the  Book 
 of  Psalms,  as  spoken  by  the  Pei-son  of  Christ,  as  rebuking 
 
Chrisfs  luorks  deserved  not  enmity.  429 
 
 the  madness  of  the  Jews  and  saying,  They  hated[Me  luith  Chap.  2. 
 an  unjust  hatred.  For  surely  the  hatred  was  unjust.  Cer-  ^'  ^^" , 
 tainly  they  were  exasperated  against  Him  without  a  cause,  19," 
 who  so  far  from  having  their  hatred  justified,  in  regard 
 at  any  rate  to  the  character  of  the  works  that  were  done 
 among  them,  ought  rather  to  have  loved  Him  with  sur- 
 passing devotion  and  have  delighted  in  a  willingness  to  fol- 
 low Him.  For  let  any  one  who  wishes  to  excuse  the  disobe- 
 dience of  the  Jews  come  forward  and  tell  us  what  ground 
 for  hatred  any  one  could  have  against  Him.  Was  any  one 
 of  the  works  of  Christ  deserving  of  hatred  or  enmity  ?  His 
 deliverance  of  them  from  death  and  corruption  1  His 
 emancipation  of  them  from  the  tyranny  of  the  devil,  and 
 destruction  of  the  dominion  of  sin,  and  restoration  of  that 
 which  was  enslaved  to  sonship  with  God  ?  His  lifting 
 up  into  righteousness  (by  His  love  of  mankind  and  for- 
 giveness of  injuries)  those  who  were  dead  in  sin?  His 
 allowing  them  to  participate  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the 
 Divine  Nature,  and  throwing  open  unto  us  even  the 
 dwelling-place  of  the  holy  angels,  and  granting  "men  an 
 access  unto  heaven  ?  How  was  it  just,  that  He  Who  pro- 
 vided and  ordained  all  this  for  us  should  incur  hatred, 
 and  not  rather  be  requited  by  the  silence  of  unspoken 
 thanksgivings  and  with  the  boon  of  ceaseless  gratitude 
 at  our  hands  ?  Nothing,  however,  could  I  think  convert 
 the  stubborn  Jew  to  willingness  to  think  aright.  For 
 he  hated  without  a  cause  Him  Whom  he  ought  rather 
 to  have  loved  with  his  whole  heart  and  adorned  with 
 the  honour  of  obedience.  But  herein  our  Lord  well 
 shows  that  He  was  not  unaware  of  the  stubborn 
 temper  of  the  Jews,  but  had  foretold  and  foreknew  that 
 it  would  be  so  with  them,  but  still  treated  them  with 
 mildness  and  forgiveness,  as  became  His  Divine  Nature. 
 For  He  set  before  them,  ill-suited  as  they  were  to  re- 
 ceive it,  the  Word  which  called  them  to  salvation  ;  even 
 to  confirming  the  confession  of  their  faith  by  miracles,  if 
 there  were  any  men  among  them  of  a  good  and  suitable 
 disposition.     Herein  too  He  gives  His  disciples  no  small 
 
430      Christ's  ivorks  yreater  than  those  of  Moses. 
 
 Book  10.  benefit,  to  the  intent  that  in  a  forgiving  spirit  they  might 
 27^^'  '  extend  the  preaching  of  salvation  even  to  those  who 
 oflTered  them  insult,  and  might  even  in  this  be  seen  to 
 walk  in  the  track  of  that  excellence  which  first  was  con- 
 spicuous in  Him.  For  if  there  be  any  good  thing,  it  is 
 seen  in  Clirist  first,  and  shown  to  us-ward ;  and  from 
 Him  all  blessings  flow. 
 
 26  But  toJien  the  Comforter  is  come,  Whom  I  icill  send  unto  yoti 
 from  the  Father,  even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  which  proceedeth  from 
 
 27  the  Father,  He  shall  hear  tvitness  of  Me.   And  ye  also  hear  wit' 
 ness,  hecause  ye  liave  heen  with  Me  from,  the  heginning. 
 
 When  He  says  that  both  He  Himself  and  His  Father 
 were  hated  by  the  perverse  Jews,  this  hatred  of 
 theirs  being  gratuitous  and  without  justification,  He 
 with  good  reason  makes  mention  of  the  Spirit.  He  thus 
 at  once  adds  to  the  Word  the  completion  of  the  Holy 
 Trinity,  and  also  shows  that  it  was  dishonoured,  to  the 
 intent  that  the  spectators  of  His  miracles,  who  were 
 guilty  of  insult  against  the  Son,  might  also  be  convicted 
 of  treating  with  contumely  the  power  which  so  far  excels 
 every  substance,  not  only  by  refusing  to  accept  Christ, 
 even  though  He  had  worked  great  marvels  to  convince 
 them,  but  also  by  their  actions  against  Him.  For  they 
 treated  Him  with  an  impiety  which  is  shocking  even 
 to  think  of;  and  yet  one  might  say,  O  senseless  Jew, 
 Christ  was  a  worker  of  wonders  before  you  far  exceeding 
 the  glory  of  Moses  and  the  glory  of  every  Saint.  For  the 
 Supra  saying  of  the  Lord,  //  /  had  not  done  among  them  the 
 u-orks  which  none  other  did,  brings  back  a  thought 
 before  our  minds.  While  then  you  crown  with  honours  so 
 illustrious  Moses,  the  servant  and  minister  of  lesser 
 things  than  these,  you  do  not  blush  when  you  so 
 perversely  reject  Him  Who  is  immeasurably  superior  and 
 a  worker  of  far  nobler  deeds ;  even  though  He  brought  to 
 their  long  foretold  fulfilment  the  oracles  given  by  Moses, 
 and  terminated  the  shadow  by  the  truth.  Our  lord 
 Jesus  Christ  therefore  of  necessity  joined  the  mention 
 
 ver.  24. 
 
The  Equality  of  Father,  Son,  and  S2nrit.       431 
 
 of  the  Spirit  to  that  of  Himself  and  the  Father.    And  He  Chap.  2. 
 also  shows  what  has  been  said  to  be  true  ;  that  is,  that  if  ^J^'''  ^'^' 
 any  one  chooses  to  hate  the  Son,  he  will  also  utterly 
 contemn  the  Father  from  Whom  He  proceeds.    And  how, 
 or  in  what  way,  consider  further. 
 
 For  observe,  when  calling  the  Comforter  "  the  Spirit  of 
 truth,"  that  is,  His  own,  He  says  that  He  comes  from  the 
 Father.  For  as  the  Spirit  naturally  belongs  to  the  Son, 
 being  in  Him  and  proceeding  through  Him,  so  also  He 
 belongs  to  the  Father.  But  the  qualities  of  Their 
 Substance  cannot  be  distinct,  where  the  Spirit  is  common 
 to  both.  Let  not  then  any  of  those  who  are  accustomed 
 impiously  to  employ  the  language  of  folly  lead  us  to  the 
 perverted  opinion  that  the  Son,  executing  as  it  were  a 
 kind  of  ministerial  service,  vouchsafes  the  Spirit  that  is 
 received  from  the  Father  to  the  creature.  For  some  have 
 not  scrupled  perversely  to  say  this.  But  it  is  more 
 consistent  to  believe  that  since  the  Spirit  belongs  to 
 Him,  as  He  also  certainly  belongs  to  God  the  Father, 
 He  sends  Him  to  His  holy  disciples  to  sanctify  them. 
 For  if  they  think  that  in  making  the  Son  in  this  also  a 
 minister  and  servant  to  us,  they  form  and  utter  a  shrewd 
 conception,  surely  it  follows  that  we  say  to  them:  Ye  fools  s.  Matt. 
 and  blind;  do  you  not  perceive  that  you  ance  going  back,  ^"'*  ^^' 
 and  diminishing  the  glory  of  the  Only-begotten,  when 
 you  string  together  miserable  sophistries  from  the 
 ignorance  that  is  in  you "?  For  if  the  Son  ministers  the 
 Spirit  from  the  Father,  being  ranked  as  a  servant, 
 surely  it  is  necessary  to  admit  that  the  Spirit  is  utterly 
 different  in  Essence  from  Him,  and  perhaps  His  superior 
 and  far  above  Him,  if  the  case  be  as  you  in  your 
 ignorance  suppose.  For  if  the  Son  does  not  proceed 
 from  the  Father,  that  is,  from  His  Essence,  as  you  think, 
 surely  the  Spirit  when  compared  with  the  Son  would  be 
 regarded  as  superior  to  Him.  What  then  say  we,  when 
 we  hear  Christ  himself  saying  of  the  Spirit :  He  shall  Infra 
 glorify  Me;  for  He  shall  take  of  Mine  and  shall  declare  ^^^'  ^^' 
 it  urdo  you  ?  , 
 
432  The  Unity  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 
 
 Book  10.  Now,  besides  what  has  been  mentioned,  this  also  will 
 2'7^^'  "  '  necessarily  follow.  For  if  you  consider  that  the  Son 
 performs  a  ministerial  service,  providing  us  with  That 
 which  is  of  another  Nature,  that  is,  the  Spirit  proceeding 
 from  God  the  Father  Which  is  naturally  holy,  the  Son  is 
 not  by  Nature  holy,  but  only  by  participation,  as  we  are. 
 For  by  the  ignorance  of  the  impious  He  is  declared 
 to  be  different  in  Substance  from  the  Father,  from  Whom 
 also  the  Spirit  provided  unto  us  by  Him  proceeds. 
 It  will  then  be  possible,  since  the  Spirit  does  not  belong 
 to  the  Son,  but  He  Himself  is  sanctified  by  adoption,  as 
 is  the  case  with  the  creature,  that  He  may  fall  away 
 from  the  holiness  that  is  in  Him.  For  that  which  has 
 been  acquired  as  an  addition  might  surely  be  removed,  at 
 the  pleasure  of  Him  Who  has  bestowed  it.  Who  then  will 
 not  flee  away  from  such  doctrines  as  these  1  I  think,  how- 
 ever, that  our  statement  is  more  conformable  to  the  truth. 
 The  truth  then  is  dear  to  us,  as  are  the  dogmas 
 expressing  the  truth ;  and  we  will  not  follow  those 
 heretics,  but,  pursuing  the  faith  handed  down  by  the  holy 
 fathers,  we  declare  that  the  Comforter,  that  is,  the  Holy 
 Spirit,  belongs  to  the  Son,  and  is  not  introduced  from 
 outside  nor  acquired  in  His  case,  as  He  is  in  that  of 
 those  who  receive  sanctification,  in  whom  though  not 
 originally  innate  He  is  implanted ;  but  that  the  Son  is 
 of  one  Substance  with  the  Spirit,  as  also  He  is  with  the 
 Father.  For  if  we  take  this  view,  the  power  of  the  doc- 
 trines of  the  Church  will  not  be  reduced  in  our  case  to 
 a  polytheistic  mythology,  but  the  Holy  Trinity  is  united 
 in  the  doctrine  of  a  Single  Divinity.  Showing  then  that 
 there  is  a  Unity  of  Substance,  I  mean  that  of  Himself 
 and  God  the  Father,  in  the  same  Being,  in  saying  that 
 the  Comforter  is  the  Spirit  of  truth  He  declares  that  He 
 proceeds  from  tie  Father,  and  makes  plain  and  beyond 
 contradiction  that  the  opposer  of  Christ  is  wholly  at 
 enmity  with  God.  For  he  who  in  any  degree  allows 
 himself  to  contemn  the  Son  may  be  reasonably  considered 
 to  transgress  against  Him  from  Whom  He  proceeds. 
 
The  stubborn  disobedience  of  the  Jeivs.        433 
 
 When  then,  He    says,  the  Comforter,   the    Spirit   of  Chap.  2. 
 truth,  that  is  My  Spirit,  Which  proceeds  from  the  Father,  ^'  ^''^' 
 is  come.  He  will  testify  of  Me.   And  how  will  He  testify? 
 By  working  marvels  in  you,  and  by  you  He  will  be 
 a  just  and  true  witness  of  My  Godlike  authority,  and  of 
 the  greatness  of  My  power.     For  He  that  works  in  you 
 is  My  Spirit,  and  as  He  is  My  Spirit,  so  also  is  He  That 
 of  God  the  Father.    Therefore  it  is  necessary  to  consider 
 that  they  who,  to  confirm  our  faith,  work  marvels  in 
 us  by  the  one  good   Spirit  are   alike   insulted   in   the ' 
 Person  of  Christ,  in  Whom  dwelt,  as  Paul  says,  no  mere 
 part  of  the  ineffable  Divine  Nature,  but  all  the  fulness  Col.  ii.  9. 
 [of  the  Godhead]  bodily. 
 
 But  when  the  Spirit  bears  witness,  you  yourselves 
 also,  He  says,  will  bear  witness  with  Him.  For  you  have 
 been  eye-witnesses  and  spectators  of  what  I  have  done 
 among  My  own,  being  even  with  Me  as  My  disciples. 
 
 xvi.   1     These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  ye  should  not 
 he  made  to  stumble. 
 
 The  Saviour,  having  clearly  set  before  His  disci- 
 ples the  madness  of  the  Jews,  was  perhaps  about 
 to  add  to  what  He  had  said,  that  these  misguided 
 men  would  reach  such  a  height  of  disobedience,  and 
 so  stubbornly  refuse  to  listen,  and  in  their  coward- 
 ice advance  so  far  in  hatred  of  God,  that  even  if 
 there  should  be  two  witnesses  of  His  glory  they 
 would  decline  to  admit  it — and  this  though  the  Law 
 openly  declares  that  whatever  is  testified  by  two  or 
 three  witnesses  should  be  believed  and  received  as  un- 
 questionably true.  But  He  avoids  mentioning  this  on 
 the  present  occasion  for  good  reasons.  For  His  state- 
 ment would  thus  have  produced  in  them  an  immoderate 
 grief,  and,  breaking  the  hearts  of  His  disciples  even  to 
 despair,  would  have  made  the  entrance  of  faint-hearted- 
 ness  and  cowardice  into  their  hearts  absolutely  certain. 
 For  they  might  reasonably  have  questioned  among 
 themselves; — If  the  masses  of  the  Jews  would  not  only  lend 
 
 VOL.  II.  F  f 
 
434      Christ  exhorts  His  disciples  to  endurance 
 
 Book  10.  to  no  one  a  complete  obedience,  but  also  set  at  nought 
 c.  XVI.  ,  ^j^g  Comforter  though  He  astonished  them  with  mar- 
 vels passing  description,  and  in  spite  of  this  would 
 actually  afterwards  be  found  as  guilty  of  hating  Christ 
 as  they  were  before,  and  in  hating  Him  of  hating  the 
 Father,  what  necessity  was  there  for  spending  their 
 labour  in  vain  ?  Why  should  they  not  rid  themselves  of 
 their  troubles,  and  choose  silence  in  preference  to  teach- 
 ing men  unwilling  to  hear?  Knowing  then  in  all 
 ■  likelihood  the  thoughts  that  would  agitate  His  disciples, 
 He  skilfully  conceals  what  was  too  grievous  to  be  told, 
 and  what  would  have  been  calculated  to  produce 
 cowardice  and  faint-heartedness  in  the  duty  of  teaching. 
 But  He  rightly  turns  the  drift  of  His  speech  into  an 
 exhortation  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  and  make 
 vigorous  preparation  for  the  results  that  might  be 
 expected  to  follow  in  the  future.  For  whatever 
 comes  to  men  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  is  likely 
 to  disturb  even  the  mind  that  is  stable.  For  the 
 reception  of  that,  the  advent  of  which  has  been 
 anticipated,  the  way  is  made  smooth  and  its  burden 
 is  lightened,  since  it  has  been  already  foreseen,  and  lost 
 its  edge  by  the  expectation  of  certain  suffering.  Some- 
 thing of  this  kind,  I  think,  Christ  wishes  to  signify.  For 
 if,  He  says,  I  have  already  worked  such  marvels  even 
 before  your  eyes,  the  Comforter  also  will  work  marvels 
 in  you.  And  if  the  headstrong  madness  of  the  Jews  is  not 
 diminished,  and  their  conduct  is  the  same  as  before,  and  even 
 worse,  be  not  offended,  He  says,  when  you  find  yourselves 
 S.  Matt,  its  victims.  But  keep  ever  in  mind  My  words :  A  dis- 
 ciple is  not  above  his  master,  nor  a  servant  above  his  lord. 
 
 2  They  shall  2>ut  you  out  of  the  synagogues  :  yea,  the  hour 
 cometh,  that  tvhosoever  killeth  you  slidll  think  tJuzt  he  offereth 
 service  unto  God. 
 
 He  extends  His  forewarning  of  danger  to  that  which  is 
 the  most  dreadful  of  all  terrors,  but  not  with  the  intention 
 of  arousing  in  His  disciples  an  unmanly  panic.      For 
 
 24. 
 
by  foretelling  the  conduct  of  the  Jeivs.         435 
 
 this  would  not  harmonise  with  His  anxiety  to  stimulate  Chap.  2. 
 them  to  a  fearless  proclamation  of  the  heavenly  message.  ^'  ^^^*  * 
 His  object  rather  was  that,  thrusting  aside  the  extremity 
 of  fear,  as  already  anticipated  and  for  this  reason 
 having  lost  its  edge,  they  might  gain  a  complete  victory 
 over  every  evil,  and  consider  even  the  possible  approach 
 of  intolerable  evils  as  of  no  account  whatsoever.  For 
 what  loss  could  the  lesser  evil  inflict  on  those  who  do  not 
 even  dread  the  greater  ?  And  how  could  those  who  know 
 how  to  be  superior  to  the  worst  objects  of  fear  be 
 dismayed  by  any  of  the  rest  ?  In  order  then  that  they 
 might  have  their  minds  bent  on  enduring  everything 
 with  a  cheerful  courage,  and  to  convince  them  of  the 
 necessity  of  so  far  withstanding  the  malice  of  the  Jews 
 as  not  even  to  fear  an  immediate  and  cruel  death.  He 
 not  only  tells  them  that  these  things  will  continually 
 happen,  and  the  devices  or  opposition  of  the  Jews  not  be 
 satisfied  with  merely  turning  them  out  of  the  synagogues, 
 but  forewarns  them  that  their  impiety  will  reach  such  a 
 height  of  cruelty  as  to  make  them  consider  their  extreme 
 inhumanity  towards  them  to  be  the  path  of  piety  towards 
 God.  It  must  be  plain  that  those  who  held  fast  to  the  love 
 of  Christ  actually  were  cast  out  of  the  synagogues  by  the 
 Jews,  and  endured  this  punishment  at  the  outset  of  their 
 work — when  we  are  told  by  the  Evangelist  that  neverthe-  Supra 
 less  even  of  the  rulers  mcmy  believed  on  Him;  but  because  ^"' 
 of  the  Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  it,  lest  they  should 
 be  put  out  of  the  synagogue ;  and  again :  For  the  Scribes  Supra 
 and  Pharisees  had  agreed  already,  that  if  any  man  ^^'  "' 
 should  confess  Him  to  be  the  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out 
 of  the  synagogue.  But  if,  He  says,  any  are  indisposed  to 
 endure  the  malice  of  the  Jews,  let  them  then  know  that 
 their  devices  against  you  will  not  stop  here.  For  be 
 not  at  all  alarmed.  He  says,  even  though  you  must 
 endure  this  sufiering.  Their  audacity  will  reach  such  a 
 pitch  of  wickedness  as  to  make  them  suppose  your  death 
 to  be  as  an  actual  service  towards  God.  And  this  we 
 shall  find  happening  in  the  case  of  the  holy  Stephen,  the 
 
 Ff2 
 
436  The  zeal  of  the  Jetus  ivas  not  according  to  knowledge. 
 
 Book  10.  first  of  the  martyrs,  and  in  that  of  the  inspired  Paul. 
 For  involving  Stephen  in  a  charge  of  blasphemy,  and 
 simulating  herein  the  zeal  that  loves  God,  they  slew  him 
 by  stoning  him.    And  some  of  the  Jews  were  so  enraged 
 
 Acts  against  the  holy  and  wise  Paul  that  they  hound  them- 
 ■  selves  under  a  curse  neither  to  eat  nor  to  drink  till  they 
 had  slain  him.  For  we  shall  find  this  recorded  in  the 
 Acts  of  the  holy  Apostles.  Excellent  then  and  profitable 
 is  His  prediction,  moderating  by  anticipation  their  fear 
 of  what  was  di-eadful,  and  forging  His  disciples  anew 
 (as  having  as  it  were  already  suffered),  into  a  courageous 
 disposition.  For  the  foreknowledge  in  the  minds  of  the 
 sufferers  of  the  dreadfulness  of  their  dano;or  will  2;ive 
 them  strength  beforehand,  while  it  deprives  the  approach 
 of  evil  of  its  power, 
 
 3     And  these  things  will  they  do,  because  they  -have  not  Tcnoicn 
 the  Father  nor  Me. 
 
 Rom.x.2.  He  showed  that  the  zeal  of  the  Jews  was  a  zeal  not 
 according  to  knoivledge,  as  also  Paul  says,  but  that  it  had 
 gone  far  astray  and  wandered  out  of  the  straight  path, 
 even  though  according  to  the  purpose  that  was  in  them 
 it  seemed  to  be  manifested  for  the  sake  of  God.  For 
 these  misguided  men  thought  that  by  arming  themselves 
 with  the  command  given  by  Moses  they  pleased  God,  the 
 Giver  of  the  Law,  and  actually  supposed,  that  by  opposing 
 the  prophetic  utterances  of  Christ,  they  gained  credit 
 with  Him.  For  it  was  for  this  reason  that  they  persecuted 
 so  hotly  the  preachers  of  the  message  of  the  Gospel,  but 
 were  ignorant  that  they  were  falling  into  every  kind  of 
 folly,  and  by  their  insults  against  the  Son  were  trans- 
 gressing against  God  the  Father  Himself,  and  further, 
 were  convicted  of  complete  ignorance  of  the  Nature  of 
 the  Father  and  that  of  the  Son  Who  manifested  Himself 
 fi-om  Him.  And,  what  is  marvellous,  they  were  eager  to 
 crown  Moses,  the  wisest  of  men,  who  was  a  minister  of  the 
 Law  given  by  angels,  with  the  highest  honours,  but  did 
 not  shrink  from  loading  with  the  worst  insults  our  Lord 
 
To  reject  the  Apostles  is  to  reject  God.  437 
 
 Jesus  Christ,  Who  expounded  the  unspeakable  Will  of  Chap.  2. 
 God,  and  said  clearly,  I  do  nothing  of  Myself:  hut  the  ^'  ^^^'  ^* 
 Father  luhich  sent  Me  He  hath  given  Me  a  commandment,  viii.  28, 
 what   I  should   say,   and  ivhat  I  should  speak — even  ^  ^"'  ^'^* 
 though  God  the  Father  worked  marvels  with  Him,  and 
 testified   by   a   voice   heard  from  above :    This   is   My  s.  Matt. 
 beloved  Son,  in  Whom  I  am  ivell  pleased.     It  is  then  "^'  ^'^' 
 unquestionable  that  if  any  one  should  choose  bitterly  to 
 assail  those  who  convey  the  Divine  message,  he  will  be 
 in  complete   ignorance  of  the  Undivided  and  Consub- 
 stantial  Trinity.     For   such  an  one,  when  he  excludes 
 from  the  honour  that  is  His  due  the  Word  manifesting 
 Himself  from  Him,  to  suit  his  own  conceit,  knows  not 
 the    Father.      For    would    it    not    be    received    as    an 
 assured  truth  by  those  who  are  able  discreetly  to  deal 
 with    the   doctrine   of   the   Trinity,   that,    since    He    is 
 of  the  same  Substance  with  the  Father,  He  will  speak 
 in  absolute  conformity  with  the  Will  of  the  Father ;  and 
 that,  as  He  partakes  in  His  glory,  the  dignity  of  the 
 Father  will  be  equally  insulted  when  He  is  attacked? 
 In    these    words   then   the   Lord   Jesus  Christ   defends 
 Himself,   and   also  accuses  the  audacity  of  the  Jews ; 
 fastening  thereby  a  bitter  and  dreadful  censure  on  those 
 who  dishonour  Him  by  their  cruelty  towards  the  holy 
 Apostles.    For  the  charge  of  transgression  will  not  merely 
 have  reference  to  the  Saints,  but  will  mount  up  to  Him 
 Who  laid  upon  them  the  service  of  apostleship ;  just  as  God 
 said  unto  the  holy  Samuel  concerning  the  children  of  Israel  : 
 Tliey  have  not  rejected  thee,  hut  they  have  rejected  Me.         1  Sam. 
 
 Most  dangerous  is  it  then  to  refuse  to  bestow  on  the  ^"^' 
 Saints  the  honour  which  is  their  due ;  for  the  charge  of 
 transgression  against  them  will  mount  up  to  Him  Who 
 gave  them  their  mission. 
 
 4     But  these  things  have  I  S2)oken  unto  you,  that  when  their 
 hour  is  come,  ye  may  remember  them,  hoiv  that  I  told  you. 
 
 He  contends  that  mention  has  been  made  to  them  of 
 these  things  for  no  other  reason  except  that  they  might 
 
438      Christ's  prophecy  luill  increase  their  faith. 
 
 Book  10.  know  that,  meeting  for  His  sake  the  assaults  of  sin,  they 
 c.xvi.5,6.  ^Q^l^  at  all  events  gain  glory  therefrom.  For  I  have 
 not  foretold  it  unto  you.  He  says,  from  any  wish  to 
 enfeeble  your  courage  or  to  inspire  in  you  a  premature 
 alarm  by  the  anticipation  of  .suffering,  but  rather  to  give 
 you  foreknowledge,  in  order  that  by  this  means  you  may 
 derive  a  double  benefit.  For  in  the  fii'st  place,  remem- 
 bering that  I  forewarned  you,  you  will  marvel  at  My 
 foreknowledge,  and  the  time  of  peril  will  itself  conduce 
 to  complete  the  security  of  your  faith.  For  He  Who 
 knows  the  future  must  be  by  nature  God.  And  bring 
 this,  too,  to  your  recollection  ;  He  who  is  prepared  and 
 knows  beforehand  that  he  will  suffer,  will  have  his  fear 
 much  diminished ;  for  he  will  readily  overcome  all  that 
 seems  to  be  dreadful,  and  will  have  his  mind  undis- 
 turbed, even  in  the  midst  of  troubles.  For  I  think 
 the  sudden  and  unexpected  advent  of  suffering  sharpens 
 Ps.  cxix.  its  sting ;  and  for  this  reason  the  Psalmist  says :  /  was 
 prepared  and  tvas  not  dis'tnayed.  He  bids  His  disciples 
 then,  for  a  good  and  necessary  reason,  to  remember  that 
 He  has  foretold  unto  them  the  future.  For  it  was 
 certain  that  on  this  account  they  would  believe  Him  to 
 be  the  true  God  (for  omniscience  is  peculiar  to  the 
 true  God),  and  they  will  readily  believe  that  He  will 
 extricate  them  from  their  dangers. 
 
 5  And  these  things  I  said  riot  unto  you  from  the  beginning, 
 
 6  because  I  loas  toith  you.  But  noiv  I  go  unto  Him  that  sent 
 Me;  and  none  of  you  asJceth  Me,  Whither  goest  tJiou?  But 
 because  I  have  spoken  these  things  unto  you,  sorrow  Jucth 
 
 filled  your  heart. 
 
 Another  necessary  and  useful  consideration  entered  into 
 the  mind  of  Christ.  For  it  was  beyond  question,  that, 
 called  as  they  had  been  to  discipleship  at  the  beginning 
 by  Him,  and  living  ever  in  continual  converse  with 
 Him,  and  having  often  had  experience  of  His  miracles, 
 and  having  laid  to  heart  His  incomparable  might  and 
 power,  they  thought  they  would  overcome  every  trial, 
 
 60. 
 
Christ's  departure  rendered  His  prophecy  necessary.  439 
 
 and  at  once  triumph  over  perils  of  every  kind.  For  Chap.  2. 
 how  could  they  any  longer  entertain  doubt  and  be  ^■^'^^•°'°- 
 faint  at  heart,  after  they  had  experienced  the  support 
 of  One  Who  had  such  power?  And  inasmuch  as 
 Christ  forewarned  them  that  they  would  fall  into 
 unexpected  perils,  with  the  intent  that  they  might 
 not  be  much  dismayed  thereby,  reflecting  within  them- 
 selves and  saying,  "  Have  we  then  been  disappointed 
 of  the  hopes  we  had  at  first,  and  has  our  purpose 
 failed,  inasmuch  as  we  thought  th^t  we  were  called 
 to  partake  of  every  blessing,  but  in  the  end  find  our- 
 selves involved  in  unexpected  calamities  1 "  our  Lord 
 then  is  compelled  to  expound  to  them  the  reason  why 
 He  did  not  forewarn  them  at  first;  and  says:  These 
 things  I  said  not  unto  you  from  the  beginning,  because 
 I  tuas  with  you;  for  while  He  was  with  them,  He 
 sufficed  to  preserve  their  peace  of  mind,  and  to  rescue 
 them  from  every  trial,  and  to  afford  them  suitable 
 instruction  and  assistance  in  all  that  might  befall 
 them.  But  since  He  was  going  to  the  Father,  He 
 suitably,  and  at  the  fitting  time,  expounds  to  them  the 
 inevitable  approach  of  what  awaited  them  in  the  future. 
 For  if  even  we  ourselves  are  very  anxious  not  to  miss 
 the  fitting  time,  surely  this  would  be  God's  pleasure. 
 The  time  then  for  silence  was  at  the  beginning,  when 
 the  need  for  their  receiving  this  instruction  had  not  yet 
 arisen.  But  when  He  was  going  to  the  Father,  the  time 
 for  speech  had  arrived.  Did  the  Saviour  then  separate 
 from  His  disciples  when  He  ascended  to  the  Father,  and 
 was  He  still  with  them,  by  the  working  and  power  and 
 grace  of  the  Spirit  ?  How,  or  in  what  way,  was  He  with 
 them?  For  it  is  beyond  question  that  He  cannot  lie 
 when  He  says,  Zo,  /  cnn  luith  you  ahvay,  even  unto  the  S.  Matt. 
 end  of  the  ivoiid,  except  so  far  as  the  flesh  and  His  bodily  ^^ 
 presence  were  concerned.  But  the  Saviour  knew  that 
 the  ascent  into  heaven  of  His  own  Flesh  was  most 
 essential  to  His  Human  Nature,  but,  as  God,  He  well 
 knew  that  the  heart  of  His  disciples  was  overwhelmed 
 
440  His  dejxirture  was  expedient, 
 
 Book  10.  by  the  bitterness  of  their  sorrow.  For  the  departure  of 
 c.  XVI.  7.  Qi^rig^  ^as  very  grievous  unto  them,  because  they  longed 
 to  be  ever  with  Him.  But  since  He  had  resolved  to  do 
 this,  they  do  not  even  ask  when  or  for  what  reason  He 
 will  leave  them,  or  what  is  the  motive  or  inducement 
 of  His  Ascension.  He  sympathises  then  with  their 
 suffering,  as  it  proceeded  from  love;  and  with  their  ill- 
 timed  preference  of  silence,  which  did  not  allow  them  to 
 inquire  the  reason  for  His  departure,  although  to  know 
 it  would  bring  them  much  profit. 
 
 7  Nevertheless  I  tell  you  tJie  truth  ;  it  is  expedient  for  you  that 
 1  go  away :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  cannot 
 come  unto  you. 
 
 Grievous  is  the  sorrow  that  has  consumed  your  heart, 
 He  says,  and  bitter  the  affliction  that  has  cast  you  down. 
 For  you  consider  that  separation  from  Me  will  be  fraught 
 with  pain  to  you,  and  your  apprehension  is  well  grounded. 
 For  you  will  certainly  have  to  encounter  all  the  trials 
 which  I  have  already  foretold,  and  will  endure  the  fury 
 of  impious  persecutions.  Considering  then  that  ex- 
 pediency should  always  be  preferred  to  pleasure,  I  will 
 tell  you  the  truth :  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go 
 away.  And  we  will  make  all  our  thoughts  subject  to 
 the  Saviour  Who  is  over  us,  though  I  think  that  the 
 saying  may  be  likely  to  cause  no  little  perplexity  to  a 
 simple-minded  hearer.  For  surely  the  thought  will  arise 
 in  him  and  occur  to  his  mind,  that,  if  it  was  better  that 
 Christ  should  go  away.  His  Presence  with  them  could 
 not  but  infer  some  loss.  And  if  our  advantage  lay  in 
 His  Ascension,  surely  the  reverse  would  result  from  His 
 remaining  with  us.  The  question  may  perhaps  perplex 
 an  unaided  judgment;  but  the  man  who  is  guided  by 
 knowledge  from  above  to  an  accurate  comprehension 
 of  the  saying  can  find  here  no  occasion  of  stumbling,  but 
 will  rather  discover  its  true  meaning. 
 
 We  must  therefore  ponder  over  and  clearly  under- 
 stand this  thought  in  particular,  that  according  to  the 
 
but  His  Presence  had  been  advantageous.       441 
 
 saying,  There  is  a  time  for  everything,  and  all  things  are  Chap.  2, 
 good  in  their  season.  At  the  fitting  season,  then,  it  was  '  '  * 
 well  for  Christ  to  be  present  in  this  world  in  the  flesh :  iii.  1,  ii 
 but,  on  the  other  hand,  when  the  time  came  that  was 
 proper  and  suitable  for  the  complete  fulfilment  of  His 
 purposes,  He  ascended  to  the  Father.  And  the  charge 
 can  in  nowise  be  brought  against  Him  that  His 
 presence  with  His  disciples  was  not  very  advantageous 
 to  them,  because  at  the  last  His  departure  became 
 necessary.  Nor,  again,  can  He  be  reproached  at  all 
 because  advantage  resulted  from  His  departure,  inas- 
 much as  His  Presence  was  profitable  to  them.  For  both 
 these  events,  coming  to  pass  at  the  proper  season,  brought 
 us  advantage.  And  that,  briefly  touching  on  the  drift  of 
 the  inquiry,  we  may  make  it  easier  for  our  brethren  to 
 apprehend  it,  let  us  by  way  of  digi-ession  give  an  ex- 
 planation of  the  cause  of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Only- 
 begotten  ;  and,  in  addition,  of  the  advantage  which  would 
 result  from  His  departure. 
 
 In  order  then  that  He  might  free  from  corruption  and 
 death  those  that  lay  under  the  condemnation  of  that 
 ancient  curse,  He  became  Man ;  investing  Himself,  Who 
 was  by  Nature  the  Life,  with  our  nature.  For  thus  the 
 power  of  death  was  overcome,  and  the  dominion  of 
 corruption,  which  had  gained  sway  over  us,  was  de- 
 stroyed. And,  since  the  Divine  Nature  is  wholly  free 
 from  inclination  to  sin.  He  exalted  us  by  His  own 
 Flesh.  For  in  Him  we  all  have  our  being,  inasmuch 
 as  He  manifested  Himself  as  Man.  In  order  that  He 
 might  mortify  the  'inembers,  which  are  upon  the  earth,  Col.  iii.  5. 
 that  is,  the  affections  of  the  flesh,  and  might  quench  the  Rom.  vii. 
 laiu  of  sin  that  holds  sway  in  our  members,  and  also  • 
 that  He  might  sanctify  our  nature,  and  prove  Himself 
 our  Pattern  and  Guide  in  the  path  to  piety,  and  that  the 
 revelation  of  the  truth  according  to  knowledge,  and  of  a 
 way  of  life  beyond  possibility  of  error  might  be  com- 
 plete— all  this  Christ,  when  He  became  Man,  accom- 
 plished.   It  was  necessary  then  to  confer  on  the  nature  of 
 
24 
 
 442  Christ  entered  heaven  as  thejirstfruits  of  humanity. 
 
 Book  10.  man  the  height  of  blessedness,  and  not  only  to  rid  it  of 
 
 c.  XVI.  7.  ^QQ^^^^  Q^^^  gJQ^  l^y^  ^Q  raise  it  even  to  the  heavens  them- 
 selves, and  to  make  man  a  companion  of  the  angels,  and 
 a  partaker  in  their  joys.  And  just  as  by  His  own 
 Resurrection  He  renewed  in  us  the  power  of  escaping 
 corruption,  even  so  He  thought  it  right  to  open  out  for 
 us  the  path  heavenwards,  and  to  set  in  the  Presence  of 
 the  Father  the  race  of  man  who  had  been  cast  out  of  His 
 sight  owing  to  Adam's  transgression.     And  the  inspired 
 
 Heb.  ix.  Paul,  adopting  this  view,  says  :  For  Christ  entered  not  into 
 a  holy  i^lace  made  with  hands,  nor  into  one  like  in 
 'pattern  to  the  true ;  hut  into  heaven  itself,  now  to  appear 
 before  the  Face  of  God  for  us.  He  tells  us  that  being  ever 
 in  His  Father's  Presence,  and  partaking  of  His  Nature 
 by  reason  of  the  sameness  of  Their  Essence,  He  now 
 manifests  Himself  not  for  His  own  sake  but  for  us. 
 For  I  will  repeat  what  I  have  already  said.  He  places 
 us  in  the  sight  of  the  Father,  by  departing  into  heaven 
 as  the  firstfruits  of  humanity.  For  just  as,  being  Himself 
 the  Life  by  Nature,  He  is  said  to  have  died  and  risen  again 
 for  our  sake,  even  so  He  is  said,  ever  beholding  His 
 Father  and  being  in  like  manner  beholden  of  Him,  to 
 appear  as  Man  now,  that  is,  when  He  has  taken  human 
 nature  upon  Him,  not  for  His  own  sake  but  for  us. 
 And  as  this  one  thing  was  seen  to  be  lacking  in  His 
 dispensation  to  us-ward,  our  ascension  into  heaven  has 
 been  prepared  for  us  in  Christ,  Who  was  the  fii'stfruits 
 and  the  first  of  men  to  ascend.  For  He  ascended  thither 
 as  our  forerunner,  as  the  inspired  Paul  also  himself 
 says.  There,  as  Man,  He  is  in  very  truth  still  the  High 
 Priest  of  our  souls,  our  Comforter,  and  the  propitiation 
 for  our  sins ;  and,  as  God  and  Lord  by  Nature,  He  sits 
 on  His  own  Father's  throne,  and  even  on  us  too  will  the 
 glory  thereof  be  reflected.    For  this  reason  also  Paul  said 
 
 Ephes.  concerning  the  Father :  And  He  raised  us  up  with  Him, 
 and  made  us  to  sit  with  Him  in  the  heavenly  places  in 
 Christ.  When  then  His  mission  on  earth  was  accom- 
 plished, it  was  necessary  that  He  should  fulfil  what  yet 
 
 11.  G. 
 
TJie  Spirit  transforms  us>.  443 
 
 remained — His  Ascension  to  the  Father.    Wherefore  He  Chap.  2. 
 says :  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  aivay,  for  if  I  go 
 not  aivay  the  Comforter  cannot  come  unto  you. 
 
 Come,  then,  let  us  add  yet  another  reflection,  profitable 
 and  true,  to  our  previous  investigations.  All  His  work 
 on  earth  had  indeed  been  accomplished,  as  we  just 
 now  affirmed.  It  was  however  surely  necessary  that  we 
 should  become  partakers  and  sharers  of  the  Divine  Nature 
 of  the  Word ;  or  rather  that,  giving  up  the  life  that 
 originally  belonged  to  us,  we  should  be  transformed  into 
 another,  and  the  very  elements  of  our  being  be  changed 
 into  newness  of  life  well-pleasing  to  God.  But  it  was 
 impossible  to  attain  this  in  any  other  way  except  by 
 fellowship  in,  and  partaking  of,  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  most 
 fitting  and  appropriate  time,  then,  for  the  mission  and 
 descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  us  was  that  which  in  due 
 season  came — I  mean,  the  occasion  of  our  Saviour 
 Christ's  departure  hence.  For  while  yet  present  in  the 
 body  with  those  who  believed  on  Him,  He  showed 
 Himself,  I  think,  the  bestower  of  every  blessing.  But 
 when  time  and  necessity  demanded  His  restoration  to 
 His  Father  in  heaven,  it  was  essential  that  He  should 
 associate  Himself  by  the  Spirit  with  His  worshippers, 
 and  should  dwell  in  our  hearts  by  faith,  in  order  that, 
 having  His  presence  within  us,  we  might  cry  with 
 holdness,  Abba,  Father,  and  might  readily  advance  inGal. iv.6. 
 all  virtue,  and  might  also  be  found  strong  and  in- 
 vincible against  the  wiles  of  the  devil,  and  the  assaults 
 of  men,  as  possessing  the  omnipotent  Spirit. 
 
 For  it  might  easily  be  shown,  both  from  the  Old  and 
 New  Scriptures,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  changes  the  dis- 
 position of  those  in  Whom  He  is,  and  in  Whom  He 
 dwells,  and  moulds  them  into  newness  of  life.     For  the 
 inspired  Samuel,  when  he  was  discoursing  with  Saul, 
 said:  And  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  will  come  up)on  thee,  and  i  Sam. 
 thou  shalt  be  turned  into  another  man.   And  the  blessed  ^"   ' 
 Paul  thus  writes :  But  ive  all,  with  unveiled  face  reflect-  2  Cor.  iii. 
 ing  as  a  mirror  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  transformed     '    '' 
 
444       Christ  demonstrates  the  tuork  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 Book  10.  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  from. 
 
 I'l  ^  ■  the  Lord  the  Spirit.  Now  the  Lord  is  the  Spirit.  You 
 see  that  the  Spirit  moulds  as  it  were  into  another 
 likeness  those  in  whom  He  visibly  abides.  For  He 
 easily  turns  them  from  an  inclination  to  dwell  on  the 
 things  of  earth,  to  the  contemplation  only  of  that  which 
 is  in  heaven ;  and  from  an  unmanly  cowardice  to  a 
 courageous  disposition.  And  that  we  shall  find  the 
 disciples  thus  affected  and  steeled  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
 into  indifference  to  the  assaults  of  their  persecutors, 
 and  laying  fast  hold  of  the  love  that  is  towards  Christ, 
 can  no  way  be  questioned.  Therefore  the  saying  of 
 the  Saviour  is  true,  when  He  says,  "  It  is  expedient  for 
 you  that  I  depart  into  heaven."  For  that  was  the  occasion 
 of  the  descent  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 8  And  He,  vjJien  lie  is  come,  ivlll  convict  the  world  in  respect 
 
 9  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,   and  of  judgment :    of  sin, 
 
 1 0  because  tliey  believe  not  on  Me  ;  of  righteousness,  because  I 
 
 11  go  to  the  Father,  and  ye  behold  Me  7io  more  ;  of  judgment, 
 because  the  prince  of  this  world  hath  been  judged. 
 
 When  He  has  shown  that  His  departure  to  His  Father 
 is  the  fitting  occasion  of  the  descent  and  mission  of  the 
 Spirit,  and  has  by  this  means  sufficiently  allayed  the 
 pangs  of  grief  in  His  holy  disciples,  He  rightly  proceeds 
 to  show  what  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  will  be.  For 
 luhen  He  is  come,  He  says,  He  ivill  convict  the  ivorld 
 in  respect  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of  judgment. 
 And  He  has  clearly  pointed  out  what  form  the  reproof 
 ^  in  each  of  these  cases  will  take.     But  since  some  are 
 
 ^  likely  to  stumble  in  dealing  with  this  question,  I  consider 
 it  necessary  to  interpret  the  text  point  by  point,  and  to 
 state  more  plainly  its  signification. 
 
 The  reproof  of  sin,  then,  has  been  set  first.  How  then 
 will  He  reprove  the  world  ?  When  those  who  love  Christ, 
 as  being  made  worthy  of  Him,  and  as  true  believers,  are 
 convinced  of  sin,  then  it  is  that  He  will  condemn  the 
 world,  that  is  those  who  are  ignorant   and  persist   in 
 
The  righteousness  luhich  is  by  faith.  445 
 
 unbelief,  and    are   enslaved   by   their   love   of  worldly  Chap.  2. 
 pleasure,    by   the   very    nature    of  their   case,   in   that  {i 
 they  are  bound   by  their   sins    and  doomed  to  die   in 
 their  transgressions.     For   God   will    in    nowise    be    a 
 respecter  of  persons,  nor  will  He  vouchsafe  the  Spirit 
 to   some    in  the    world   without    sufficient    cause,    and 
 to    others    wholly    deny    Him ;     but    will    cause    the 
 Comforter    to    dwell    only   in    those   who    are    worthy 
 of  Him,  who  by  a  pure  faith  have  honoured  Him   as 
 truly  God,  and  confessed  that  He  is   the  Creator  and 
 Lord  of  the  Universe.     And  that  which   the   Saviour 
 Himself  by  anticipation  told  the  Jews  when  He  said. 
 Except  ye  helieve  that  I  am  He,  ye  shall  die  in  your  Supra 
 sins,  the  Comforter  when  He  is  come  will  in  fact  show  to  ^"^'  "^' 
 be  true. 
 
 But  further.  He  says :  He  ivill  reprove  the  world  in 
 respect  of  righteousness,  because  1  go  to  the  Father  and 
 ye  behold  Me  no  more.  For  He  will  duly  hold  converse 
 with  those  who  believe  in  Christ  after  His  ascension 
 into  heaven,  as  duly  justified  thereby.  For  they  received 
 as  the  true  God  Him  Whom,  though  they  had  in  nowise 
 seen  Him,  they  yet  believed  to  sit  on  His  Father's 
 throne.  For  by  calling  to  mind  what  Thomas  said 
 and  did,  one  might  readily  perceive  that  Christ  calls 
 those  who  thus  believe  blessed.  For  when  he  was  in 
 doubt  about  the  restoration  of  the  Son  to  life,  he  said  : 
 Except  I  shcdl  put  my  hand  into  His  side,  and  see  the  Infra  xx. 
 jjrints  of  the  nails,  I  vjill  not  believe.  And  when,  after  ^^' 
 Christ  had  permitted  him  to  do  as  he  desired,  he  be- 
 lieved, what  words  did  he  hear  1  Because  thou  hast  seen  Ibid.  29. 
 Me,  thou  hast  believed:  blessed  are  they  that  have  not 
 seen  and  yet  have  believed.  Justly  then  have  those  been 
 justified  who  without  seeing  have  believed ;  but  the 
 world  has  missed  the  attainment  of  an  equal  blessedness, 
 not  seeking  to  obtain  the  righteousness  that  is  of  faith,  but 
 deliberately  preferring  to  abide  in  its  own  wickedness. 
 
 It  is  necessary,  however,  to  know  that  the  two  reproofs 
 already  mentioned  will  apply  not  merely  to  the  Jews, 
 
446         The  ijrince  of  this  world  is  condemned 
 
 Book  10.  but  rather  to  every  man  who  is  stubborn  and  dis- 
 c.  XVI.  8-  obedient.  For  the  appellation  "  the  world  "  signifies  not 
 merely  the  man  who  is  incessantly  engaged  in  the 
 pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  who  clings  to  the  wickedness 
 that  is  of  the  devil,  but  signifies  equally  those  who 
 are  dispersed  about  and  dwell  in  the  whole  world. 
 Thus  the  double  reproof  has  a  generic  meaning,  and 
 applies  to  all.  For  Christ  included  not  merely  Judsea, 
 as  was  the  case  in  the  beginning,  or  the  seed  of  Israel 
 only,  but  the  entire  race  that  was  descended  from  Adam. 
 For  His  grace  is  not  partial,  but  the  benefit  of  faith 
 is  extended  to  the  whole  world. 
 
 The  third  reproof  by  the  Comforter  will  be,  as  the 
 Saviour  says,  the  most  righteous  condemnation  of  the 
 prince  of  this  world.  And  what  form  this  reproof  takes 
 I  will  explain.  For  the  Comforter  will  testify  to  the 
 glory  of  Christ,  and,  showing  that  He  is  truly  the  Lord 
 of  the  Universe,  will  reprove  the  world  as  having 
 wandered  astray,  and  as  having  left  Him  Who  is 
 truly  God  by  Nature  and  fallen  down  and  worshipped 
 him  whom  Nature  owns  not  as  God,  that  is  Satan.  For 
 the  judgment  against  him  is,  I  think,  sufficient  to  show 
 that  this  statement  is  true.  For  he  could  not  have  been 
 condemned  and  lost  his  power,  nor  have  paid  the  penalty 
 of  his  conflict  with  God,  being  delivered  into  chains  of 
 darkness,  if  he  were  by  Nature  God,  Who  sits  unshaken 
 on  His  throne  of  majesty  and  power.  But  now  we  see 
 him-  so  incapable  to  preserve  his  own  honour,  that  he  is 
 even  cast  under  the  feet  of  those  filled  with  the  Spirit,  I 
 mean  the  faithful  who  have  confessed  that  Christ  is  God. 
 For  they  trample  the  demon  under  foot  when  he  tries  and 
 struggles.  When  then  any  one  sees  the  swarm  of  impure 
 demons  shuddering  and  cast  out  by  the  prayers  of  such 
 men,  and  by  the  working  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  will 
 he  not  with  reason  say  that  Satan  has  been  condemned  ? 
 For  he  has  been  condemned  by  his  no  longer  being 
 able  to  prevail  over  those  who  have  been  impressed  with 
 the  seal  of  righteousness  and  sanctification  by  the  Holy 
 
hy  the  victory  of  the  Elect  over  hirii.  447 
 
 Spirit,  through  the  faith  that  is  in  Christ.  How  then,  Chap.  2. 
 tell  me,  have  we  trodden  all  his  power  under  foot,  ji^^^'  ^~ 
 according  to  the  saying  in  the  Psalms  addressed  to  every 
 man  that  lives  in  the  world  ?  By  the  help  of  the  Most  'Ps.  xci. 
 High  thou  shalt  tread  upon  the  asp  and  basilisk;  the  '  ' 
 lion  and  the  dragon  thou  shcdt  trample  under  foot. 
 When  then  the  Comforter  from  heaven  enters  souls  that 
 are  pure,  and  manifests  the  righteousness  of  His  mission 
 by  faith  impartially  bestowed,  then  will  He  show  that 
 the  world  is  bound  in  its  own  sins,  and  without  share  in 
 the  grace  that  is  from  above,  since  men  repulse  their 
 Redeemer  ;  and  He  will  also  reprove  the  world — as  cause- 
 lessly accusing  those  who  have  believed — of  sin,  and  as 
 far  as  they  have  rightly  been  justified,  although  they 
 gaze  not  on  Christ  as  He  departed  unto  God  and  wrought 
 marvels,  but  honour  Him  by  faith.  It  was,  I  think, 
 with  some  such  thought  as  this  in  his  mind  that  Paul 
 said :  Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of  God's  Kom.viii. 
 elect  ?  It  is  God  that  justifieth ;  ivho  is  he  thcd  shall 
 condemn  ?  For  the  mouth  of  all  lawlessness  is  stopped, 
 according  to  the  word  of  the  Psalmist,  as  it  can  lay 
 nothing  to  the  charge  of  the  faithful  elect,  who  are 
 invested  with  the  glory  of  the  righteousness  that  pro- 
 ceedeth  from  faith.  He  will  reprove  the  world  as 
 having  gone  astray  and  resting  its  hopes  on  [the  devil], 
 who  has  received  such  condemnation  that  he  has  lost 
 all  the  glory  of  his  former  condition,  and  only  deserves 
 our  contempt,  and  to  be  held  of  no  account  by  those 
 who  worship  God. 
 
 God  then  has  called  him  the  prince  of  this  world,  not 
 as  really  being  so  in  truth,  or  as  though  this  overruling 
 power  were  a  dignity  inherent  in  his  being,  but  as  he 
 had  the  glory  thereof  by  fraud  and  covetousness,  and  as 
 he  is  still  holding  sway  and  ruling  over  those  that  are 
 astray  by  reason  of  the  wicked  purpose  that  is  in  them, 
 by  which  having  their  mind  fast  bound  in  error  they  are 
 inextricably  entangled  in  the  noose  of  captivity,  even 
 though  it  was  in  their  power  to  escape  by  being  con- 
 
448  Christ  comforts  them  with  the  hope  of  new  revelations. 
 
 Book  10.  verted  through  faith  in  Christ  to  a  recognition  of  Him 
 
 c  XVI.  12,  "YVho  is  truly  God.     Satan  then  is  but  a  pretender  to  the 
 
 title  of  ruler,  and  has  no  natural  right  to  it  as  against 
 
 God,   and   only  maintains   it   through   the  abominable 
 
 wickedness  of  those  who  are  astray. 
 
 12  /  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  hut  ye  cannot  hear 
 
 13  them  novj.  Howheit  when  He,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come, 
 He  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  truth  :  for  He  shall  not 
 speak  from  Himself ;  hut  ivliat  things  soever  He  shall  hear, 
 these  shall  He  speaJc  ;  and  He  shall  declare  unto  you  the 
 things  that  are  to  come. 
 
 He  found  their  sorrow  increased  by  their  knowledge 
 of  the  future,  and  that  they  were  ill-disposed  to  bear  the 
 Supra  coming  evils.  For  sorroiv,  He  says,  hath  filled  your 
 ^^^' '°'  heart.  And  He  thought  that  it  would  not  be  meet  to 
 dispirit  them  by  adding  the  rest,  but  He  buries  as  it 
 were  in  timely  silence  what  He  had  to  say  next,  as 
 likely  to  cause  them  no  small  alarm,  and  reserves 
 what  remained  for  them  to  know,  for  the  revelation 
 through  the  Spirit,  and  for  the  light  that  was  to  be 
 given  them  at  the  fitting  season^.  And  perhaps  also, 
 seeing  the  disciples  slow  to  apprehend  the  mystery, 
 because  they  had  not  yet  been  illuminated  by  the 
 Spirit,  nor  become  partakers  of  the  Divine  Nature: 
 Supra  For  the  Holy  Spirit  luas  not  yet  given,  because  Christ 
 was  not  yet  glorified,  as  the  holy  Evangelist  says. 
 He  speaks  thus,  wishing  to  suggest  to  them  that  He 
 would  hereafter  be  able  to  reveal  mysteries  exceeding 
 deep  and  passing  man's  understanding,  while  at  present 
 He  refuses  to  do  this,  and  with  good  reason,  because  He 
 says  that  they  are  not  yet  prepared  for  it.  For  when. 
 He  says,  My  Holy  Spirit  shall  transform  you  and  change 
 the  elements  of  your  mind  into  a  willingness  and  an 
 ability  to  despise  the  types  of  the  Law,  and  rather  to 
 
 »  This  sentence  is  unintelligible  as  the  text  stands.      Probably  o  ought 
 to  be  left  out,  and  to  \oindv  read  for  to  \(TiToy. 
 
TJie  Spirit  was  to  reveal  hidden  mysteries.       449 
 
 prefer  the   beauty  of  spiritual  service,  and    to  honour  chap.  2. 
 the  reality  more  than  the  shadow ;   then,  He  says,  you  ^g^^^'  ^^* 
 will  surely  be  able  readily  to   understand  the   things 
 concerning  Me.     For  the  complete  expression  of  these 
 things  will  find  place  in  your  hearts  when  you  are  well 
 fitted  to  receive  it. 
 
 One  might  suppose  then   that  our  Lord  thought  He 
 ought  thus  to  address  His  disciples.     For  what  He  once 
 said  as  by  way  of  illustration  is  of  a  piece  with,  and  will 
 fit  in  with,  the  meaning  we  have  just  given  to  His  words  : 
 JS^o  vian   rendeth  a  jnece  fromi   a  new  garraeni   and  s.  Luke 
 jjutteth  it  upon  an  old  garment ;  and  again :  But  neither  ^' 
 do  men  put  neiu  wine  into  old  wine-skins  ;  else  the  skins  jx.  17. 
 burst,  and  the  tuine  is  spilled.     But  new  tvine  must  he  S.  Luke 
 
 .  .  .  .  V    38 
 
 2)ut  into  new  wine-skins.  For  the  new  instruction  of 
 the  Gospel  message  belongs  not  to  those  who  are  not  yet 
 moulded  by  the  Spirit  into  newness  of  life  and  know- 
 ledge, and  they  cannot  as  yet  contain  the  mysteries  of 
 the  Holy  Trinity.  The  exposition  then  of  the  deeper 
 mysteries  of  the  faith  is  suitably  reserved  for  the 
 spiritual  renovation  that  was  to  proceed  from  the  Spirit 
 when  the  mind  of  those  who  believed  on  Christ  would 
 no  longer  allow  them  to  remain  in  the  obsolete  letter  of 
 the  Law  but  rather  induce  their  conversion  to  new 
 doctrines  and  implant  in  them  thoughts  enabling  them 
 to  see  a  fair  vision  of  the  truth.  And  that  before  the 
 Resurrection  of  our  Saviour  Christ  from  the  dead,  and 
 before  partaking  of  His  Spirit,  the  disciples  were 
 living  too  much  after  the  manner  of  the  Jews,  and 
 were  clinging  to  the  legal  dispensation,  even  though 
 the  mystery  of  Christ  was  clearly  superior  to  it, 
 one  might  very  readily  perceive.  And  therefore  the 
 blessed  Peter,  even  though  he  was  pre-eminent  among 
 the  holy  disciples,  when  the  Saviour  was  once  setting 
 forth  His  suffering  on  the  Cross  and  telling  them  that  He 
 must  be  outraged  by  the  insults  of  the  Jews,  rebuked 
 Him,  saying,  Be  it  far  from  Thee,  Lord ;  this  shall  never  S.  Matt, 
 he  unto  Thee.  And  yet  the  holy  prophets  had  plainly  ^^^'  ' 
 VOL.  II,  G  s: 
 
450  The  Apostles  IkkI  wuch  to  learn 
 
 Book  10.  declared  not  only  that  He  would  suffer,  but  also  the 
 
 jg''^^'  '  nature  and  extent  of  what  He  would  endure.  And  let  us 
 also  examine  this  further  consideration.  For  when,  as  is 
 recorded  and  as  we  read  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  Peter 
 
 Acts  X.  was  hungry  and  desired  to  eat,  and  when  he  saw  there- 
 upon the  sheet  let  doivn  by  four  corners  from  heaven,  in 
 which  were  included  all  creatures  of  the  earth  and  the 
 sea  and  the  air,  and  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
 Rise,  Peter,  kill  and  eat ;  he  answered.  Not  so,  Lord' ; 
 for  I  have  never  eaten  anything  that  is  common  or  un- 
 clean ;  and  for  this  received  a  well-merited  rebuke  in  the 
 answer :  Whcd  God  hath  cleansed,  make  not  thou  common. 
 And   yet  he  ought   to   have   remembered  the  frequent 
 
 S.  Matt,  statement  of  our  Saviour  to  the  Jews :    Not  that  ivhich 
 
 XV.  11. 
 
 entereth  into  the  mouth  dejileth  the  man.  See  then 
 what  need  there  was  in  his  case  for  the  illumination  of 
 the  Spirit.  Do  you  perceive  then  that  it  was  necessary 
 that  his  temper  of  mind  should  be  forged  anew  into  another 
 better  and  wiser  than  that  which  was  in  the  Jews  ? 
 And  therefore  when,  by  being  enriched  with  the  grace 
 that  is  from  above  and  from  heaven,  they  had  their 
 strength  renewed,  according  to  the  Scripture,  and  had 
 attained  to  a  better  knowledge  than  before,  then  we  hear 
 1  Cor.  ii.  them  boldly  saying :  But  we  have  the  mind  of  Christ. 
 By  the  Mind  of  Christ  they  mean  nothing  else  but  the 
 advent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  into  their  hearts,  revealing 
 unto  them  in  due  measure  all  things  whatsoever  they 
 ought  to  know  and  learn. 
 
 When  then  "  He^'  that  is  the  Comforter,  the  Spirit  of 
 Truth,  is  come,  He  shall  guide  you  into  all  the  trutli. 
 See  how  free  from  extravagance  the  expression  is :  note 
 the  soberness  of  the  phrase.  For  having  told  them  that 
 the  Comforter  would  come  unto  them.  He  called  Him 
 the  Spirit  of  Truth,  that  is,  His  own  Spirit.  For  He 
 is  the  Truth.  For  that  His  disciples  might  know  that 
 He  does  not  promise  them  the  visitation  of  a  foreign 
 and  strange  power,  but  rather  that  He  will  vouchsafe 
 unto  them  His  Presence  in  another  form.  He  calls  the 
 
 16. 
 
concerning  the  mysteries  of  the  new  revelation.   451 
 
 Comforter  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  that  is,  His  own  Spirit.  Chap.  2. 
 For    the    Holy   Spirit  is  not  in   truth   alien  from  the  ^g^^^*  "•' 
 Substance  of  the  Only-begotten,  but  proceeds  naturally 
 from  it,  having  no  separate  existence  from  Him  so  far 
 as  identity  of  nature  is  concerned,  even  though  He  may 
 be   in   some   sort   conceived   of   as   having   a   separate 
 existence.     The  Spirit  of  Truth  then.  He  says,  will  lead 
 you  to  complete  knowledge  of  the  truth.    For  as  having 
 perfect   knowledge  of  the   truth,  of  which  He  is    also 
 the  Spirit,  He  will  make  no  partial  revelation  of  it  to 
 those  who  worship  Him,  but  will  rather  engraft  in  theii- 
 hearts  the  mystery  concerning  it  in  its  entirety.     For 
 even  if  now  ^^•e  knoiv  in  imrt,  as  Paul  says,  still,  though  i.Cor. 
 our  knowledge  be  limited,  the  fair  vision  of  the  truth 
 has  gleamed  upon  us  entire  and  undefiled.     As  then  no 
 man   knoiveth   the   things  of  a  man,  according  to  the  Ibid. 
 Scripture,  save  the  spirit  of  the  man  luhich  is  in  liim, 
 in  the  same  way,  I  think,  to  use  the  words  of  Paul,  none 
 knoiveth  the  things  of  God  save  the  Spirit  of  God  luhich 
 is  in  Him. 
 
 When  then  He  cometh,  He  says,  He  shcdl  not  speak 
 from.  Himself  (Ke  does  not  say,  He  will  make  you 
 wise,  and  will  reveal  to  you  the  mystery  of  the  truth) ; 
 He  will  tell  you  nothing  that  is  not  in  accord  with  My 
 teaching,  nor  will  He  expound  to  you  any  strange 
 doctrine,  for  He  will  not  introduce  laws  peculiar  to 
 Himself;  but  since  He  is  My  Spirit,  and  as  it  were 
 My  Mind,  He  will  surely  speak  to  you  of  the  things 
 concerning  Me.  And  this  the  Saviour  saith,  not  that 
 we  should  suppose  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  merely 
 ministerial  functions,  as  some  ignorantly  maintain,  but 
 rather  from  a  wish  to  satisfy  the  disciples  that  His 
 Spirit,  not  being  separate  from  Him  so  far  as  identity 
 of  Substance  is  concerned,  will  surely  speak  the  things 
 concerning  Him,  and  will  work  and  purpose  the  same. 
 
 And  for  this  reason  He  added  the  words,  and  He 
 ivill  show  you  things  to  come;  and  it  is  almost  as 
 though  He  said  these  very  words,  "  This  will  be  a  sign 
 
 a  Of  2 
 
452       Tlie  Spirit  is  Consuhstaniial  vjlth  tlte  Son. 
 
 Book  10.  unto  you  that  the  Spirit  is  in  very  truth  of  My  Substance 
 23^^'  "'  and  as  it  were  My  Mind — His  telling  you  things  to  come, 
 as  I  have  done.  For  I  foretold,  even  though  you  have 
 not  been  able  to  take  everything  to  heart.  He  would 
 not  then  foretell  things  to  come,  as  I  have  done,  if  He 
 did  not  indeed  exist  in  Me  and  proceed  through  Me,  and 
 if  He  were  not  Consubstantial  with  Me." 
 
 [end  of  the  tenth  book.] 
 
CHAPTERS   IN   THE   ELEVENTH   BOOK. 
 
 1.  That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  naturally  of  God,  and  in  the  Son,  and 
 through  Him  and  in  His  Substance. 
 
 2.  That  His  Spirit,  that  is,  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  naturally  in  the 
 Son  and  in  His  Substance,  as  He  is  also  in  the  Substance  of  the 
 Father. 
 
 3.  That  no  man  should  consider  that  the  Son  has  any  lack  of 
 God-befitting  glory,  though  He  be  found  to  say,  "Father,  glorify 
 Thy  Sony 
 
 4.  That  it  will  in  no  way  damage  the  glory  of  the  Son  when  He 
 is  said  to  have  received  aught  from  God  the  Father,  since  for 
 this  we  can  assign  a  pious  reason. 
 
 5.  That  the  Son  will  not  be  excluded  from  being  true  God,  even 
 though  He  names  God  the  Father  '■'■the  only  true  God.'''' 
 
 6.  That  the  Son  is  not  bare  of  God-befitting  glory,  even  though 
 He  is  found  saying  to  the  Father,  '■'■And  now  glorify  Me  with 
 the  glory  lohich  I  had"  8fc. 
 
 7.  That  the  fact  that  something  is  said  to  have  been  given  to  the 
 Son  from  the  Father  does  not  rob  Him  of  God-befitting  dignity  ; 
 but  He  plainly  appears  to  be  Consubstantial,  and  of  the  Father, 
 even  if  He  is  said  to  receive  aught. 
 
 8.  That  nothing  which  is  spoken  of  as  belonging  to  the  Father 
 will  be  excluded  from  the  kingdom  of  the  Son,  for  both  alike 
 rule  over  all. 
 
 9.  That  the  dignity  of  Godhead  is  inherent  in  the  Son ;  even 
 though  He  is  said  to  have  received  this  from  the  Father,  be- 
 cause of  His  humanity  and  the  form  of  His  humiliation. 
 
 10.  That  the  Christ  is  not  holy  from  participation  in  anything 
 diflferent  from  Himself,  and  that  the  sanctification  through  the 
 Spirit  is  not  alien  to  His  Substance. 
 
 11.  That  the  Son  is  naturally  one  with  God  His  Father;  and 
 that  He  is  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  Him,  according 
 to  the  essential  bond  and  character  of  their  Unity ;  and  that 
 likewise  also  we  ourselves,  when  we  receive  faith  in  Him,  are 
 proved  one  with  each  other  and  with  God,  both  in  a  corporeal 
 and  in  a  spiritual  sense. 
 
 12.  That  the  Son  is  by  nature  one  with  God  His  Father,  though 
 He  says  that  He  received,  as  by  way  of  grace,  His  being  one 
 with  the  Father. 
 
OUR  FATHER  AMONG  THE  SAINTS, 
 
 CYEIL, 
 
 Archbishop   of  Alexandria, 
 
 ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  JOHN. 
 
 BOOK  XL 
 CHAPTER    L 
 
 That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  naturally  of  God,  and  in  the  Son,  and 
 through  Him  and  in  His  Suhstance. 
 
 Book  11.       14     jjf,  sTiaU  glorify  Me  :  for  He  shall  talce  of  Mitie,  and 
 c.  xvi.  14.  J    ,,    7    ,  . 
 
 slialL  declare  it  unto  you. 
 
 As  the  Holy  Spirit  was  about  to  reveal  to  those  who 
 should  be  found  worthy  the  mystery  that  is  in  Christ, 
 and  to  demonstrate  completely  Who  He  is  by  nature, 
 and  how  great  is  His  power  and  might,  and  that  He 
 reigneth  over  all  with  the  Father,  Christ  is  impelled 
 to  say.  He  shall  glorify  Me.  For  He  sets  our  mind 
 above  the  conceits  of  the  Jews,  and  does  not  suffer  us 
 to  entertain  so  limited  and  dwarfed  a  conception  as 
 to  think  that  He  is  a  mere  Man,  slightly  surpassing 
 the  prophets  in  the  stature  they  attained,  or  even  falling 
 short  of  their  renown— for  we  find  that  the  leaders  of 
 the  Jews  had  this  idea  concerning  Him,  because  they 
 not  knowing  the  mystery  of  piety,  frequently  uttered 
 blasphemies  against  Christ,  and,  encountering  His  sayings 
 Supra  with  their  mad  folly,  said  on  one  occasion:  ^Y]^o  art 
 52"'53  '  Thou?  Ahrahmn  is  dead,  and  the  prophets  are  dead ;  and 
 Thou,  sayest,  If  a  man  keep  My  word,  He  shall  never 
 see  death.  Whom  makest  Thou  Thyself?  And  on  another 
 occasion  they  cast  in  His  teeth  the  meanness  of  His 
 birth  according  to  the  flesh,  and  His  great  insignificance 
 vi.  42.     in  this  respect:  Is  not  this  the  son  of  Joseph,  tvhose  father 
 
The  Spirit  illustrated  Chrlsfs  glory  to  the  Saints.  455 
 
 and  mother  lue  know  ?  Hovj  then  doth  He  say,  I  am  Chap.  i. 
 come  doivn  out  of  heaven  ?  Note  herein  the  miserable 
 reasoning  of  the  Jews.  As  then  the  multitude  were 
 so  disposed  and  thought  that  the  Lord  was  not 
 truly  God  because  in  this  human  frame  He  was  liable 
 to  death,  and  because  they  did  not  scruple  to  entertain 
 the  basest  conception  of  His  Nature,  the  Spirit,  when 
 He  came  down  from  heaven,  illustrated  completely 
 His  glory  to  the  Saints ;  not  that  we  should  say,  that 
 He  merely  convinced  them  by  wise  words,  but  that 
 He  by  actual  proof  also  satisfied  the  minds  of  all  that 
 He  was  truly  God,  and  the  fruit  of  the  Substance  of 
 God  the  Father.  What  then  is  this  proof?  And  how 
 did  He  increase  the  honour  and  admiration  in  which 
 Christ  was  held  ?  By  exercising  His  activity  univer- 
 sally in  a  marvellous  and  Divine  manner,  and  by 
 implanting  in  the  Saints  complete  and  perfect  know- 
 ledge. He  furthered  His  glory.  For  to  the  Sovereign 
 Nature  of  the  Universe  alone  must  we  ascribe  om- 
 niscience and'  the  sight  of  all  things  naked  and  laid  Heb.  iv. 
 open  to  the  view,  and  the  ability  to  accomplish  all  His 
 purposes. 
 
 The  Comforter  then,  that  is.  His  own  Spirit,  being 
 omnipotent  and  omniscient,  glorifies  the  Son.  And 
 how  does  He  glorify  Him  ?  Surely  what  His  Spirit 
 knows  and  is  able  to  effect,  Christ  knows  and  is  able 
 to  effect.  And  if,  as  He  says,  the  Spirit  receives  of 
 Him,  the  Spirit  Himself  being  omnipotent,  surely  He 
 Himself  has  a  power  which  is  universal.  And  we  must 
 in  no  wise  suppose  that  the  Comforter,  that  is,  the  Spirit, 
 is  lacking  in  innate  and  inherent  power  in  such  a  way 
 that,  if  He  did  not  receive  assistance  from  without. 
 His  own  power  would  not  be  self-sufficient  to  fully 
 accomplish  the  Divine  designs.  Any  one  who  merely 
 imagined  any  such  idea  to  be  true  about  the  Spirit 
 would  with  good  reason  undergo  the  charge  of  the  worst 
 blasphemy  of  all.  But  it  is  because  He  is  Consubstantial 
 with    the    Son,  and    divinely    proceeds   through    Him, 
 
456  An  illustration  of  the  relation  of  Son  and  Spirit. 
 
 Book  11.  exercising  universally  His  entire  activity  and  power, 
 c.xvi.H.  ^j^^^  Christ  says,  "He  shall  receive  of  Me."  For  we 
 believe  that  the  Spirit  has  a  self-supporting  existence 
 and  is  in  truth  that  which  He  is,  and  with  the  quahties 
 predicated  of  Him ;  though,  being  inherent  in  the  Sub- 
 stance of  God,  He  proceeds  and  issues  from  it  and  has 
 innate  in  Himself  all  that  that  nature  implies.  For 
 the  Divine  Substance  is  not  His  by  participation  or 
 by  relation,  still  less  is  It  His  as  though  He  ha<i 
 a  separate  existence  from  It,  since  He  is  an  attribute 
 of  It.  For  just  as  the  fragrance  of  sweet-smelling 
 flowers,  proceeding  in  some  sort  from  the  essential  and 
 natural  exercise  of  the  functions  or  qualities  of  the 
 flowers  that  emit  it,  conveys  the  perception  thereof  to 
 the  outer  world  by  meeting  those  organs  of  smell  in 
 the  body,  and  yet  seems  in  some  way,  so  far  as  its 
 logical  conception  goes,  to  be  separate  from  its  natural 
 cause,  while  (as  having  no  independent  existence)  it  is 
 not  separate  in  nature  from  the  source  from  which  it 
 proceeds  and  in  which  it  exists,  even  so  you  may  con- 
 ceive of  the  relation  of  God  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  taking 
 this  by  way  of  illustration.  In  this  way  then  the 
 statement  that  His  Spirit  receives  something  from  the 
 Only-begotten  is  wholly  unimpeachable  and  cannot  be 
 cavilled  at.  For  proceeding  naturally  as  His  attribute 
 through  Him,  and  having  all  that  He  has  in  its  entirety, 
 He  is  said  to  receive  that  which  He  has.  And  if  this 
 meaning  is  conveyed  in  language  that  is  obscure,  far 
 from  being  offended  at  it,  we  should  with  more  justice 
 lay  the  blame  on  the  poverty  of  our  own  language, 
 which  is  not  able  to  give  expression  to  Divine  truths 
 in  a  suitable  way.  And  what  language  is  adequate  to 
 explain  the  ineffable  Nature  and  Glory  of  God?  He 
 says  then  that  the  Comforter  "  will  receive  of  Mine,  and 
 will  show  it  unto  you  ;  "  that  is.  He  will  say  nothing  that 
 is  not  in  harmony  with  My  purpose  ;  but,  since  He  is 
 My  Spirit,  His  language  will  be  in  every  way  identical 
 with  Mine,  and  He  will  show  you  of  My  Will. 
 
CHAPTER  11. 
 
 That  His  Spirit,  that  is,  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  naturally  in  the  Son 
 and  in  His  Substance,  as  He  is  also  in  the  Substance  of  the 
 Father. 
 
 15     All  things  wJiatsoever  the  Father  hath  are  Mine  :  and  there-  Chap.  2. 
 fore  I  said  unto  you,  that  He  taketh  of  Mine  and  shall 
 declare  it  unto  you. 
 
 The  Son  once  more  shows  to  us  herein  the  complete 
 and  perfect  character  of  the  Person  of  the  Father 
 Himself  also,  and  allows  us  to  see  why  He  said  that 
 He,  being  the  fruit  of  the  Father's  Substance,  engrosses 
 in  Himself  all  that  belongs  to  It,  and  says  that  It  is 
 all  His  own,  and  with  reason.  For,  as  there  is  nothing 
 to  dissever  or  estrange  the  Son  from  the  Father,  so  far 
 as  their  complete  similarity  and  equality  is  concerned, 
 save  only  that  He  is  not  Himself  the  Father,  and  as 
 the  Divine  Substance  does  not  show  Itself  differently 
 in  the  Two  Persons,  surely  Their  attributes  are  common, 
 or  rather  identical ;  so  that  what  the  Father  hath  is 
 the  Son's,  and  what  He  That  begat  hath,  belongs  also 
 to  Him  that  is  begotten  of  Him.  For  this  reason,  I 
 think,  in  His  watchful  care  over  us,  He  has  thus 
 spoken  to  us  concerning  this.  For  He  did  not  say, 
 All  things  whatsoever  the  Father  hath  I  have  also,  in 
 order  to  prevent  our  imagining  He  meant  a  mere 
 likeness  founded  on  similarity,  only  moulded  by 
 adventitious  graces  into  conformity  with  the  Archetype, 
 as  is  the  case  with  us ;  for  we  are  after  God's  likeness. 
 Rather,  when  He  says.  All  things  ivhatsoever  the  Father  ' 
 hath  are  Mine,  He  illustrates  hereby  the  perfect  union 
 which  He  hath  with  His  Father,  and  the  meaning  of 
 
458  Language  is  insufficient  to  ex'press 
 
 I'.cifiK  11.  their  Consubstantiality  existing  in  unchangeable  attri- 
 c.xvi.  15.  i^^^gg  And  this  you  may  see,  that  He  clearly  says 
 Infra  elsewhere,  when  addressing  the  Father,  All  things 
 xvn.  10.  ^j^^^  ^^^,g  Mine  are  Thine,  and  Thine  are  Mine.  For 
 surely  they  are  identical  in  nature,  in  whom  there  is 
 no  severance  at  all,  but  complete  and  perfect  essential 
 equality  and  likeness.  God  the  Father  then  hath,  of 
 Himself,  and  in  Himself,  His  own  Spirit ;  that  is,  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  through  Whom  He  dwelleth  in  the  Saints, 
 and  reveals  His  mysteries  to  them ;  not  as  though  the 
 Spirit  were  called  to  perform  a  merely  ministerial 
 function  (do  not  think  this),  but  rather,  as  He  is 
 in  Him  essentially,  and  proceeds  from  Him  inseparably 
 and  indivisibly,  interpreting  what  is  in  reality  His  own 
 when  He  interprets  that  which  belongs  to  Him  in  Whom 
 He  exists,  and  from  Whom  He  springs.  For  God  only 
 has  union  with  the  creation  thi-ough  His  Son  in  the 
 Spirit.  And  this  Spirit  is  also  an  attribute  of  the 
 Only-begotten,  for  He  is  Consubstantial  with  the 
 Father, 
 
 Since  then.  He  says,  it  is  seen  to  be  natural  to  God 
 the  Father  to  reveal  Himself  in  His  own  Spirit  to  those 
 who  are  worthy  of  Him,  and  to  accomplish  through 
 Him  all  His  purposes,  and  since  this  kind  of  action 
 belongs  to  Me  also,  for  this  cause  I  said,  "  He  receiveth 
 of  Me  and  will  show  it  unto  you."  And  let  no  man 
 be  perplexed  when  he  here  hears  the  word  "receiveth," 
 but  rather  let  him  consider  the  following  fact,  and  he  will 
 do  well.  The  things  of  God  are  spoken  of  in  language  as 
 though  God  were  even  as  we  are  ;  but  this  is  not  really 
 the  case,  for  His  ways  are  superhuman.  We  say  then 
 that  the  Spirit  receives  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  the 
 things  that  are  Theirs  in  the  following  way ;  not  as 
 though  at  one  moment  He  were  devoid  of  the  knowledge 
 and  power  inherent  in  Them,  and  at  the  next  hardly 
 acquires  such  knowledge  and  power  when  He  is  con- 
 ceived of  as  receiving  from  Them.  For  the  Spirit  is 
 wise   and  powerful,  nay,  rather,  absolute  Wisdom  and 
 
tlie  relations  of  the  Persona  of  tJte  Holy  Trinity.  459 
 Power,  not  by  participation  in  anything   else,  but  by  Chap.  2. 
 
 c  XVI  J.G 
 
 His  own  Nature.  But,  rather,  just  as  we  should  say  that 
 the  fragrance  of  sweet-smelling  herbs  which  assails  our 
 nostrils  is  distinct  from  the  herbs  so  far  as  their  con- 
 ception in  thought  is  concerned,  but  proceeds  from  the 
 herbs  in  which  it  originates  only  by  being  a  recipient 
 of  their  faculty  of  giving  scent  in  order  to  its  display, 
 and  is  not  in  fact  distinct  from  them,  because  its 
 existence  is  due  to,  and  is  wrapped  up  in,  them ;  even 
 such  an  idea,  or  rather  one  transcending  this,  must  you 
 imagine  about  the  relation  of  God  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 For  He  is,  as  it  were,  a  sweet  savour  of  His  Substance, 
 working  plainly  on  the  senses,  conveying  to  the  creature 
 an  effluence  from  God,  and  instilling  in  him  through 
 Itself  participation  in  the  Sovereign  Substance  of  the 
 Universe.  For  if  the  fragrance  of  sweet  herbs  imparts 
 some  of  its  power  to  garments  with  which  it  comes  in 
 contact,  and  in  some  sort  transforms  its  surroundings 
 into  likeness  with  itself,  surely  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
 power,  since  He  is  by  nature  of  God,  to  make  those 
 in  whom  He  abides  partakers  in  the  Divine  Nature 
 through  Himself.  The  Son  then,  being  the  Fruit  and 
 express  Image  of  the  Father's  Person  by  nature,  en- 
 grosses all  that  is  His.  And  therefore  He  says,  All 
 things  whatsoever  the  Father  hath  are  Mine:  therefore 
 said  I  unto  you,  that  He  taketh  of  Mine  and  shall 
 declare  it  unto  you— the  Spirit,  that  is.  Who  is  through 
 Him  and  in  Him,  by  Whom  He  personally  dwells  in 
 the  Saints.  For  His  Spirit  is  not  distinct  from  Him, 
 even  though  He  may  be  conceived  of  as  having  a 
 separate  and  independent  existence :  for  the  Spirit  is 
 Spirit,  and  not  the  Son. 
 
 16     A  little  ivhile,  and  ye  heliold  Me  no  more;  and  again  a  little 
 while,  and  ye  shall  see  Me  ;  because  I  go  to  the  Father. 
 
 After  having  first  said  that  He  would  reveal  to  them 
 by    His    Spirit    everything    that    was    necessary    and 
 
460  Out  of  consideration  for  His  disciples 
 
 Book  11.  essential  for  them  to  know,  He  discourses  to  them  of 
 c.  XVI.  16.  jjj^g  Passion,  nigh  unto  which  was  His  Ascension  into 
 heaven,  rendering  the  coming  of  the  Spirit  very  neces- 
 sary ;  for  it  was  no  longer  possible  for  Him,  after  He 
 had  gone  up  to  the  Father,  to  hold  converse  in  the 
 flesh  with  His  holy  Apostles.  And  He  makes  His 
 discourse  with  the  greatest  caution,  thereby  robbing 
 their  sorrow  of  its  sting ;  for  well  He  knew  that  great 
 fear  would  once  more  reign  in  their  hearts,  and  that 
 they  would  be  consumed  with  an  agony  of  grief,  ex- 
 pecting to  be  overwhelmed  by  terrible  and  unendurable 
 evils,  when  their  bereavement  should  come  to  pass  and 
 the  Saviour  ascend  to  the  Father.  For  this  cause,  I 
 think.  He  does  not  tell  them  that  He  would  die — the 
 madness  of  the  Jews  requiring  even  His  life  of  Him^ 
 but  keeps  this  secret.  Rather  in  His  great  consideration 
 for  them  He  greatly  softens  the  rigour  of  His  discourse, 
 and  shows  them  that  close  upon  their  suffering  would 
 follow  the  joy  of  heart  which  His  Resurrection  would 
 occasion  them,  saying:  A  little  tuhile,  and  ye  behold  Me 
 no  more ;  and  again  a  little  tvhile,  and  ye  shall  see  Me. 
 For  now  the  time  of  His  death  drew  nigh  which  would 
 take  the  Lord  out  of  the  sight  of  His  disciples  for  a 
 very  short  season,  until,  after  despoiling  hell  and 
 throwing  open  the  gates  of  darkness  to  those  that 
 dwelt  therein.  He  built  up  again  the  temple  of 
 His  Body.  Whereupon  He  manifested  Himself  once 
 more  to  His  disciples,  and  promised  to  be  with  them 
 s.  Matt,  ahvay  [even  unto  the  end]  of  the  world,  according  to 
 XXV111.20.  ^-^^  Scripture.  For  even  though  He  be  absent  in  the 
 body,  taking  His  place  for  our  sake  at  the  Father's 
 side  and  sitting  at  His  right  Hand,  still  He  dwells  by 
 the  Spirit  with  those  who  are  worthy  of  Him,  and  has 
 perpetual  converse  with  His  Saints ;  for  He  has  pro- 
 mised that  He  will  not  leave  us  comfortless.  As  then, 
 there  was  but  a  short  interval  of  time  before  His 
 Passion  would  begin.  He  says,  A  little  ivhile,  and  ye  see 
 Me  no  more;   for  He  was  to  be  hidden  from  sight  in 
 
Christ  did  not  allude  to  His  Passion.  461 
 
 a  manner  by  death  for  a  brief  space :   and  again,  He  Chap.  2. 
 says,  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  Me.     For  on  the  i^^'    ' 
 third  day  He  revived,  having  preached  unto  the  spirits  1  S.  Pet. 
 in  prison.     The  proof  of  His   love   towards   mankind  "^'     ' 
 was   hereby   rendered    most    complete    by   His    giving 
 salvation,  I  say,  not  merely  to  the  quick,  but  also  by 
 His   preaching   remission   of  sins    to   those   who  were 
 already  dead,  and  who  sat  in  darkness  in  the  depths  of 
 the  abyss  according  to  the  Scripture, 
 
 And  remark  how,  with  reference  to  His  Passion  and 
 His  Resurrection,  He  said :  A  little  while,  and  ye  behold 
 Me  no  more ;  and  again  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see 
 Me ;  and  how,  merely  adding,  because  I  go  to  My  Father, 
 leaves  the  rest  unsaid.  He  did  not  explain  to  them  how 
 long  He  would  remain  there,  or  when  He  would  come 
 again.  And  why  was  this  ?  Because  it  is  not  for  us  to  Acts  i.  7. 
 knoiu  times  and  seasons  which  the  Father  hath  set  within 
 His  own  authority,  according  to  the  words  of  our  Saviour 
 Himself. 
 
 1 7  Some  of  His  disciides  therefore  said  one  to  another,  What  is 
 this  that  He  saitli  unto  us,  A  little  luhile,  and  ye  behold  Me  not; 
 and  again  a  little  lohile,  and  ye  sJuill  see  Me;  and,  Because 
 
 18  I  go  to  tlie  Father?  Tliey  said  therefore,Wliat  is  this  that  He 
 saith,  A  little  while  ?    We  know  not  what  He  saith. 
 
 The  inspired  disciples,  not  yet  understanding  what 
 He  had  said,  converse  among  themselves,  and  are  in 
 doubt  as  to  what  a  little  while,  and  again  a  little  while, 
 and  ye  shall  not  see  Me,  might  mean.  Christ,  however, 
 anticipates  their  desire  for  information,  and  once  more 
 very  seasonably  shows  them  that  He  knows  their  hearts 
 as  God,  and  that  He  is  as  well  aware  of  what  they  are 
 turning  over  in  their  minds,  and  what  was  as  yet  buried 
 in  the  depths  of  their  hearts,  as  though  they  had  already 
 given  utterance  to  it  in  speech.  For  what  is  there  which 
 can  be  hid  from  Him  before  Whom  all  things  are  naked  'i  Heb.  iv. 
 Wherefore  also  He  saith  to  one  of  the  Saints:   Who  is  ,  ' 
 
 Job 
 
 this  that  hideth  counsel  from  Me,  and  putteth  together  xxxviii.2. 
 
462  (Christ  voxiclmtfes  fiirtliev  information, 
 
 Book  11.  ivords  in  his  heart  and  thinketh  that  he  kee-peth  it  secret 
 o'o^^'*    '  from  Me  ?    He  then  at  every  turn  uses  occasion  as   it 
 offers  to  nurture  in  them  secure  and  unshaken  faith. 
 
 1 9  Jesus  2>^^ceived  that  tliey  were  desirous  to  ask  Him,  and  He 
 said  unto  them,  Do  ye  enquire  among  yourselves  concerning 
 this,  that  I  said,  A  little  while,  and  ye  behold  Me  not,  and 
 
 20  again  a  little  while,  and  ye  shall  see  Me  ?  Verily,  verily,  I 
 say  unto  you,  that  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  hut  the  world 
 shall  rejoice :  ye  shall  he  sorrowful,  hut  your  sorrow  shall 
 he  turned  into  joy. 
 
 As  then  they  were  thirsting  for  information  and  sought 
 to  know  more  exactly  the  meaning  of  His  words,  He 
 gives  a  clearer  exposition  of  His  Passion,  and  vouchsafes 
 them  the  foreknowledge  of  the  sufferings  that  He  was 
 about  to  undergo  to  their  gi-eat  profit.  It  was  not  in 
 order  that  He  might  engender  in  them  premature  alarm 
 that  He  deemed  it  meet  to  give  them  this  explanation 
 beforehand,  but  in  order  that,  forearmed  by  their  know- 
 ledge, they  might  perchance  be  found  more  courageous 
 to  withstand  the  terror  that  would  assail  them.  For  that 
 of  which  the  advent  is  expected  is  milder  in  its  approach 
 than  that  which  is  wholly  unlooked  for.  When  then  you 
 who  are  truly  Mine  and  united  to  Me  by  your  love 
 towards  Me  shall  behold  your  Guide  and  Master  under- 
 going the  brunt  of  the  madness  of  the  Jews,  their  insults 
 and  outrages,  and  all  that  their  mad  frenzy  will  prompt, 
 then,  indeed,  ye  shall  weep  and  lament,  but  the  world 
 shall  rejoice ;  that  is,  those  who  are  not  minded  to  follow 
 God's  Will,  but  are,  as  it  were,  enchained  by  worldly  lusts. 
 He  refers  also  to  the  vulgar  herd  of  Jewish  rabble,  as 
 well  as  the  impious  band  of  enemies  of  God  who  had 
 secured  the  lead  among  them,  namely,  the  Scribes  and 
 Pharisees,  who  made  jests  at  the  trials  our  Saviour  had 
 to  endure,  and  raised  many  cries  to  their  own  damnation, 
 s.  Matt,  at  one  time  saying,  If  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God  come 
 xxvii.  40,  ^^^^^  ^^^y  from  the  cross,  and  tue  will  believe  Thee :  and 
 Ibid.  40.  at  another,  Thou  that  destroyest  the  temple  and  buildest 
 
and  adds  comfort  thereto.  463 
 
 it  in  three  days,  save  Thyself — for  such  will  be  the  foul  Chap.  2. 
 utterances  of  the  blasphemous  tongue  of  the  Jews.  But  22.  "  ' 
 while  the  men  of  the  world  would  be  of  this  mind,  and 
 such  will  be  their  deeds  and  cries,  "  you  will  mourn ; " 
 but  not  for  long  will  you  have  this  suffering  to  endure, 
 for  your  sorrow  will  be  turned  into  joy.  For  I  shall 
 live  again,  and  will  wholly  remove  the  cause  of  your 
 despondency,  and  I  will  comfort  the  mourners,  and  will 
 renew  in  them  a  good  courage  that  will  be  eternal  and 
 without  end.  For  the  joy  of  the  Saints  ceaseth  not.  For 
 Christ  is  alive  for  evermore,  and  through  Him  the  bonds 
 of  death  are  loosed  for  all  mankind.  It  is  perhaps,  too, 
 not  impertinent  to  reflect  that  the  worldly  will  con- 
 trariwise be  doomed  to  a  fate  of  endless  misery.  For  if, 
 when  Christ  died  after  the  flesh,  those  who  were  truly 
 His  mourned,  but  the  world  rejoiced  at  His  Passion  ;  and 
 if,  when  death  and  corruption  were  rendered  powerless  by 
 the  Resurrection  of  our  Saviour  Christ  from  the  dead, 
 the  mourning  of  the  Saints  was  turned  into  joy,  surely 
 in  like  manner  also  the  joy  of  the  worldly-minded  will 
 be  lost  in  sorrow. 
 
 21  A  tooman  when  she  is  in  travail  loath  sorrow,  because  her 
 hour  is  come :  hut  ivhen  she  is  delivered  of  tJie  child,  she 
 remembereth  no  more  tJie  anguish,  for  the  joy  that  a  man 
 
 22  is  born  into  tlis  world.  And  ye  therefore  now  have  sorrow  : 
 but  I  will  see  you  again,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice,  and 
 your  joy  no  one  talceth  from  you. 
 
 He  once  more  dilates  upon  the  solace  He  had  given 
 them,  and  illustrates  it  by  divers  words,  in  every  way 
 aiding  them  to  dispel  the  bitterness  of  their  sorrow.  For 
 observe  how  earnestly  He  persuades  them,  by  obvious 
 illustration,  of  the  necessity  of  endurance,  and  of  not 
 being  over  dismayed  by  troubles  or  sorrows,  if  they 
 must  surely  and  inevitably  end  in  rejoicing.  For  the 
 child.  He  says,  is  the  fruit  of  sore  travail ;  and  it  is 
 through  pain  that  the  joy  they  have  in  their  children 
 comes  to  mothers.     And  if  at  the  first  they  had   felt 
 
464  Their  joy  cannot  he  lost. 
 
 Book  11.  fainthearted  at  the  prospect  of  the  travail  of  childbirth, 
 c.  XVI.  23,  they  would  never  have  consented  to  conceive  ;  but  would 
 rather  have  chosen  to  escape  marriage,  which  is  the 
 cause,  and  would  never  have  become  mothers  at  all ; 
 avoiding  by  their  cowardice  a  state  which  is  highly 
 desirable  and  thrice  blest.  In  like  manner  then  will 
 your  suffering  also  not  fail  to  meet  its  reward.  For  you 
 will  rejoice  when  you  see  a  new  child  born  into  the 
 world,  incorruptible  and  beyond  the  reach  of  death. 
 Plainly  He  alludes  to  Himself  here.  He  tells  them  that 
 the  joy  of  heart  that  they  will  have  in  Him  cannot  be 
 taken  away  from  them  or  lost.  For,  as  Paul  says,  or 
 rather  as  the  Very  Truth  Itself  implies,  having  died  once 
 Rom.  vi.  for  aU,  He  dieth  no  more.  The  joy  of  heart  then  that  rests 
 upon  Him  hath  in  very  truth  a  sure  foundation.  For,  if 
 we  mourned  at  His  death,  who  shall  take  from  us  our 
 joy,  now  that  we  know  that  He  lives  and  will  be  ahve 
 for  evermore — He  Who  gives  and  ordains  for  us  all 
 spiritual  blessings'?  No  man  then  "taketh  their  joy" 
 from  the  Saints,  as  our  Saviour  says  ;  but  they  who 
 nailed  Him  to  the  Cross  were  bereft  of  their  joy  once 
 and  for  ever.  For  now  that  His  suffering  is  ended,  which 
 they  thought  an  occasion  for  rejoicing,  sorrow  will  be 
 their  portion  of  inevitable  necessity. 
 
 23  And  in  that  day  ye  shall  ask  Me  nothing.  Verily,  verily, 
 I  say  unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of  tlie  Father,  He 
 
 24  vnll  give  it  you  in  My  Name.  Hitherto  have  ye  asked 
 nothing  in  My  Name  :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your 
 joy  may  be  fulfilled. 
 
 He  says  that  His  holy  disciples  will  increase  in 
 S.  Luke  wisdom  and  knowledge  when  they  should  be  clothed 
 ^^^'"  '  with  poiver  from  on  high  according  to  the  Scripture,  and 
 with  their  minds  illumined  by  the  torchlight  of  the 
 Spirit  should  be  able  to  conceive  all  wisdom,  even 
 though  they  asked  no  question  of  Him  Who  was  no 
 longer  present  with  them  in  the  flesh.  The  Saviour 
 does  not  indeed  say  this  because  they  will  have  no  more 
 
We  ask  in  the  Name  of  Christ,  the  Mediator.      465 
 
 need  of  lierht  from  Him,  but  because  when  they  had  re-  Ghap.  2. 
 
 .        .  .        .  c  xvi  23 
 
 ceived  His  own  Spirit,  and  had  Him  indwelling  in  their  24, 
 
 hearts,  they  would  have  in  their  minds  no  lack  of  every 
 good  thing,  and  would  be  fulfilled  with  the  most  perfect 
 knowledge.     And  by  perfect  knowledge  we  mean  that 
 which    is    correct   and   incapable   of   error,  and   which 
 cannot  endure  to  think  or  say  any  evil  thing,  and  which 
 has  a  right  belief  concerning  the  Holy  and  Consubstantial 
 Trinity.    For  if  lue  see  now  in  a  mirror  darkly,  and  we  1  Cor. 
 know  in  part,  still  while  we  wander  not  astray  from  the  ^"''    ' 
 doctrines  of  the  truth  but  adhere  to  the  spirit  of  the 
 holy  and  inspired  writings,  the  knowledge  that  we  have 
 is  not  imperfect,  a  knowledge  which  no  man  can  acquire 
 save  by  the  light  of  the   Holy  Spirit  given  unto  him. 
 Hereby  he  exhorts  the   disciples  to  pray  for  spiritual 
 graces,  and  at  the  same  time  gives  them  this  encourage- 
 ment— that  what  they  ask  they  will  not  fail  to  obtain  ; 
 adding  the  comforting  assurance  of  the  word  "  verily  " 
 to  His  promise  that  if  they  will  go  to  the  Father's  throne 
 and  make  any  request,  they  will  receive  it  of  Him,  He 
 Himself  acting  as  Mediator  and  leading  them  into  the 
 Father's  Presence.    For  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  words 
 in  my  Name;  for  we  cannot  draw  nigh  unto  God  the 
 Father  save  by  the  Son  alone.     For  through  Him  we  Ephea.  ii., 
 have  obtained  access  in  One  Spirit  unto  the  Father,  ac- 
 cording to  the  Scripture.   Therefore  also  He  saith  :  /  am  Supra 
 the  Door:  I  am  the  Way :  no  onecometh  unto  the  Father  xiv.  6. 
 but  by  Me.     For  inasmuch  as  the  Son  is  also  God,  to- 
 gether with  the  Father  He  conveys  good  gifts  to  the 
 Saints,  and  associates  Himself  with  Him  in  granting  us 
 the  portion  of  the  blessed.     Moreover,  the  inspired  Paul 
 most  evidently  confirms  our  belief  herein  by  writing 
 these  words :   Grace   to  you  and  "peace  from   God   our  Rom.  i. 7. 
 Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.     And  in  right  of  His 
 titles.  Mediator,  High  Priest,  and  Advocate,  He  conveys 
 to  the  Father  prayers  on  our  behalf,  for  He  gives  us  all 
 boldness  to  address  the  Father.     In  the  Name  then  of 
 Our  Saviour  Christ  we  must  make  our  requests,  for  so 
 VOL.  II.  H  h 
 
466       Tlie  .superiority  of  this  manrier  of  prayer. 
 
 Book  11.  will  the  Father  most  readily  gi-ant  them,  and  will  give  to 
 c.  XVI.  25.  ^}jose  that  ask  good  gifts,  that  we  may  take  them  and  re- 
 joice therein.  So  being  fulfilled  with  spiritual  graces, 
 and  enriched  with  the  grant  of  knowledge  from  Him 
 through  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  in  our  hearts,  we  shall 
 gain  a  very  easy  triumph  over  every  strange  and  abo- 
 minable lust ;  and  thus  being  active  in  good  works,  and 
 attaining  to  the  practice  of  every  virtue  with  fervent 
 zeal,  and  strengthened  with  everything  whatsoever  that 
 maketh  for  sanctification,  we  rejoice  with  exceeding  joy 
 at  the  prospect  of  the  reward  that  awaits  us ;  and,  dismiss- 
 ing the  despondency  that  springs  from  an  evil  consci- 
 ence, we  have  our  hearts  enriched  with  the  joy  that  is  in 
 Christ.  This  did  not  enter  into  the  life  of  the  men  of  old 
 time  ;  they  never  practised  this  manner  of  prayer,  for  they 
 knew  it  not.  But  now  is  it  ordained  for  us  by  Christ, 
 at  the  appropriate  season,  when  the  time  of  the  accom- 
 plishment of  our  redemption  was  fulfilled,  and  the  perfect 
 fruition  of  all  good  was  gained  for  us  by  Him.  For  just 
 as  the  Law  accomplished  nothing,  and  as  righteousness 
 according  to  the  Law  was  incomplete,  so  also  was  the 
 mode  of  prayer  inculcated  thereby. 
 
 25  These  things  have  I  sj)oken  unto  you  in  proverbs  :  the  hour 
 corneth  tvJien  I  shall  no  more  sjyeak  unto  you  in  proverhs, 
 hut  shall  tell  you,  ^J?«m7^  of  the  Father. 
 
 By  proverbs  He  means  language  that  is  indistinct  and 
 does  not  bear  its  meaning  on  the  surface,  but  is  in  some 
 sort  veiled  by  obscurities  so  subtle  that  He  says  His 
 hearers  could  not  very  readily  comj)rehend  it ;  for  this 
 was  the  fashion  of  what  was  said  in  proverbs.  What  I 
 have  told  you  then,  He  says,  I  have  told  you  as  it  were 
 in  proverbs  and  riddles,  reserving  for  the  fitting  season 
 which  has  not  yet  come,  though  it  is  drawing  nigh,  the 
 revelation  of  these  things  beyond  possibility  of  doubt. 
 For  the  hour  will  indeed  come.  He  says ;  that  is,  the 
 proper  time  in  which  I  shall  in  plain  language  expound 
 to  you  the  things  that  concern  the  Father's  glory,  and 
 
We  shall  understand  perfectly  after  this  life.     467 
 
 implant   in   you   a    knowledge    that   surpasses    human  Chap.  2, 
 understanding.     What  that  time  would  be,  He  did  not  ^"  ^^*"     ' 
 tell  them  very  clearly.    We  must  surmise  that  He  either 
 meant  that  time  when  we  were  enriched  with  the  know- 
 ledge that  comes  to  us  through  the  Spirit,  Whom  Christ 
 Himself  brought  down  to  us  after  His  Resurrection  from 
 the  dead ;  or  it  may  be  the  time  to  come  after  the  end  of 
 the  world,  in  which  we  shall  behold  unveiled  and  open 
 to  our  gaze  the  glory  of  God,  Who  will  Himself  impart 
 to  us  knowledge  concerning  Himself  in  perfect  clearness. 
 Therefore  also  Paul  says,  that  propliecies  shall  he  done  i  Cor. 
 away,  and  knoivledge  shall  cease,  having  no  other  mean-  ^"^" 
 ing  in  his  mind  than  that  which  we  have  accepted  for 
 this  passage.     For  tve  see  in  a  mirror,  and  we  know  in 
 part,  as  we  just  now  said.    But  when  that  tvhich  is  per- 
 fect is  come,  that  tvhich  is  in  p)art  shall  be  done  away. 
 How  or  in  what  manner  this  shall  come  to  pass  I  will 
 go  on  to  explain,  if  you  are  willing  to  listen. 
 
 For,  just  as  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  the  bright 
 beauty  of  the  stars  shines  forth,  each  casting  abroad 
 its  own  ray  of  light,  but  when  the  sun  arises  with 
 his  radiant  beams  then  that  light  which  is  but  in 
 part  is  done  away,  and  the  lustre  of  the  stars  waxes 
 feeble  and  ineffective,  in  like  manner  I  think  also  the 
 knowledge  that  we  now  have  will  cease,  and  that 
 which  is  in  part  will  vanish  away  at  that  moment  of 
 time  when  the  perfect  hght  has  come  upon  us,  and  sheds 
 forth  its  radiancy,  filling  us  with  perfect  knowledge  of 
 God.  Then,  when  we  are  enabled  to  approach  God  in 
 confidence,  Christ  will  tell  us  the  things  which  concern 
 His  Father.  For  now  by  shadows  and  illustrations, 
 and  various  images  and  types  deduced  from  diflferent 
 phases  of  human  life,  we  feebly  trace  our  steps  to  a 
 vague  uncertain  knowledge,  through  the  inherent  weak- 
 ness of  our  minds.  Then,  however,  we  shall  stand  in 
 no  need  of  any  type  or  riddle  or  parable,  but  shall 
 behold  after  a  fashion,  face  to  face  and  with  unshackled 
 mind,  the  fair  vision  of  the  Divine  Nature  of  God  the 
 
 H  h  2 
 
468  God,  from  His  own  Good  Will, 
 
 Book  11.  Father,  having  seen  the  glory  of  Him  Who  proceeded 
 
 c.^xvi.  26,  £^.Qj_i^    Him.     Fo7'   we    shcdl    see   Him    even   as   He   is, 
 
 1  s.  John  according  to  the  saying  of  John,     For  now  we  know 
 
 "'■  "■        Him  in  the  perfection  of  the  glory  that  belongs  to  His 
 
 Divine  Nature  because  of  our  humanity.     But  when  the 
 
 season  of  His  incarnation  is  past,  and  the  mystery  of 
 
 our  redemption  completely  wrought  out,  henceforth  He 
 
 will  be  seen  in  His  own  glory  and  in  the  glory  of  God 
 
 the   Father.     For  being  God  by  Nature,  and   thereby 
 
 Consubstantial'with  His  Father,  He  will  surely  enjoy 
 
 equal  honours  with  Him,  and  will  shine  henceforth  in 
 
 the  glory  of  His  Godhead. 
 
 26      In  that  day  ye  shall  ask  in  My  Name  :  and  I  say  not  unto 
 2  7     you  that  I  loill  'pray  the  Father  for  you ;  for  the  Father 
 Himself  loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  Me,  and  have 
 believed  that  I  came  forth  from  the  Father. 
 
 He  suffers  them  not  to  ask  for  anything  at  all  by 
 prayer  and  supplication,  except  only  in  His  Name.  He 
 promises,  however,  that  His  Father  will  very  readily 
 grant  their  requests,  not  indeed  as  induced  thereto  by 
 the  intercessions  of  the  Son  in  His  capacity  as  our 
 Mediator  and  Advocate,  but  prompted  by  His  own  Will 
 to  be  liberal  in  His  dealings  towards  them,  and  making 
 haste  to  shower  upon  those  who  love  Christ  the  ex- 
 ceeding riches  of  His  goodness,  as  though  He  were  but 
 paying  them  their  due.  And  no  man  in  his  senses  can 
 think,  nor  can  any  one  be  so  ignorant  as  to  affirm,  that 
 the  disciples  or  any  others  of  the  Saints  stand  in  no 
 need  of  the  mediation  of  the  Son  in  working  out  their 
 own  salvation.  For  all  things  proceed  through  Him 
 1  s.  John  from  the  Father  in  the  Spirit,  since  He  is  the  Advoccde, 
 
 ii    1  2 
 
 ■  '  ■  as  John  saith,  not  for  our  sins  only,  hut  cdso  for  the 
 whole  ivorld.  And  in  saying  this.  He  shows  us  too,  to 
 our  profit,  that  very  acceptable  to  God  the  Father  is  the 
 honour  and  love  which  we  have  towards  His  Offspring, 
 Not  understanding  this,  the  miserable  people  of  the  Jews 
 did    not    shrink    from    assailino-    Him    with   intolerable 
 
will  besto'W  the  riches  of  His  Goodness.  469 
 
 blasphemies,  and  sought  to  kill  Him,  according  to  the  Chap.  2. 
 Scripture,  because  of  the  conversion  of  the  mind  of  His  27^^'"  ^^' 
 believers  from  the  obscure  commandment  of  the  Law  to  Supra 
 the  .clearness  of  the  life  according  to  the  Gospel.     For  ^'  ^^' 
 these  wretched  men  said  in  their  ignorance,  or  rather 
 in  their  desire  to   sharpen  their  blasphemous  tongues 
 against  Him,  If  this   man  were   from  God,  He  would  Cf.  supra 
 not  have  broken  the  Sabbath  day.     He  says  then,  that  ^^" 
 God  the  Father  will  very  readily  vouchsafe  His  favour 
 to  those  who  have  undoubting  faith,  and  are  well  assured 
 that  He  came  out  from  God  the  Father.     For  the  Father 
 will,  as  it  were,  He  says,  hail  in  advance,  and  anticipate, 
 the  request  of  the  Mediator,  and  overwhelm  with  spiritual 
 blessings  the  mind   of  those   who  have  a  right  under- 
 standing   concerning    Me,   and    not    according    to    the 
 imaginations  of  those  who  are  too  much  enamoured  of 
 the  letter  of  the  Law. 
 
 And  by  the  words  /  came  out  from  God,  we  must 
 surmise  that  He  means  either  I  was  begotten  from,  and 
 manifested  Myself  out  of,  His  Substance  (the  words  being 
 taken  with  reference  to  what  goes  before  as  to  His 
 existing  in  a  sense  independently  of  His  Father  but 
 not  altogether  separately  from  Him ;  for  the  Father  is 
 in  the  Son,  and  the  Son  again  by  Nature  in  the  Father) ; 
 or  we  must  take  the  words  "  I  came  out  from,"  as 
 meaning  I  became  even  as  you  are ;  that  is,  a  Man, 
 endued  with  your  form  and  nature.  For  the  peculiar 
 nature  of  any  being  may  be  conceived  of  as  the  place 
 from  which  it  proceeds,  when  it  is  transformed  into 
 anything  else  and  becomes  what  it  was  not  before. 
 We  are  indeed  far  from  asserting:  that  when  He  took 
 the  form  of  man  even  as  ourselves,  being  at  the  same 
 time  truly  the  Only-begotten,  He  divested  Himself  of 
 His  Godhead.  For  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-  Heb.  xiii. 
 day,  yea  and  for  ever.  But  when  He  took  upon  Him-  ' 
 self  a  nature  that  was  not  His  own,  while  at  the  same 
 time  He  retained  His  peculiar  attributes,  He  may  be 
 conceived   of   as    having   cor)ie  forth  from  "^fod,    in    a 
 
470  TJic  dlticlples   rt(jJit  faith  rendered  them  acceptable. 
 
 Book  11.  sense  appropriate  to  this  passage.  You  may  take,  if 
 c.  XVI.  28.  yQ^  choose,  the  words  /  came  forth  from  the  Father,  in 
 yet  another  sense,  as  follows :  The  Pharisees,  only  apt 
 in  error,  as  I  have  already  said,  thought  that  Christ  came 
 before  the  world  like  one  of  the  false  prophets,  with 
 no  mission  from  God,  but  of  His  own  motion  ;  inasmuch 
 as  they  were  accustomed  to  point  out  to  those  that  went 
 to  Him,  that  Christ's  teaching  conflicted  with  the  Law. 
 And  for  this  reason  they  considered  Him  guilty  of 
 disobedience,  declaring  that  the  keeping  of  the  Law  is 
 most  acceptable  to  God  the  Father,  but  it  was  broken 
 by  His  teaching.  They  therefore  rejected  Christ  as 
 an  enemy  of  God,  and  as  having  chosen  to  oppose  the 
 dispensation  given  to  them  from  Him  through  Moses, 
 and  argued  that  He  was  for  this  reason  an  alien  from 
 God.  But  not  so  the  blessed  disciples.  For  they  loved 
 Him,  and  had  their  minds  exalted  above  the  madness 
 of  the  Jews,  and  they  had  a  genuine  faith  that  He  came 
 out  from  God,  as  we  have  just  been  told.  For  this 
 cause  then  were  they  beloved  of  the  Father,  and  were 
 requited,  as  it  were,  by  receiving  equal  favour  from 
 Him.  And  if  they  who  believe  that  the  Son  came  out 
 from  God  are  very  dear  and  acceptable  to  God  the 
 Father,  surely  they  who  are  diseased  with  the  contrary 
 opinion  are  accursed  and  abominable  in  God's  sight. 
 And  if  God  is  very  ready  to  hearken  to  those  who  love 
 the  Son,  clearly  He  will  not  accept  the  prayers  of  His 
 enemies  ;  and  this  is  what  is  said  by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah 
 Is.  i.  15.  to  them :  And  when  ye  spread  forth  your  hands  to  Me, 
 I  tuill  hide  Mine  eyes  from  you ;  yea,  ivhen  ye  make 
 many  prayers  I  will  not  hear:  your  hands  are  full 
 of  blood. 
 
 28     /  came  out  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  ivorld : 
 again,  I  leave  the  world,  and  go  unto  the  Father. 
 
 Herein,  then,  in  the  fact  that  our  Lord  went  back 
 to  the  Father  and  returned  with  power  to  the  place 
 from  whidfi  He  knew  that  He  had  gone  forth,  is  proof 
 
Cltrist's  Divinity  'proved  by  His  Ascension.      471 
 
 clear  and  incontrovertible,  that  He  was  not  one  of  Chap.  2. 
 the  false  prophets,  and  that  He  did  not  come  to  utter  ^'  ^^^'  ' 
 to  us  the  promptings  of  man's  private  judgment,  or 
 to  teach  us  doctrines  contrary  to  the  Father's  Will,  as 
 the  demented  Jews  ignorantly  imagined.  Granting  then, 
 (so  a  man  might  speak,  wishing  to  combat  the  perverse 
 opinions  of  the  Jews)  that  He  was  not  the  true  Christ,  as 
 you  say,  0  Jews,  and  that  without  the  approval  of  God 
 the  Father  He  introduced  the  teaching  of  the  life 
 according  to  the  Gospel,  showing  that  the  commandment 
 of  the  Law  was  now  barren,  and  so  profitless  for  the 
 attainment  of  perfection  in  piety ;  (for  you  accuse  Him 
 as  a  Sabbath-breaker,  and,  when  He  did  any  wonderful 
 works  among  you,  you  impiously  said  that  He  used 
 to  do  them  hy  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  the  devils) ;  how  S.  Luke 
 then  was  it  that  He  ascended  into  heaven  itself? 
 How  was  it  that  the  Father  gave  a  share  of  His  throne, 
 and  the  angels  threw  open  wide  the  gates  of  heaven, 
 to  Him  Who  combated  His  decrees  as  you  say,  and 
 propounded  doctrines  contrary  to  the  Will  of  the 
 Sovereign  of  the  Universe  ?  Was  His  Ascension  un- 
 observed *?  Of  a  truth,  great  was  the  crowd  of  witnesses 
 to  whom  the  Divine  and  heavenly  messenger  spake  the 
 words;  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  looJcing  into  Ads i.u. 
 heaven  ?  this  Jesus,  Which  was  received  up  from  you 
 into  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  beheld 
 Him  going  into  heaven.  What  hast  thou,  O  Jews,  to  say 
 in  reply'?  Wilt  thou  not  honour  with  obedience  even 
 the  voice  of  an  angel?  Wilt  thou  not  accept  the  testimony 
 of  the  witnesses,  though  those  who  gazed  upon  the  scene 
 were  many  in  number?  And  yet  the  Law  says  clearly. 
 In  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  shall  every  word  Deut. 
 be  established.  How  then  any  longer  can  the  reproach 
 of  being  a  false  prophet  be  brought  with  any  justice 
 against  Him,  Who  of  His  own  power  returns  to  the 
 Father  in  heaven  ?  And  will  it  not  rather  follow,  by  the 
 convincing  logic  of  facts,  that  we  should  entertain  the 
 firm  conviction  that  He  came  from  God,  that  is  from  the 
 
472      Christ's  Divinity  accepted  hi/  the  disciples. 
 
 Book  11.  Father,  and  is  in  fact  no  other  than  He  Whom  the  Law 
 
 c.^xvi.  29,  ^^^  ^i^g  prophets  foretold  unto  us  1 
 
 And  when  He  says  that  He  came  into  this  world  and 
 again  left  the  world  and  went  to  the  Father,  He  does  not 
 mean  that  He  either  abandoned  the  Father  when  He 
 became  Man,  nor  that  He  abandoned  the  race  of  man 
 when  in  His  flesh  He  went  to  the  Father ;  for  He  is 
 truly  God,  and  with  His  ineffable  power  iilleth  all  things, 
 and  is  not  far  from  anything  that  exists. 
 
 29  His  disciples  say  unto  Him,  Lo,  now  speakest  Thou  plainly, 
 
 30  and  sjyeakest  no  2>roverb.  Now  know  we  that  Thou  knowest 
 all  things,  and  needest  not  that  any  man  should  ask  Thee  : 
 by  this  we  believe  that  Thou  earnest  forth  from  God. 
 
 They  marvel  at  the  convincing  nature  of  the  proof  He 
 gives  them,  and  are  amazed  at  the  clearness  of  His 
 language,  for  without  any  concealment  He  made  His 
 speech  to  them  right  openly.  They  rejoice  therefore  at 
 receiving  a  proof  rid  of  all  difficulty,  and  declare  that 
 His  words  have  in  them  nothing  hard  to  understand,  but 
 that  His  language  here  is  so  easily  intelligible  that  it 
 does  not  seem  in  the  smallest  degree  to  partake  of  the 
 nature  of  a  parable.  And  they  get  also  this  additional 
 benefit :  Since  Thou  knowest,  they  say,  what  is  whispered 
 in  secret,  and  hast  now  given  us  this  information  in  the 
 words  Thou  hast  just  spoken,  anticipating  thereby  the 
 questions  we  might  have  asked  in  our  desire  to  elicit  it, 
 we  are  persuaded  that  Thou  art  indeed  come  from  God. 
 For  to  know,  they  say,  what  is  secret  and  hidden  can 
 belong;  to  the  God  of  all  and  to  none  other.  And  since 
 Thou  knowest  all  things  of  Thyself,  is  it  not  beyond 
 question  that  Thou  hast  emanated  from  God  that 
 knoweth  all  things  ?  So  this  truly  Divine  and  mar- 
 vellous sign  also  availed  to  nurture  in  the  disciples  with 
 the  rest  undoubting  faith,  so  that  we  can  see  in  them  the 
 Trov.  ix.  truth  of  the  saying ;  Give  Instrviction  to  a  tuise  man,  and 
 ^'  he  IV ill   he  yet  tviser :    teach  a  just  man,  and  he  ivill 
 
 increase  in  learnin;/.  And  they  sa}^,  "Now  arc  we  sure ;" 
 
hy  reason  of  His  omniscience.  473 
 
 not  meaning  thereby  that  they  then  let  into  their  minds  Chap.  2. 
 the  first  beginning  of  faith  when  they  heard  these  words  32.  ' 
 and  recognised  the  sign,  I  mean  the  omniscience  of 
 Christ ;  but  rather  that  they  began  to  establish  firmly  in 
 their  hearts  the  faith  that  had  at  first  gained  admittance 
 there,  and  to  attain  a  state  of  unalterable  conviction 
 that  He  was  God,  and  sprang  from  the  true  and  living 
 God.  We  shall  accept  then  the  expression  "Now  are  we 
 sure,"  as  referring  not  to  the  first  beginning  of  faith, 
 but  to  the  occasion  of  its  first  being  fii-mly  settled  in 
 that  apprehension  of  Christ's  Nature  now  honoured  with 
 approval. 
 
 31,  32  Jesus  answered  tJiem,  Do  ye  now  believe?  Behold,  the 
 hour  cometh,  yea  is  now  come,  that  ye  shall  he  scattered  every 
 man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  Me  alone  :  and  yet  I  am 
 not  alone,  because  the  Father  is  with  Me. 
 
 The  Saviour,  however,  very  gently  tells  them  that  the 
 time  when  they  should  be  confirmed  in  all  goodness  was 
 not  yet ;  but  that  this  would  come  to  pass  on  the  occasion 
 of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  unto  them  from  heaven 
 and  yotver  from  on  high,  according  to  the    Scripture,  s.  Luke 
 For  then,  declaring   that  their  human  faintheartedness  ^^^^'  ^^' 
 was  perfected  in  strength,  they  were  pre-eminent  for  their 
 invincible  hardihood,  not  fearing  the  risings  of  the  Jews 
 against  them,  nor  the  unbridled  wrath  of  the  Pharisees, 
 nor  any  other  peril,  but  showing  themselves  the  cham- 
 pions  of  the  Divine    message,    and   openly    declaring: 
 We  must  obey  God  rather  than  men ;  for  lue  cannot  but  Acts  v. 
 speak  the  things  which  tue  saw  and  heard.     While  then  ^^: 
 He  points  out  that  they  are  not  yet  confirmed  in  perfect  20. 
 faith,  through  their  not  having  partaken  of  communion 
 with  the  Spirit ;   setting  before  them,  as   a   proof,  the 
 cowardice  that  they  would  presently  display ;  at  the  same 
 time,  by  foretelling  that  this  would  shortly  come  to  pass, 
 He  manifestly  confers  on  them  no  small  benefit.  For  they 
 would  be  grounded  more  firmly  in  the  faith,  that  He  was 
 by  Nature  God,  when  they  had  fully  grasped  the  belief 
 
 IV. 
 
474  We  may  take  courage  in  Goers  service, 
 
 Book  11.  that  the  future  was  in  no  way  hid  from  Him.  Behold 
 c^xvi.31,  ^^YiQj^^  jjg  says,  the  time  will  shortly  come,  nay,  is  now  at 
 hand,  when  ye  will  leave  Me  alone  and  depart  to  your 
 own.  Herein  He  says  indirectly,  only  by  implication, 
 that,  overcome  by  unmanly  cowardice,  they  would  take 
 thought  only  for  their  own  lives  ;  and,  preferring  their 
 own  safety  to  the  affection  they  owed  to  their  Master, 
 would  flee  to  the  nearest  place  of  refuge.  How  then 
 "are  ye  now  sure,"  when  you  have  not  yet  quit  yourselves 
 of  the  reproach  of  imputations  on  your  courage,  because 
 as  yet  you  have  no  participation  in  the  courage  which  is 
 given  by  the  Spirit"?  And  that  the  blessed  disciples 
 betook  themselves  to  flight  and  were  terrified  at  the 
 onslaught  of  the  Jews,  when  the  traitor  appeared  bring- 
 ing with  him  the  impious  band  of  soldiers  and  the 
 servants  of  the  leaders,  is  beyond  question.  Then  did 
 they  leave  Christ  alone  ;  that  is,  with  reference  to  the 
 absence  of  all  those  who  were  wont  to  follow  and  attend 
 upon  Him :  for  He  was  not  alone,  insomuch  as  He  was 
 God,  and  of  God,  and  in  God,  by  Nature  and  indivisibly. 
 Christ  indeed  says  this,  speaking  rather  as  Man  and  for 
 our  sakes,  with  intent  to  teach  us  that  when  we  are 
 assailed  by  temptation,  persecution,  and  such  like,  and 
 are  called  to  encounter  some  peril  that  may  bring  us 
 glory,  I  mean  in  God's  service,  we  are  not  therefore  to  be 
 fainthearted  about  our  ability  to  escape,  because  none  of 
 our  brethren  of  kindred  soul  to  us  are  running  the  race 
 side  by  side  with  us,  cheering  us  so  far  as  in  them  lies, 
 and  all  but  sharing  by  their  sympathy  the  danger  which 
 is  imminent.  For  even  if  all  these  betake  themselves 
 to  flight,  gaining  in  their  own  persons  an  advantage  over 
 us  by  their  cowardice  which  is  grievous  and  hard  to  bear, 
 we  ought  to  bear  in  mind  that  God's  arm  will  not  be 
 shortened  on  that  account.  For  He  will  alone  avail  to 
 save  him  that  is  faithful  unto  Him.  For  we  are  not 
 alone  ;  and,  though  we  see  no  friend  beside  us,  as  I  have 
 just  said,  we  have  God  Who  is  all  powerful  with  us  at 
 our  side,  to  aid  and  fight  in  the  conflict,  shielding  us 
 
for  we  are  not  alone.  475 
 
 with  all-sufficient  succour,  as  the  Psalmist  says :   With  Chap.  2. 
 favour  hast  Thou  encompassed  us  as  with  a  shield!  We  ?:^^,^ 
 
 111  •  1  •  Ps.  V.  12. 
 
 make  these  observations  on  this  passage,  not  as  consi- 
 dering love  of  life  something  honourable  and  worthy 
 admiration,  on  occasions  when  we  can  bring  our  life 
 in  the  body  to  a  glorious  end,  fighting  in  the  ranks  with 
 those  who  risk  their  lives  for  God's  sake,  but  that  we 
 may  rather  be  persuaded  of  this,  that  even  though  there 
 be  none  willing  and  zealous  to  share  the  conflict  with  us, 
 we  ought  not  to  be  faint  at  heart,  for  we  shall  not  be 
 alone,  for  God  is  with  us. 
 
 33  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  in  Me  ye  may 
 have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  have  tribulation  :  hut  he  of 
 good  cheer  ;  I  have  overcome  the  world. 
 
 Christ  herein,  so  to  say,  well  sums  up  to  our  profit  His 
 discourse  to  them ;  and,  compressing  into  a  few  words  the 
 meaning  of  what  He  had  said,  sets  before  them  in  brief 
 the  knowledge  of  His  Will.  For  I  have  now.  He  says, 
 spoken  these  words  unto  you,  exhorting  you  to  have 
 •peace  in  Me,  and  that  ye  may  also  know  clearly  that 
 you  will  meet  with  trouble  in  the  world,  and  will  be 
 involved  in  many  tribulations  for  My  sake.  But  you 
 will  not  be  vanquished  by  the  perils  that  encompass  you, 
 for  /  have  overcome  the  world. 
 
 But  that  I  may  make  what  I  have  said  as  clear  as 
 possible  unto  you,  come  let  me  first  explain  what  "having 
 peace  in  Christ"  means.  For  the  world,  or  those  who  are 
 enamoured  of  the  things  in  the  world,  are  continually 
 at  peace  among  themselves,  but  in  nowise  have  they 
 peace  in  Christ.  As,  for  example,  the  dissolute  seekers 
 of  the  pleasures  of  sense  are  therefore  most  dear  and 
 acceptable  to  those  of  similar  pursuits  ;  and  the  man  who 
 covets  riches  that  do  not  belong  to  him,  and  is  for  this 
 reason  grasping  or  thievish,  will  be  altogether  to  the 
 taste  of  those  who  practise  a  kindred  vice.  For  every  Ecclus. 
 creature  loves  his  kind,  according  to  the  saying,  and  jg""  ' 
 inan  ivill  be  attracted  to  his  like.     But  in  all  connexions 
 
476  Clirid  luas  sivperior  to  sin, 
 
 Book  11.  of  this  sort  the  holy  name  of  peace  is  put  to  base  uses  ; 
 
 ^'  ^^''  ■  and  the  proverb  is  true,  but  it  is  not  with  the  Saints  as 
 it  is  with  the  wicked.  For  sin  is  not  the  bond  of  peace, 
 but  faith,  hope,  love,  and  the  power  of  piety  towards 
 God.  And  this  is  in  Christ.  The  chiefest  then  of  all 
 good  gifts  towards  us  is  clearly  peace  in  Christ,  which 
 brings  in  its  train  brotherly  love  as  near  akin  to  itself. 
 Paul  says  that  love  is  the  perfect  fulfilling  of  the  Divine 
 Law ;  and  that  to  those  who  love  one  another  will 
 surely  come  the  love  of  God  Himself  above  all  things 
 else  is  beyond  question,  as  John  says  that  if  a  man 
 love  his  brother  he  will  as  a  consequence  love  God 
 Himself. 
 
 He  points  out  also  another  truth,  I  mean  in  the 
 words:  In  the  world  ye  have  tribulation:  hut  he  of 
 good  cheer ;  1  have  overcome  the  world.  Any  one 
 choosing  to  construe  these  words  in  a  simple  sense 
 might  reason  thus :  Christ  appeared  superior  to,  and 
 stronger  than,  every  sin  and  worldly  hindrance  ;  and 
 since  He  has  conquered,  He  will  also  bestow  the  power 
 to  conquer  upon  such  as  attempt  the  struggle  for  His 
 sake.  And  if  any  man  seek  to  find  a  more  recondite 
 meaning  for  the  words,  he  might  reflect  in  this  wise :  Just 
 as  we  have  hereby  overcome  corruption  and  death,  since  as 
 Man,  for  us  and  for  our  sakes  Christ  became  alive  again, 
 making  His  own  Resurrection  the  beginning  of  the  con- 
 quest over  death,  the  power  of  His  Resurrection  will  surely 
 extend  even  unto  us,  since  He  that  overcame  death  was 
 one  of  us,  insomuch  as  He  was  Incarnate  Man ;  and  as 
 we  overcome  sin,  and  as  we  overcome  death  that  wholly 
 died  in  Christ  first,  Christ,  that  is,  being  the  purveyor 
 to  us  of  the  blessing  as  His  own  kindred,  so  also  we 
 ought  to  be  of  good  cheer,  because  we  shall  overcome 
 the  world ;  for  Christ  as  Man  overcame  it  for  our  sakes, 
 being  herein  the  Beginning  and  the  Gate  and  the  Way  for 
 the  race  of  man.  For  they  who  once  were  fallen  and 
 vanquished  have  now  overcome  and  are  conquerors, 
 through  Him  Who  conquered  as  one  of  ourselves,  and  for 
 
and  conquered  death.  477 
 
 our  sakes.    For  if  He  conquered  as  God,  then  it  profiteth  Chap.  2. 
 us  nothing  ;  but  if  as  man,  we  are  herein  conquerors.  For  p"  ^^^"     ' 
 He  is  to  us  the  Second  Adam  come  from  heaven,  accord-  xv.  47. 
 ing  to  the  Scripture.     Just  as  then  we  have  home  the  ibid.  49, 
 image  of  the  earthy,  according  to  its  likeness  falling  under 
 the  yoke  of  sin,  so  likewise  also  shall  we  hear  the  image 
 of  the  heavenly,  that  is  Christ,  overcoming  the  power  of 
 sin  and  triumphing  over  all  the  tribulation  of  the  world  ; 
 for  Christ  has  overcome  the  world. 
 
CHAPTER  III. 
 
 That  no  manshould  consider  tliat  the  Son  has  any  lack  of  God- 
 befitting  glory,  though  He  be  found  to  say,  Father,  glorify  Thy 
 Son. 
 
 Book  11.  xvii.   1      These  things  sj)ake  Jesus;   and  lifting  up  His  eyes  to 
 c.  xvu.  1.  heaven  He  said,  Father,  the  hour  is  come  ;  glorify  Thy  Son, 
 
 that  Thy  Son  may  also  glorify  Tliee. 
 
 Having  given  His  disciples  a  sufficiency  of  things 
 necessary  for  salvation,  and  incited  them  by  fitting 
 words  and  arguments  to  a  more  accurate  apprehension 
 of  His  doctrines,  and  made  them  best  able  to  battle 
 against  temptation,  and  confirmed  the  courage  of  «ach 
 one,  he  straightway  changes  the  form  of  His  speech  for 
 our  profit,  and  turns  it  into  a  kind  of  prayer,  allowing 
 no  interval  to  elapse  between  His  discourse  to  them  and 
 His  prayer  to  God  the  Father ;  herein  also  by  His  own 
 conduct  suggesting  to  us  a  type  of  admirable  life.  For 
 the  man  who  aims  at  serving  God  ought,  I  think,  to  bear 
 in  mind  that  he  ought  at  all  events  either  to  be  fond  of 
 discoursing  to  his  brethren  of  things  profitable  or 
 necessary  for  their  salvation,  or,  if  he  be  not  so  engaged, 
 to  hasten  to  employ  the  service  of  the  tongue  in  suppli- 
 cations to  God,  so  as  to  render  it  impossible  for  any 
 random  words  to  shp  in  between ;  for  in  this  way  the 
 governance  of  the  tongue  may  be  well  and  suitably 
 ordered.  For  is  it  not  quite  obvious  that,  in  vain 
 conversations,  things  blameworthy  may  very  readily 
 19.  escape  a  man  ?    Moreover,  a  wise  man  has  said :  In  the 
 
God's  glory  must  hold  the  first  place.  479 
 
 multitude  of  words  thou  shall  not  escape  sin :  but  he  that  Chap.  3. 
 refraineth  his  lips  is  wise.  ^'  ^^"'  ^' 
 
 You  may  find  besides  another  thing  to  admire,  which 
 is  in  no  small  degree  profitable  for  us.  The  beginning 
 of  His  prayer  has  reference  to  His  own  glory  and  that 
 of  God  the  Father,  and  afterwards,  in  intimate  con- 
 nexion with  this,  He  introduces  His  prayer  for  us.  And 
 why  is  this  1  The  reason  is  one  which  convinces  the 
 pious  man  that  loves  God,  and  actually  disposes  the 
 worjier  of  good  deeds  to  prayer.  For  just  as  we  ought 
 to  perform  good  actions,  and  do  all  things,  not  turning 
 to  our  own  glory  our  zeal  herein,  but  to  the  glory  of  the 
 Father  of  the  Universe,  I  mean  God,  for  He  says  :  Let  S.  Matt. 
 your  light  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  ^'  ^' 
 works,  and  glorify  your  Father  Which  is  in  heaven ;  so 
 also  it  best  befits  us,  when  occasion  calls  us  to  prayer, 
 to  pray  for  what  redounds  to  God's  glory  before  what 
 concerns  ourselves,  as  indeed  Christ  also  Himself  enjoins 
 us  when  He  says :  After  this  manner  pray  ye :  Our  Ibid.  vi. 
 Father  Which  art  in  heaven,  Halloived  be  Thy  Name. 
 Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  as  in  Heaven  so 
 on  earth.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  What 
 Christ  here  does,  then,  ought  to  be  to  us  the  pattern  of 
 prayer.  For  it  was  necessary  that  not  an  elder  or 
 messenger,  but  Christ  Himself,  should  manifest  Himself 
 to  be  our  Leader  and  Guide  in  all  good,  and  in  the  way 
 which  leadeth  to  God.  For  we  are  called,  and  are  in  very  Cf.ls.liv. 
 truth,  as  the  prophet  says,  taught  of  God.  ^^' 
 
 And  what  He  says  to  His  Father  it  is  right  that  we 
 should  consider  with  the  greatest  care.  For  I  think  we 
 ought  in  a  spirit  of  the  most  earnest  attention  to  handle 
 the  investigation  of  His  words,  and  most  carefully  search 
 after  the  true  intent  of  His  teaching.  Father,  then.  He 
 says.  The  hour  is  come ;  glorify  Thy  Son  that  Thy  Son 
 may  also  glorify  Thee.  So  far  as  the  mere  form  of  His 
 language  is  concerned,  one  could  think  that  the  speaker 
 had  some  lack  of  glory  ;  but  any  one  who  considers  the 
 majesty  of  the  Only-begotten  would,  I   think,  quickly 
 
480  Christ  ims  not  bereft  of  Divine  glory. 
 
 Book  11.  shrink  from  so  grievous  a  conclusion.    For  it  were  great 
 c.  xvn.  1.  folly  j^Q  think  that  the  Son  has  any  lack  of  glory,  or  falls 
 iCor.  ii.  short  of  the  honour  which  is  His  due,  though  He  is  tJie 
 s.  James  Lord  of  glory,  for  so  the  inspired  writings  call  Him. 
 "•  ^-        Especially  when  in  another  place  we  observe  Him  saying 
 Infra       to  His  Father :  0  Father,  glorify  Me  ivith  the  glory  ivhich 
 I  had  tvith  Thee  hefore  the  world  tv'as.     Then  who  can 
 any  longer  doubt,  or  who  is  so  demented  and  so  far  the 
 enemy  of  all  truth  as  not  to  know  and  confess  that  the 
 Only-begotten  is  not  bereft  of  Divine  glory  so  far  as. His 
 Phil.ii.6.  own  Nature  is  concerned  ;  but  that  since  being  in  the  form 
 of  God,  and  in  perfect  equality  with  Him,  He  counted 
 it  not  a  prize  to  be  on  an  equality  tvith  God,  but  never- 
 theless descended  to  the  humiliation  of  human  nature, 
 and  emptied  Himself  of  His  glory,  wearing  this  mean 
 body ;  and  from  love  towards  us  putting  on  the  likeness 
 of  human  littleness,  now  that  the  fitting  time  had  actually 
 arrived,  at  which  He  was  destined,  after  fulfilling  the 
 mystery  of  our  redemption,  to  gird  Himself  about  with 
 His   pristine  and  essential  glory ;   having  wrought  out 
 the  salvation  of  the  whole  world,  and  secured  life  and 
 the  knowledge  of  God  to  those  that  are  therein  ;  herein  I 
 say  He  shows  that  He  has  God's  Will  and-  favour,  and 
 makes  this   speech  to  Him,  saying   that  He  ought  to 
 recover  the  majesty  due  unto  His  Nature. 
 
 And  how  does  He  ascend  into  heaven?  Surely  He 
 That  even  in  the  flesh  showed  Himself  able  to  accomphsh 
 the  deeds  of  a  God  was  not  in  this  subject  to  another's 
 power,  but  ascended  of  Himself,  being  the  Wisdom  and 
 Might  of  God  the  Father.  For  we  must  think  that  thus 
 in  no  other  way  He  accomplishes  the  words  of  a  God 
 with  power.  For  all  things  are  from  the  Father,  but  not 
 without  the  Son.  For  how  could  God  the  Father 
 perform  any  of  His  proper  functions,  if  His  Wisdom  and 
 Might,  I  mean  the  Son,  were  not  with  Him,  and 
 accomplishing  with  Him  those  things  in  which  His 
 power  is  seen  in  active  operation?  Therefore  also  the 
 Avise  Evangelist  who  wrote  this  book  at  the  beginning  of 
 
God  the  Father  gave  and  received  glory.         481 
 
 His  work  says :  All  things  tvere  made  by  Him ;  and  Chap.  3. 
 tvithont  Him  was  not  any  thing  made.  Since  then  the  ^'  ^^"'  " 
 doctrine  of  His  Consubstantiality  compels  us  by  conse-  i.  3. 
 quence  to  think  that  all  things  proceed  from  the  Father, 
 but  wholly  through  the  Son  in  the  Spirit,  and  that  He, 
 having  slain  death  and  corruption  and  taken  away  from 
 the  devil  his  kingdom,  was  about  to  illumine  the  whole 
 world  with  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  and  to  show  Himself 
 thereby  henceforth  in  very  deed  the  true  God  by  Nature, 
 He  is  impelled  to  say.  Father,  glorify  Thy  S  n,  that  Thy 
 Son  may  also  glorify  Thee.  And  no  man  of  sense  would 
 maintain  that  the  Son  asks  glory  from  the  Father  as  a 
 man  from  man,  but  rather  that  He  also  promises  to  give 
 Him  glory,  as  it  were,  in  return.  For  it  would  be  very 
 unbecoming,  nay  rather  wholly  foolish,  to  have  such  an 
 idea  about  God.  The  Saviour  indeed  spake  these  words 
 to  show  how  very  necessary  His  own  glory  was  to  the 
 Father,  that  He  might  be  known  to  be  Consubstantial 
 with  Him.  For  just  as  it  would  entail  dishonour  on  God 
 the  Father,  that  the  Son  That  was  begotten  of  Him 
 should  not  be  such  as  He  That  is  God  by  Nature  and 
 of  God  ought  to  be,  so  I  think,  to  have  His  own  Son 
 invested  with  those  attributes,  which  He  is  conceived  of 
 as  having,  and  which  are  predicated  of  Him,  will  confer 
 honour  and  glory  upon  Him.  The  Father  therefore  is 
 glorified  in  the  glory  of  His  Offspring,  as  I  said  just  now  ; 
 giving  glory  to  the  Son,  by  considering  throughout  His 
 earthly  career,  both  from  how  great,  and  of  what,  a 
 Father  the  Only-begotten  sprang  ;  and  in  turn  receiving 
 glory  from  the  Son  by  the  consideration  of  how  great 
 indeed  is  the  Son,  of  Whom  He  is  the  Father.  The 
 honour  and  glory  then,  which  is  Theirs  essentially  and  by 
 Nature,  will  be  reflected  from  the  Son  on  the  Father,  and 
 in  turn  from  the  Father  on  the  Son. 
 
 If  any  man  concede  that,  owing  to  the  degradation  of 
 His  Incarnation,  our  Lord  here  speaks  more  humbly 
 than  His  true  Nature  warrants,  for  this  was  His  custom, 
 he    will    not    altogether    miss    arriving    at    a    proper 
 
 VOL.  II.  .  I  i 
 
482  Christ  s^Joke  as  God  and  Man. 
 
 Book  11.  conclusion,  but  will  not  quite  attain  to  the  truth  in  the 
 ■  ^^"'  ■  inquiry.  For,  if  He  were  seeking  only  honour  from  the 
 Father,  there  would  be  nothing  unlikely  in  setting  down 
 the  request  to  the  inferiority  of  human  nature  ;  but,  since 
 He  promises  to  glorify  the  Father  in  turn,  does  it  not 
 follow  of  necessity,  that  we  should  readily  embrace  the 
 view  we  have  just  given  ? 
 
CHAPTER   IV. 
 
 That  it  will  in  no  way  damage  the  glory  of  the  Son,  when  He  is 
 said  to  have  received  aught  from  God  the  Father,  since  for  this 
 we  can  assign  a  pious  reason. 
 
 2     Even  as  Thou  gavest  Him  authority  over  all  flesh,  that  Chap.  4. 
 whatsoever  Thou  hast  given  Him,  to   them  He  shall  give 
 eternal  life. 
 
 In  these  words  Christ  expounds  once  more  to  us  the 
 kind  of  glory  whereby  God  will  exalt  and  glorify  His 
 own  Son ;  and  He  will  also  Himself  be  glorified  in  turn 
 by  His  own  Ofispring.  And  He  expands  the  saying,  and 
 makes  the  point  clear  to  our  edification  and  profit.  For 
 what  need  had  God  the  Father,  Who  knoweth  all  things, 
 of  learning  the  kind  of  request?  He  invites  then  the 
 Father's  goodness  towards  us.  For  since  He  is  the  High 
 Priest  of  our  souls,  insomuch  as  He  appeared  as  Man, 
 though  being  by  Nature  God  together  with  the  Father, 
 He  most  fittingly  makes  His  prayer  on  our  behalf ;  trying 
 to  persuade  us  to  believe  that  He  is,  even  now,  the  i  S.  John 
 jjropitiation  for  our  sins,  and  a  righteous  Advocate ;  as  "  '  *" 
 John  saith.  Therefore  also  Paul,  wishing  us  to  be  of  this 
 mind,  thus  exhorts  us:  For  we  have  not  a  high  priest  that  Heb.  iv. 
 cannot  he  touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities ; 
 hut  One  that  hath  heen  in  all  points  teTnpted  like  as  we 
 are;  yet  without  sin.  Then,  since  He  is  an  High  Priest, 
 insomuch  as  He  is  Man,  and,  at  the  same  time,  brought 
 Himself  a  blameless  sacrifice  to  God  the  Father,  as  a 
 ransom  for  the  life  of  all  men,  being  as  it  were  the 
 firstfruits  of  mortality,  that  in  all  things  He  might  have  Col.  i.  18. 
 the  2Jre-eminence,  as  Paul  says  ;  and  He  reconciles  to  Him 
 the  reprobate  race  of  man  upon  the  earth,  purifying  them 
 
 I  i  2 
 
Vc!l.    1 
 
 484  Tlie  inetJiod  by  ivhlch 
 
 Book  11.  by  His  own  Blood,  and  shaping  them  to  newness  of  life 
 c.  xvn.  2.  ^i^j.Qugij  i\^Q  Holy  Spirit ;  and  since,  as  we  have  often 
 said,  all  things  are  accomplished  by  the  Father  through 
 the  Son  in  the  Spirit ;  He  moulds  the  prayer  for  bless- 
 ings towards  us,  as  Mediator  and  High  Priest,  though 
 He  unites  with  His  Father  in  giving  and  providing 
 Divine  and  spiritual  graces.  For  Christ  divideth  the 
 Spirit,  according  to  His  own  Will  and  pleasure,  to  every 
 man  severally,  as  He  will. 
 
 So  far  with  reference  to  this.  Now  let  us  examine 
 and  declare  what  is  meant  by  the  form  of  prayer  used, 
 pra  Father,  then.  He  saith,  glorify  Thy  Son,  that  Thy  Son 
 may  also  glorify  Thee.  How  then,  or  in  what  manner, 
 will  what  I  have  said  be  brought  to  pass  1  I  will.  He 
 says,  that  as  Thou  hast  given  Me  power  over  all  flesh, 
 that  so  also,  all  that  Thou  hast  given  Me  may  have  life 
 eternal.  For  the  Father  glorified  His  own  Son,  putting 
 the  whole  world  under  His  rule :  and  He  was  glorified 
 Himself  also  in  turn  by  Him.  For  the  Son  was 
 glorified  of  the  Father,  being  believed  of  all  to  be ,  the 
 Offsj)ring  and  Fruit  of  Him  That  is  all-powerful,  and  at 
 His  pleasure  puts  all  things  under  the  yoke  of  His  Son's 
 kingly  power  ;  and  the  Father  was  glorified  in  turn,  so  to 
 speak,  by  His  own  Son.  For  since  the  Son  was  known 
 to  be  able  to  accomplish  all  things  at  His  pleasure,  the 
 splendour  of  His  reputation  has  reached  to  Him  That 
 begat  Him.  As  therefore,  He  says.  Thou  didst  glorify  and 
 wast  glorified,  giving  to  the  Son  power  and  sovereignty 
 over  all,  after  the  manner  just  now  stated,  so  I  will  that 
 nothing  that  Thou  hast  given  Me  be  lost ;  for  this  honour 
 will  pass  from  the  Father  to  the  Son,  and  from  the  Son 
 to  the  Father.  For  it  was  meet  that  all  those  who  were 
 wholly  subject  to.  and  under,  the  rule  of  the  Word,  the  all- 
 powerful  God,  now  having  been  saved  once  for  all,  should 
 also  abide  in  blessings  without  end ;  so  as  to  be  freed  from 
 the  power  of  death,  and  the  dominion  of  corruption  and 
 sin,  and  should  no  longer  lie  in  subjection  to  their 
 ancient  enemies. 
 
God  gave  and  received  glory.  485 
 
 And,  as  the  words,  Tliou  gavest  Him  authority  over  all  Chap.  4. 
 flesh,  may  possibly  perplex  some  simple-minded  hearers,  ^'  ^^"'  * 
 let  us  make  a  few  reflections  thereon  which  may  be  useful; 
 without  scruple,  as  it  is  necessary,  even  though  language 
 may  be  wholly  inadequate  to  such  an  exposition.  For 
 the  Lord  will  say  this  most  suitably  in  the  character  He 
 had  assumed ;  I  mean  His  humiliation  and  His  lowly 
 humanity.  For  listen  to  the  argument:  If  indeed  we 
 feel  ashamed,  when  we  hear  that  He  became  a  slave 
 for  our  sakes,  though  Lord  of  all  with  the  Father ;  and 
 that  He  was  set  up  as  King  ujion  His  holy  hill  of  Z ion,  Pa.  u.  6. 
 though  He  had  the  power  to  reign  over  the  universe  by 
 right  of  His  own  Nature,  and  borrowed  it  not  from  others ; 
 we  must  needs  also  feel  ashamed,  if  He  says  that  He 
 receives  anything  as  Man.  And,  if  we  marvel  at  His 
 voluntary  subjection,  when  we  bear  in  mind  the  dignity 
 that  is  His  by  birthright,  why  are  we  not  also  astonied 
 when  we  hear  this  saying  ?  For,  possessing  all  things  as 
 God,  He  says  that  He  receives  as  Man,  to  whom  kingly 
 power  comes,  not  by  natural  right,  but  by  gift.  For 
 What  hast  tJtou  that  thou  didst  not  receive  ?  will  suit  the  l  Cor.  iv. 
 limitations  of  created  beings ;  and  Christ  is  also  a  creature 
 in  so  far  as  He  is  Man  ;  though  by  Nature  uncreate,  in  so 
 far  as  He  came  from  God.  For  all  things  are  conceived 
 of,  as  naturally  and  individually  being  in  God's  hand, 
 and  are  so  in  truth  ;  but  all  good  things  in  us  are  borrowed 
 and  brought  down  to  us  by  Divine  grace.  When  then,  as 
 Man,  being  appointed  to  rule  over  us.  He  says  that  the 
 Father  has  given  Him  power  over  all  flesh,  we  must  not 
 be  oflfended  at  it ;  for  we  must  bear  in  mind  the  scheme 
 of  our  redemption.  But,  if  you  choose  to  listen  to  His 
 words  as  having  more  reference  to  His  Divinity,  think  on 
 what  the  Lord  said  to  the  Jews :  Verily,  verily,  I  say  Supra 
 unto  you,  no  man  can  come  to  Me  except  the  Father  ^^' 
 which  sent  Me  draw  Him.  For  whom  the  Father  will 
 quicken,  them,  as  by  His  own  life-giving  power.  He  brings 
 to  His  Son,  and  through  Him  gives  them  power  and 
 wisdom  ;  nay,  if  He  will  to  bring -any  into  subjection  to 
 
486  Tlie  Father  works  throiujh  the  Son. 
 
 Book  11.  His  own  rule,  He  calls  them  in  no  other  way,  save  by 
 c.  xvn.  2.  ^-^^  living  and  all-sufficient  Might,  whereby  He  rules  over 
 the  universe — I  mean  His  Son.  For  men,  who  have  of 
 themselves  no  power  to  a,ccomplish  anything  that  is 
 above  and  beyond  themselves,  borrow  from  God  the 
 power,  which  can  bring  all  things  superhuman  into 
 subjection ;  for  through  Him,  kings  have  their  dominion, 
 according  to  the  Scripture,  and  monarchs  through  Him 
 rule  over  the  earth.  And  the  God  of  the  universe, 
 having  this  power  in  Himself  alone,  subjects  to  Himself 
 the  race  of  man,  who  are  reprobates  from  His  love,  and 
 have  shaken  off  the  yoke  of  His  kingdom,  together  with 
 all  beside  ;  receiving,  as  it  were,  from  His  own  might,  the 
 gift  of  dominion  over  them,  and  subjugating  thereby 
 whatsoever  He  will.  For  God  the  Father  subjects  them 
 to  His  Son,  as  to  His  own  power ;  and  thi-ough  Him 
 wholly,  and  in  no  other  way,  all  things  that  exist  become 
 His  willing  subjects,  through  obedience  to  His  yoke. 
 For  as  He  endows  with  wisdom,  and  quickens  with  life, 
 all  things  through  Him,  so  also  He  rules  over  the 
 universe  through  Him. 
 
 We  must  observe,  however,  that  it  was  not  to  Is- 
 rael alone  any  longer,  that  the  favour  of  the  Divine  love 
 of  mankind  was  confined,  but  it  was  extended  to  all 
 flesh.  For  that  which  is  wholly  subject  to  the  power  of 
 the  Saviour,  will  wholly  partake  in  life  and  grace  from 
 Him. 
 
CHAPTER     V. 
 
 That  the  Son  will  not  be  excluded  from   being  true  God,  even 
 though  He  named  God  the  Father  the  only  true  God. 
 
 3     And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  should  know  Thee  the  only  Chap.  5. 
 true  God,  and  Him    Whom   Thou  didst  send,  even  Jesus    " 
 Christ. 
 
 He  defines  faith  as  the  mother  of  eternal  life,  and 
 says  that  the  power  of  the  true  knowledge  of  God 
 will  be  such  as  to  cause  us  to  remain  for  ever  in  a 
 state  of  incorruption,  and  blessedness,  and  sanctification. 
 And  we  say  that  that  is  true  knowledge  of  God,  which 
 cannot  incur  the  reproach  of  turning  aside  to  aught  else, 
 or  running  after  things  unseemly.  For  some  have 
 worshipped  the  creature  rather  than  the  Creator,  and  Rom.  i. 
 have  dared  to  say  to  a  block  of  wood:  Thou  art  i^^y  jer.n.27. 
 Father;  and  to  a  stone,  Thou  hast  begotten  me.  For  to 
 such  abysmal  ignorance  did  miserable  men  relapse,  that 
 they  even  gave,  in  all  its  fulness,  the  great  Name  of 
 God,  to  senseless  blocks  of  wood ;  and  invested  them  with 
 the  ineffable  glory  of  that  Nature,  which  is  over  all. 
 He  calls  God  the  Father,  then,  the  only  true  God,  by 
 contrast  to  spurious  gods,  and  with  the  intention  to 
 distinguish  the  true  God,  from  those  who  are  so  named 
 in  error ;  for  this  is  the  object  of  His  words.  Very 
 appropriately,  then,  He  first  speaks  of  God  as  being  One 
 and  One  only,  and  then  makes  mention  of  His  own  glory 
 in  the  words:  And  Jesus  Christ  Whom  Thou  hast  sent. 
 For  a  man  can  in  nowise  attain  to  complete  knowledge 
 of  the  Father,  unless  side  by  side,  and  in  most  intimate 
 connexion  with  it,  he  lay  hold  on  the  knowledge  of  His 
 Offspring;  that  is,  the  Son.    For,  if  a  man  know  what  the 
 
488  Jesus  Christ  is  One  God 
 
 Book  11.  Father  is,  he  cannot  but  know  also  the  Son.    When,  then, 
 
 c.  xvu.  3.  jjg  gg^j^^  ^Yisit  the  Father  was  the  true  God,  He  did  not 
 exclude  Himself.  For  being  in  Him,  and  of  Him,  by 
 Nature,  He  will  be  also  Himself  the  true  God  and  the 
 only  God,  as  He  is  the  only  God :  for  beside  Him,  there 
 
 Ps.  xcvi.  is  none  other  god  who  is  the  only  true  God.     For  the 
 
 '^'  gods  of  the  heathen  are  devils.     For  the  creation  is  en- 
 
 slaved, and  I  know  not  how  any  worship  them,  or  sink 
 into  such  a  slough  of  unreasoning  and  sensuous  folly. 
 With  the  many  gods,  then,  in  this  world,  who  are 
 erroneously  so  conceived,  and  have  won  this  spurious 
 title,  the  only  true  God  is  brought  into  contrast ;  and  the 
 Son  also,  Who  is  by  Nature  in  Him,  and  of  Him,  at  once  in 
 diversity  and  in  identity  of  Nature,  according  to  a  natural 
 Unity.  I  say  in  diversity  of  Nature,  because  He  has  in 
 fact  an  individual  Existence  ;  for  the  Son  is  the  Son,  and 
 not  the  Father.  In  identity  of  Nature  also,  because  the 
 Son,  Who  came  forth  from  Him,  is  inseparably  joined  by 
 Nature,  with  the  existence  of  His  Father.  For  the  Father 
 is  one  with  the  Son,  even  though  He  is  the  Father  ;  and 
 is  so  spoken  of,  because  He  did  in  fact  beget  Him. 
 
 This,  then.  He  says,  is  eternal  life,  that  they  should 
 know  Thee  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  Whom 
 Thou  hast  sent.  Then  one  of  those  who  are  never  weary 
 of  hearkening  to  the  Scripture,  and  seriously  pursue  the 
 study  of  Divine  doctrines,  will  ask  :  Do  we  say  that 
 knowledge  is  eternal  life  ;  and  that  to  know  the  one  true 
 and  living  God  will  suffice  to  give  us  complete  security 
 of  expectation,  and  nothing  else  be  lacking  ?     Then  how 
 
 S.James  is  faith  apart  from  ivorks  dead?  And  when  we  speak  of 
 faith,  we  mean  the  true  knowledge  of  God,  and  nothing 
 else ;   for  by  faith  comes  knowledge :    and  the   prophet 
 
 Is.  vii.  9.  Isaiah  bears  us  witness,  who  said  to  some :  If  ye  do  not 
 believe  neither  shall  ye  understand.  And  that  the 
 writings  of  the  holy  men  are  referring  to  the  knowledge 
 which  consists  in  barren  speculations,  a  thing  wholly 
 profitless,  I  think  you  will  perceive  from  what  follows. 
 
 ii  19.       For  one  of  the  holy  disciples  said:  Thou  helievest  that 
 
ivith  the  Father.  489 
 
 God  is  one ;  thou  doest  ivell :  the  devils  also  believe  and  Chap.  5. 
 s/nidder.  What  then  shall  we  say  to  this  ?  How  does  ^'  ^^"" 
 Christ  speak  truth,  when  He  says  that  eternal  life  is  the 
 knowledge  of  God  the  Father,  the  One  true  God,  and 
 (with  Him)  of  the  Son  ?  I  think,  indeed,  we  must  answer 
 that  the  saying  of  the  Saviour  is  wholly  true.  For  this 
 knowledge  is  life,  travailing  as  it  were  in  birth  of  the 
 whole  meaning  of  the  mystery,  and  vouchsafing  unto  us 
 participation  in  the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist,  whereby 
 we  are  joined  unto  the  living  and  life-giving  Word.  And 
 for  this  reason,  I  think,  Paul  says  that  the  Gentiles 
 are  made  felloiv-members  of  the  body  and  fellow-  Eph.iii.6. 
 partakers  of  Christ ;  inasmuch  as  they  partake  in  His 
 blessed  Body  and  Blood  ;  and  our  members  may  in  this 
 sense  be  conceived  of,  as  being  members  of  Christ.  This  i  Cor.  vi. 
 knowledge,  then,  which  also  brings  to  us  the  Eucharist 
 by  the  Spirit,  is  life.  For  it  dwells  in  our  hearts, 
 shaping  anew  those  who  receive  it  into  sonship  with 
 Him,  and  moulding  them  into  incorruption  and  piety 
 towards  God,  through  life  according  to  the  Gospel.  Our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ,  then,  knowing  that  the  knowledge  of 
 the  One  true  God  brings  unto  us,  and,  so  to  speak, 
 promotes  our  union  with,  the  blessings  of  which  we  have 
 spoken,  says  that  it  is  eternal  life ;  insomuch  as  it  is  the 
 mother  and  nurse  of  eternal  life,  being  in  its  own  power 
 and  nature  pregnant  with  those  things  which  cause  life, 
 and  lead  unto  it. 
 
 And  I  think  we  ought  attentively  to  observe  in  what 
 way  Christ  says  that  the  knowledge  of  the  One  true  God 
 is  perfected  in  us  in  all  its  fulness.  For  see  how  it  cannot 
 exist  apart  from  the  contemplation  of  the  Son,  and  it  is 
 clear  that  it  cannot  exist  ^part  from  the  Holy  Spirit ;  for 
 such  is  the  nature  of  the  belief  in  each  Person  of  the 
 Trinity,  according  to  the  Scripture.  The  Jews  indeed, 
 following  in  the  steps  of  Moses'  commandments,  rejected 
 the  many  false  gods,  and  betook  themselves  to  the  iv.  lo, 
 worship  of  the  One  true  God,  under  his  guidance.     Thou  ^1^°^^    . 
 
 ^  _  '  &  Deut.  VI. 
 
 shall  ivorshij)  the  Lord  thy  God,  saith  the  Law,  and  Him  13. 
 
490  Tlie  Gospel  reveals  God  as  the  Father. 
 
 Book  11.  only  shall  thou  serve.  But  those  who  still  cling  to  the 
 •  -'^^"-  •  worship  of  the  One  true  God,  as  not  yet  having  complete 
 knowledge  of  Him  they  worship,  are  called  thereto  to 
 know  not  that  the  Creator  of  all  things  is  one  only,  the 
 One  true  God,  but  that  He  is  a  Father  and  has  begotten 
 a  Son  ;  and  moreover,  and  yet  more  than  all  this,  to  gaze 
 attentively  on  Him  in  His  unchangeable  Likeness,  that  is, 
 the  Son.  For  through  the  lineaments  of  that  which  is 
 modelled,  we  can  readily  attain  to  perfect  knowledge  of 
 the  model.  Very  necessary  then  was  it,  for  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  to  tell  us,  that  those  who  have  been  called 
 through  faith  to  sonship  and  eternal  life,  not  only  ought 
 to  learn  that  the  true  God  is  One  only,  but  that  He  is 
 also  a  Father ;  and  is  the  Father  of  One  Who  became 
 flesh  for  our  sakes,  and  Who  was  sent  to  restore  the 
 corrupted  nature  of  rational  beings,  that  is,  of  mankind. 
 
CHAPTER   VI. 
 
 That  the  Son  is  not  bare  of  God-befitting  glory,  even  though  He 
 is  found  saying  to  the  Father,  And  now  glorify  Me  ivit/i  the 
 glo7'i/  iv/iich  1  had,  Sfc. 
 
 4  7  glorified   Thee  on  tJie  earth  :    I  accomplished  the  work  Chap.  6. 
 
 5  which  Thou  hast  given  Me  to  do  it.     And  now,  0  Father,  ^/  ^^"'   ' 
 glorify/  Thou  Me  with  Thine  own  Self,  with  the  glory  which 
 
 I  had  loith  Thee  before  the  world  tvas. 
 
 Our  Saviour's  speech  now  intertwines  the  human 
 element  in  His  Nature  with  the  Divine,  and  is  of 
 composite  nature,  looking  both  ways ;  not  merging  over- 
 much the  Person  of  the  Speaker  in  the  perfect  power  and 
 glory  of  His  Divinity,  nor  allowing  it  altogether  to  rest 
 on  the  lowly  level  of  His  Humanity ;  but  mingling  the 
 twain  into  one,  which  is  not  foreign  to  either.  For  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ  thought  that  He  ought  to  teach  His 
 believers,  not  merely  that  He  is  God  the  Only-begotten, 
 but  that  He  also  became  Man  for  us,  that  He  might 
 reconcile  us  all  to  God  the  Father,  and  mould  us  into 
 newness  of  life ;  purchasing  humanity  with  His  own 
 Blood,  and  venturing  His  life  for  the  salvation  of  the 
 world,  while,  though  He  was  One,  He  was  more  precious 
 than  all  mankind.  He  says,  then,  that  He  glorified  the 
 Father  upon  the  earth,  for  He  finished  the  work  which 
 He  gave  Him  to  do. 
 
 Come  now,  let  us  follow  out,  as  it  were,  two  roads,  in 
 our  investigation  of  this  passage,  and  say  that  it  has 
 reference  both  to  His  Divine  and  His  Human  Nature. 
 If  then,  as  Man,  He  says  this,  you  may  take  it  in 
 this  way :  Christ  is  for  us  a  type  and  origin  and  pattern 
 of  the  Divine  life,  and  shows  us  plainly  how,  and  in  what 
 
492  We  glorify  God 
 
 Book  11.  way,  we  ought  to  live  our  lives  ;  for  after  this  fashion  the 
 
 5*  ^^"'  '  commentators  on  the  Divine  writings  give  a  most  subtle 
 exposition  of  the  passage.  He  instructs  us,  then,  by  what 
 He' here  says,  that  each  one  of  us,  if  he  fulfils  his  allotted 
 task,  and  follows  out  to  the  end  what  is  commanded  of 
 God,  then  in  truth  he  glorifies  Him  by  his  righteous  acts ; 
 not  indeed  as  though  He  had  any  lack  of  glory,  for  the 
 Ineffable  Nature  of  God  is  complete,  but  because  he 
 causes  His  praise  to  be  sung  by  those  who  see  his  acts, 
 
 S.  Matt,  and  are  profited  thereby.  Yea,  the  Saviour  saith :  Let 
 your  light  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good 
 ivorks,  and  glorify  your  Father  Which  is  in  heaven. 
 For  when  we  are  made  truly  manly,  and  willing  to  do 
 good  works  for  God's  sake,  we  are  not  winning  for  our 
 own  selves  the  reputation  thereof,  but  are  carrying  God's 
 worship  into  our  actions,  to  the  honour  and  glory  of 
 Him  That  ruleth  over  all.  For  just  as  when,  for  leading  a 
 profligate  life  displeasing  to  God,  we  are  rightly  called 
 to  account,  as  doing  despite  unto  His  unspeakable  glory, 
 and  make  our   own   souls  liable  to  punishment,  as  the 
 
 Is.  lii.  5.  prophet  tells,  if  we  hearken  to  his  voice :  My  Name 
 through  you  is  continually  blasphemed  among  the 
 Gentiles,  on  the  same  grounds  I  think  that  when  we 
 display  pre-eminent  virtue,  we  are  then  preparing  for 
 Him  a  song  of  praise.  When,  therefore,  we  have  accom- 
 plished the  work  that  God  has  given  us  to  do,  then  and 
 most  rightly  may  we  attain  to  a  freedom  of  speech  in  His 
 own  most  seemly  words ;  and  claim,  as  it  were,  like  glory  in 
 
 1  Sam.  ii.  return  from  God  Who  has  been  glorified  by  us :  For  as  I 
 live,  saith  the  Lord,  them  that  honour  Me  tvill  L  honour, 
 and  he  that  lightly  esteemeth  Me  shall  he  lightly  esteemed. 
 In  order,  then,  that  He  might  show  us,  that  we  might 
 suitably  ask  for  glory  in  return  from  the  onl}^  true  God, 
 I  mean  glory  in  the  world  to  come,  when  we  have 
 displayed  towards  Him  perfect  and  blameless  obedience, 
 and  have  shown  ourselves  keepers  of  His  command- 
 ments to  the  letter,  Christ  says  that  He  glorified  the 
 Father,   when   He   finished   the   work    upon   earth    that 
 
hy  good  tvorks,  through  Christ.  493 
 
 He  gave  Him.  He  requests,  however,  for  Himself  in  Chap.  6. 
 return,  no  foreign  or  borrowed  glory,  as  we  do,  but  rather  g"  ^^""  ^' 
 that  honour  and  renown  which  is  His  own.  For  we  were 
 bound  to  ask  for  it,  and  not  He.  Observe  how  in  and 
 through  His  own  Person,  He  first  renders  possible  to  our 
 nature  this  boldness  of  speech,  on  two  accounts.  For  in 
 Him  first,  and  through  Him,  we  have  been  enriched  both 
 with  the  ability  to  fulfil  those  things  essential  to  our 
 salvation,  which  are  entrusted  to  us  by  God,  and  also  the 
 duty  of  boldly  asking  for  the  honour  which  is  due 
 to   those  who    distinguish   themselves    in   His    service. 
 
 O 
 
 For  of  old  time,  through  the  sin  that  reigned  in  us,  and 
 the  fall  that  was  in  Adam,  we  both  failed  of  ability 
 to  accomplish  any  of  those  things  which  make  for  virtue, 
 and  also  were  very  far  removed  from  freedom  of  speech 
 with  God.  Yea,  God,  to  that  end,  out  of  the  abundance  of 
 His  kindness,  spake  consolation  by  the  voice  of  the 
 prophet,  saying :  Fear  not,  because  Thou  hast  been  is.  Hv.  4. 
 ashamed,  neither  be  confounded  because  thou  hast  been 
 put  to  shame.  As,  then,  in  all  other  things  that  are  good 
 our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Beginning,  and  the  Gate, 
 and  the  Way,  so  also  is  He  here. 
 
 But  if  the  Saviour  is  seeking  His  own  glory  that  He 
 had  before  the  world  began,  and  we,  suiting  the  meaning 
 of  the  passage  so  as  to  make  it  apply  to  our  case, 
 maintain  that  we  ourselves  ought  also  with  great  zeal  to 
 do  God's  Will,  and  so  boldly  ask  for  glory  from  above, 
 let  no  one  think  that  we  say  this, — that  it  becomes  a  man 
 imitating  Christ,  to  ask  for  some  ancient  glory  that  was 
 before  the  world  began,  as  due  also  to  himself;  but  let 
 him  rather  remember  that  each  ought  to  speak  according 
 to  his  deserts.  For  if  Christ,  like  us,  had  only  the 
 human  element  in  His  Nature,  let  Him  then  speak  only 
 as  befits  the  earth-born,  and  not  exceed  the  limits  of 
 humanity.  But  if  the  Word,  being  God,  became  Flesh, 
 when  He  says  anything  as  God,  it  will  be  suitable  to 
 Himself  alone,  and  not  to  those  who  are  not  as  He  is. 
 
 Considering,  then,  the  passage  as  though  He  spoke  it 
 
494  Christ  worked  as  God; 
 
 Book  11.  more  as  a  Man,  we  shall  take  it  in  the  sense  above  given  ; 
 
 c.  xvii.  ,  1^^^  ^^  ^^  reflect,  on  the  other  hand,  on  the  Divine  dignity 
 of  Christ,  we  rightly  think  it  has  a  meaning  above 
 human  nature.  We  say,  then,  that  He  glorified  His  own 
 Father,  God,  when  He  fulfilled  the  work  which  He 
 received  from  Him,  not  being  His  servant  or  in  any 
 ministerial  capacity ;  and  this  as  of  necessity,  that  the 
 Lord  of  all  might  not  appear  in  the  lowliness  of  our 
 nature  and  that  of  the  creation  which  is  enslaved.  For 
 to  perform  the  duties  of  a  servant,  and  submissively 
 obey  the  Divine  commands,  is  the  part  of  men  and 
 angels.  Rather,  we  say  that  He,  being  the  Power  and 
 Wisdom  of  His  Father,  well  accomphshed  the  task  of  our 
 redemption,  entrusted  as  it  were  to  Him ;  as  indeed  also 
 said  the  Divine  Psalmist,  expounding  the  meaning  of  the 
 
 Ps.lxviii.  mystery:  0  God,  command  Thy  Strength ;  strengthen,  0 
 God,  that  which  Thou  hast  wrought  for  us.  For  in  order 
 that  he  may  clearly  prove  that  the  Son  is  the  Power  of 
 the  Father,  though  not  separate  from  Him  so  far  I 
 mean  as  His  identity  of  Essence  and  Nature  is  concerned, 
 he  fu'st  says,  Command  Thy  Strength,  bringing  in  a 
 duality  of  Persons — I  mean  Him  that  commands  and  Him 
 to  Whom  the  command  is  given — he  suddenly  unites  them 
 in  their  natural  unity,  attributing  to  the  Ineffable  Nature 
 of  God  in  its  entirety  the  result  achieved ;  for  he  says  in 
 his  wisdom :  "  Strengthen,  O  God,  that  which  Thou  hast 
 wrought  for  us."  The  Son,  then,  receives  or  has  entrusted 
 to  Him  from  the  Father,  the  work  of  saving  the  world. 
 But  in  what  manner,  or  how,  God  commands  His  own 
 Strength,  we  ought  to  examine  and  explain,  so  far  as  it  is 
 possible  humanly  to  interpret  things  which  exceed  man's 
 understanding.  Let  us  take  for  example,  then,  some 
 man  among  us,  and  imagine  him  learned  in  the  art  of 
 making  bronzes.  Then  let  us  suppose  that  he  sets  him- 
 self to  mould  a  statue,  or  perhaps  to  repair  one  that  is 
 decayed  or  mutilated.  How,  then,  will  he  work,  or  how 
 will  he  repair,  as  he  has  determined?  Clearly  he  will 
 entrust  to  the  power  of  his  hands  and  his  skill  in  the  art, 
 
not  in  a  ministerial  capacity.  495 
 
 the  fulfilment  of  what  he  chooses  to  do.  But  if  any  one  Chap.  6. 
 thinks  his  wisdom  and  power  appear  distinct  in  some  5  ^^"'  ' 
 sense  from  himself,  so  far  as  their  conception  is  concerned, 
 still  are  they  not  in  fact  distinct.  For  these  also  are 
 included  in  the  definition  of  his  essence.  You  must 
 think  the  case  is  something  like  this  wise,  but  must  not 
 accept  the  illustration  as  exactly  similar.  For  God  is 
 above  all  things,  and  must  be  thought  superior  to  any 
 power  of  illustration.  The  sun  and  the  fire,  taking  this 
 by  way  of  illustration,  may  be  thought  to  occupy  a 
 similar  relative  position.  For,  just  as  the  sun  commands 
 the  light  which  it  sheds  to  illumine  the  whole  world,  and 
 allots  to  the  power  of  its  rays  as  their  function,  so  to  say, 
 to  cast  the  power  of  their  heat  on  all  things  that  receive 
 it,  so  likewise  also  the  fiLi-e  commands  and  enjoins  in 
 some  sort  the  peculiar  qualities  of  its  nature  to  fulfil  its 
 peculiar  duties ;  but  we  do  not,  on  this  account,  say  that 
 the  ray  and  the  light  are  in  the  position  of  ministers  and 
 servants  to  the  sun,  or  the  power  of  burning  to  the  fire. 
 For  each  of  the  two  works  by  means  of  its  own  inherent 
 qualities.  But  if  they  appear  to  be  in  a  sense  not  self- 
 working,  yet  are  they  not  distinct  in  nature  from  their 
 own.  Some  such  idea  we  must  hold  about  the  relation 
 between  God  the  Father  and  the  Word  Who  is  by  Nature 
 begotten  of  Him,  whenever  He  is  said  to  be  entrusted 
 with  work  to  do  to  us-ward. 
 
 His  Wisdom  and  Power,  therefore,  that  is  Christ,  glori- 
 fied God  the  Father  upon  the  earth,  having  finished  the 
 work  which  He  gave  Him,  And,  as  He  brings  His 
 work  to  its  fitting  termination.  He  claims  the  glory 
 which  always  attaches  to  Him  ;  and  now  that  occasion 
 calls  for  the  recovery  of  His  ancient  glory  He  seeks  it. 
 What  work,  then,  has  He  fulfilled,  whereby  He  says  that 
 He  glorified  the  Father  ?  For  while  He  was  the  true 
 God  He  became  Man,  by  the  approval  and  will  of  the 
 Father,  through  His  desire  to  save  the  whole  world,  and 
 raise  up  anew  the  fallen  race  on  the  earth  to  endless  life 
 and  the  true  knowledge  of  God.     And  this  was  in  very 
 
496        Christ  never  relinquished  His  own  glory, 
 
 Book  11.  truth  accomplished  by  the  Divine  power  and  might  of 
 c.  xvii.  4,  Qj^rist,  Who  made  death  powerless,  upset  the  dominion 
 of  the  devil,  destroyed  sin,  and  showed  incomparable 
 love  towards  us,  by  remitting  the  charges  against  us  all, 
 and  giving  light  to  those  astraj^  who  now  know  the  One 
 true  God.  Christ,  then,  having  accomplished  this  by  His 
 own  power,  the  Father  was  glorified  by  all — I  mean  all 
 those  in  the  world  who  knew  His  wisdom,  and  power, 
 and  the  mercy  and  love  towards  mankind,  which  is  in 
 Him.  For  He  has  shone  forth  and  manifested  Himself 
 in  the  Son,  Who  is,  as  it  were,  the  Likeness  and  Express 
 Image  of  His  Person ;  and  by  its  fruit  the  tree  is  known, 
 according  to  the  Scripture.  And  when  the  works  were  ful- 
 filled, and  the  wonderful  scheme  of  our  redemption  brought 
 to  its  fitting  conclusion,  He  returns  to  His  own  glory, 
 and  assumes  His  ancient  honour ;  save  only,  that  being 
 still  endued  with  the  human  shape.  He  moulds  accord- 
 ingly the  form  of  His  prayer,  and  asks  as  though  He 
 possessed  it  not:  for  man  hath  all  things  from  God. 
 For  though  in  the  fullest  sense,  as  He  was  God  of 
 God  the  Father,  He  was  invested  with  Divine  glory,  still, 
 since  at  the  season  of  His  Incarnation  for  us  He  in  a 
 sense  diminished  it,  taking  upon  Him  this  mean  body. 
 He  with  reason  seeks  it  as  though  He  had  it  not,  speak- 
 ing the  words  as  Man.  The  wise  Paul  also  himself  had 
 some  such  idea,  when  he  enjoins  us  concerning  Him  : 
 Phil.  ii.  Let  this  mind  be  in  each  of  you  which  was  also  in  Christ 
 Jesus :  Who,  being  in  the  form  of  God,  counted  it  not  a 
 prize  to  be  on  an  equality  with  God,  but  emptied  Him- 
 self, taking  the  form,  of  a  sei'vant,  being  made  in  the 
 likeness  of  men  ;  and  being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man, 
 He  humbled  Himself ,  becoming  obedient  even  unto  death, 
 yea,  the  death  of  the  Cross.  Wherefore  also  God  highly 
 exalted  Him,  and  gave  unto  Him  the  Name  ivhich  is 
 above  every  name;  that  in  the  Name  of  Jesus  Christ 
 every  knee  shoidd  boiu,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things 
 on  earth  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
 tongue  shoidd  confess  that  Jes^is  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the 
 
even  in  His  lium'diaticm.  497 
 
 glory  of  God  the  Father.     For  though  the  Son  is  high,  Chap.  6. 
 inasmuch  as  He  proceeded  as  God  and  Lord  from  the5'^^""   ' 
 Father,  none  the  less  is  the  Father  recorded  to  have 
 exalted  man  in  Him,  for  on  man  the  degradation  of  his 
 nature  brings  the  need  of  exaltation.    He  prays,  then,  for 
 the  recovery  of  His  own  glory,  even  in  the  flesh.     He  is 
 not  wholly  bereft  of  His  own  glory  when  He  so  speaks, 
 even  though  He  were  to  ask  without  receiving,  for  the 
 Word,  being  the  true  God,  was  never  robbed  of  His  own 
 majesty.     He  rather  refers  to  the  glory  which  belongs 
 ever  to  Him,  and  its  appropriate  temple  in  the  heavens, 
 and  His  own  return  thither  in  the  raiment  of  the  flesh,  on 
 which  the  interval  of  His  humiliation  had  been  conse- 
 quent.    For  that  He  may  not  appear  to  be  claiming  for 
 Himself  a  strange  and  unusual  glory  to  which  He  had 
 not  been  accustomed  in  time  past,  He  distinguishes  it 
 by  the  addition  of  the  epithet  ^  "  before  the  world  was,"  '  y>- 
 and  the  words  "  with  Thine  own  Self."     For  the  Son ''"  '""'^' 
 has  never  been  excluded  from  the  honour  of  the  Father, 
 but  ever  reigneth  with  Him,  and  with  Him  is  adored 
 and  worshipped  by  us  and  by  the  holy  angels  as  God, 
 and  of  God,  and  in  God,  and  with  God.     And  this  is,  I 
 think,  what  the  inspired  Evangelist  John  means  to  teach 
 us,  when  He  says:  In  the  beginning  ivas  the  Word,  and  Supra 
 the  Word  ^vas  luith  God,  and  the  Word  was  God.     The^'  ^''^' 
 same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God. 
 
 VOL.  II. 
 
CHAPTER   VII. 
 
 That  the  fact  that  something  is  said  to  have  been  given  to  the  Son 
 from  the  Father  does  not  rob  Him  of  God-befitting  dignity  ; 
 but  He  plainly  appears  to  be  Consubstantial,  and  of  the  Father, 
 even  if  He  is  said  to  receive  aught. 
 
 Book  11.    G     /  manifested  Thy  Name  unto  the  men  ivhom  Thou  hast  given 
 g'        '  Me  out  of  the  ivorld  :   Thine  they  were,  and  Thou  hast  given 
 
 7  them,  to  Me;  and  they  have  kept  Thy  loord.  Nov:  they 
 knoio  that  all  things   ivhatsoever  Thou  hast  given  Me  are 
 
 8  from  Thee  :  for  the  words  ichich  Thou  hast  given  Me  I  have 
 given  unto  them  ;  and  they  received  them  and  knew  of  a 
 truth  that  I  came  forth  from  Thee,  and  they  believed  that 
 Thou  didst  send'  Me. 
 
 I  have  previously  stated  with  reference  to  the  passages 
 I  have  just  examined,  not  without  care,  if  I  may  say  so, 
 that  Christ  made  His  prayer  to  the  Father  in  the  heavens 
 both  as  Man  and  also  as  God.  For  He  carefully  mode- 
 rates His  language  so  as  to  avoid  either  extreme, 
 neither  keeping  it  altogether  within  the  limits  of 
 humanity,  nor  yet  allowing  it  to  be  wholly  affected  by 
 His  Divine  glory ;  and  none  the  less  here  also  may  we 
 see  the  same  characteristic  observed.  For,,  as  being  by 
 Nature  God,  and  the  express  Image  of  His  unspeakable 
 Nature,  He  says  to  His  Father:  /  manifested  Thy  Name 
 unto  the  men,  using  the  word  "Name"  instead  of  "glory," 
 for  this  is  the  usual  practice  in  speech  amongst  us. 
 Prov.  Moreover,  the  wise  Solomon  wi'ote :  A  good  name  is 
 more  to  he  desired  than  great  riches ;  that  is,  "  a  good 
 reputation  and  honour  "  is  better  than  the  splendour  and 
 <.  ^  eminence  which  wealth  confers.  And  God  Himself  says, 
 xix.  12.    by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah,  to  those  who  have  made  them- 
 
The  Father's  glory  is  manifissted  by  Christ" s  worls.  499 
 
 selves  eunuchs  for  the  Jcingdom  of  heaven's  sake,  Let  not  Chap.  7. 
 the  eunuch  say,  Behold,  I  am  a  dry  tree.   For  thus  saith  g  ^^"" 
 the  Lord  unto  the  eumtchs  that  keep  My  coniniandnients,  is.  ivi. 
 and  choose  the  things  that  please  Me,  Even  unto  them  ^~^' 
 willl  give  in  Mine  house  and  within  My  wcdls  a  place  and 
 a  name  better  than  of  sons  and  daughters :  Iivill  give  them 
 an  everlasting  name.     And  no  man  ought  to  imagine,  I 
 think,  if  he  be  wise,  that  the  honour  with  which  God 
 will  requite  them  will  be  paid  out  in  bare  names  and 
 titles  to  those  who,  with  noble  and  virtuous  aspirations, 
 have  wrestled  with  worldly  pleasure,  and  have  mortified 
 their  members  which  are  upon  the  earth,  and  regarded  Col.  iii.  5. 
 only  those  things  which  are  not  displeasing  to  the  Divine 
 law  ;    rather  He  uses  the  word  name  instead  of  glory, 
 for  they  who  reign  with  Christ  will  be  enviable  and 
 worthy  all  admiration. 
 
 The  Saviour  therefore  plainly  declares  that  He  has 
 manifested  the  Name  of  God  the  Father  ;  that  is,  He  has 
 established  His  glory  throughout  the  whole  world.  And 
 how  ?  Clearly  by  the  manifestation  of  Himself,  through 
 His  exceeding  great  works.  For  the  Father  is  glorified 
 in  the  Son,  as  in  an  Image  and  Type  of  His  own  form, 
 for  in  the  lineaments  of  that  which  is  modelled,  the 
 beauty  of  the  model  is  always  clearly  seen.  The  Only- 
 begotten,  then,  has  manifested  Himself,  being  in  His 
 Essence  Wisdom  and  Life,  Architect  and  Creator  of  the 
 universe,  superior  to  death  and  corruption,  holy,  blame- 
 less, compassionate,  sacred,  pure.  Hereby  all  men  know 
 that  He  That  begat  Him  is  even  as  He  is  ;  for  He  cannot 
 be  different  in  Nature  from  His  Offspring.  He  showed 
 Himself,  therefore,  as  in  an  Image  and  Type  of  His  own 
 form,  in  the  glory  of  the  Son.  Such  was  indeed  the 
 language  concerning  Him  among  the  men  of  old  time, 
 but  now  has  He  manifested  Himself  to  our  very  sight, 
 and  that  which  we  see  with  our  eyes  is  more  convincing 
 than  any  words. 
 
 I  think,  indeed,  that  what  we  have  here  stated  is  not 
 irrelevant.     We  must  now,  however,  tread  another  path, 
 
 ■  K  k  2 
 
500      The  Name  '■Father^  greater  than  ''God." 
 
 Book  11.  that  is,  enter  on  another  line  of  speculation.  For  the 
 c.xvii.  -  g^^  manifested  the  Father's  Name  clearly  by  bringing 
 us  to  the  knowledge  and  perfect  apprehension,  not  of  the 
 fact  that  He  is  God  alone  (for  this  message  was  conveyed 
 to  us  before  His  coming  by  the  inspired  Scripture),  but 
 that,  besides  being  God  in  truth,  He  is  also  Father  in  no 
 spurious  sense ;  having  in  Himself,  and  proceeding  from 
 Himself,  His  own  Offspring,  Coequal  and  Coeternal  with 
 His  own  Nature.  For  He  did  not  beget  in  time  the 
 Creator  of  the  ages.  And  God's  Name  of  "  Father  "  is  in 
 some  sort  greater  than  the  Name  God  itself;  for  the  one 
 is  symbolical  only  of  His  Majesty,  while  the  other  is 
 explanatory  of  the  essential  attribute  of  His  Person. 
 For,  when  a  man  speaks  of  God,  he  indicates  the 
 Sovereign  of  the  universe ;  but,  when  he  utters  the 
 Name  of  Father,  he  touches  on  the  definition  of  His 
 individuality,  for  he  manifests  the  fact  that  He  begat. 
 And  Christ  Himself  gives  to  God  the  Name  of  Father,  as 
 in  some  sense  a  more  appropriate  and  truer  appellation ; 
 Supra  saying  on  one  occasion,  not  "  I  and  God  "  but  I  and  the 
 ^'     '       Father  are  One ;  and  on  another  occasion,  with  reference 
 
 Ibid.  vi.    to  Himself,  For  Him  the  Father,  even  God,  hath  sealed. 
 
 27 
 
 And  also  when  He  bade  His  disciples  baptise  all  nations, 
 He  did  not  bid  them  do  this  in  the  Name  of  God,  but 
 
 s. Matt.   He  expressly  enjoined  them  to  do  this  into  the  Na'me  of 
 
 '  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  And 
 
 the  inspired  Moses,  when  he  was  explaining  the  origin 
 
 of  the  world,  did  not  attribute  its  creation  to  a  single 
 
 Gen. i.26.  person,  for  he  wrote,  And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man 
 in  our  Image,  after  our  Likeness :  and  by  the  words  Let 
 us  make,  and  in  our  Likeness,  the  Holy  Trinity  is  sig- 
 nified ;  for  the  Father  created  and  called  into  being  the 
 universe,  through  the  Son,  in  the  Spirit,  But  the  men  of 
 old  found  such  expressions  hard  to  understand,  and  the 
 language  obscure ;  for  the  Father  was  not  individually 
 named,  nor  was  the  Person  of  the  Son  expressly  intro- 
 duced. Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  however,  without  any 
 concealment,  and  with  perfect  freedom  of  speech,  called 
 
Christ  revealed  God  as  Father.  501 
 
 God  His  Father;  and  Ly  naming  Himself  Son,  and  show-  Chap.  7. 
 ing  that  He  was  Himself  in  very  truth  the  Offspring  of  g'^^"' 
 the  Sovereign  Nature  of  the  universe,  He  manifested 
 the  Father's  Name,  and  brought  us  to  perfect  know- 
 ledge of  Him.  For  the  perfect  knowledge  of  God 
 and  the  Creator  of  the  universe  standeth  not  in  be- 
 lieving merely  that  He  is  God,  but  in  believing  also 
 that  He  is  the  Father ;  and  the  Father  also  of  a 
 Son,  not  unaccompanied  of  course  by  the  Holy 
 Spirit.  For  the  bare  belief,  that  God  is  God,  suits  us 
 no  better  than  those  under  the  Law ;  for  it  does  not 
 exceed  the  limit  of  the  knowledge  the  Jews  attained. 
 And  just  as  the  Law,  when  it  brought  in  this  axiom  of 
 instruction,  which  was  insufficient  to  sustain  a  life  of 
 piety  in  God's  service,  perfected  nothing,  so  also  the 
 knowledge  which  it  instilled  about  God  was  imperfect ; 
 only  able  to  restrain  men  from  love  of  false  gods, 
 and  persuade  them  to  worship  the  One  true  God :  For  Exod.  xx. 
 thou  shalt  have,  it  says,  no  other  gods  beside  Me.  Thou 
 shalt  worshix>  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  iv.  lo, 
 thou  serve.     But  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  sets  better  things  ^"^"    . 
 
 °    Deut.  VI. 
 before  those  who    are   under   the  Law  of  Moses  ;    and,  13. 
 
 giving  them  instruction  clearer  than  the  commandment 
 of  the  Law,  vouchsafed  them  better  and  clearer  know- 
 ledge than  that  of  old.  For  He  has  made  it  plain  to 
 us,  not  merely  that  the  Originator  and  Sovereign  of 
 the  world  is  God,  but  also  that  He  is  a  Father ;  and 
 facts  prove  this ;  for  He  has  set  Himself  before  us  as 
 His  Likeness,  saying,  He  that  hath  seen  Me  hath  seen  Supra 
 the  Father.     I  and  the  Father  are  One.  ^'^'^/  ^' 
 
 And  this,  as  we  suppose,  as  being  God  and  of  God  30. 
 by  Nature,  He  saith  openly^,  in  His  Divine  character, 
 to  His  Father ;  but  He  adds  at  once,  speaking  more 
 as  Man:  Whom  Thou  hast  given  Me  out  of  the  tvorld: 
 Thine  they  were,  and  Thou  hast  given  them  to  Me.  We 
 must  think  that  our  Lord  says  this,  not  as  though  some 
 
 '^  Very  questionable  what  is  the  proper  meaning,     dvfaiju^i'ajs,  as  sug- 
 gested, seems  unintelligible. 
 
502  All  things  are  God's, 
 
 Book  11,  separate  and  particular  portion  had  been  allotted  and 
 jj"  ^  '■  ~  belonged  to  the  dominion  of  the  Father,  in  which  the 
 Son  Himself  had  no  part,  for  He  is  King  before  the 
 ages  began,  as  the  Psalmist  says,  and  eternally  shares 
 the  Father's  rule.  Moreover,  the  wise  Evangelist  John, 
 teaching  us  that  all  things  belong  to  Him  and  are  put 
 Supra  i.  under  His  sway,  wrote :  He  cmne  unto  His  oivn,  and 
 they  that  were  His  own  received  Him  not ;  calling  those 
 His  own  who  knew  Him  not,  and  were  rejecting  the 
 yoke  of  His  kingdom.  He  spake  this  on  this  occasion, 
 from  the  wish  to  make  clear  to  His  hearers,  that  there 
 were  some  in  this  world,  who  did  not  even  so  much 
 as  receive  into  their  minds  the  One  true  God,  but  served 
 the  creature,  and  devils,  and  the  inventions  of  devils. 
 Still,  though  they  knew  not  the  Creator  of  the  world, 
 and  were  astray  from  the  truth,  they  were  God's ;  inso- 
 much as  He  is  Lord  of  all,  as  their  Creator.  For  all 
 things  belong  to  God,  and  there  is  nothing  that  exists 
 over  which  the  One  God  is  not  ruler,  though  the 
 creature  may  not  know  his  Maker.  For  no  man  can 
 maintain  that  the  fact,  that  some  have  gone  astray 
 from  Him,  can  avail  to  deprive  the  Creator  of  the 
 world  of  His  universal  dominion  ;  but  he  must  rather 
 admit  that  all  things  are  subjected  to  His  rule,  through 
 His  having  made  them  and  brought  them  into  being. 
 Since,  then,  this  is  the  truth,  even  they  who  were  fast 
 bound  by  the  snares  of  the  devil,  and  entangled  in 
 the  vanities  of  the  world,  belonged  in  fact  to  the  living 
 God.  And  how  were  they  given  to  the  Son  ?  For  God 
 the  Father  consented  that  Emmanuel  should  reign  over 
 them ;  not  as  though  He  then  fii'st  began  His  reign — 
 for  He  was  ever  Lord  and  King  as  being  God  by  Nature— 
 but  because,  having  become  Man  and  ventured  His  life 
 for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  He  purchased  all  men  for 
 Himself,  and  through  Himself  brought  them  to  God  the 
 Father.  He  then,  That  of  old  reigneth  from  the  beginning 
 with  His  Father,  was  appointed  King  as  a  Man,  to  Whom 
 like  all  else  the  sceptre  comes  by  gift,  according  to  the 
 
and  'Were  ^^ given''  to  Christ  as  Man.  503 
 
 limitations  of  human  nature.     For  not  in  the  same  sense  Chap.  7. 
 as  that  in  which  man  is  a  rational  being,  capable  of  thought  ^  ^^"-  °~ 
 and  knowledge  (these  things  being  included  in  his  natural 
 advantages),  is  he  also  a  king  ;  for  while  the  former  attri- 
 butes are  comprehended  in  the  definition  of  his  essence, 
 the  latter  is  extraneous  and  additional,  and  not  among 
 those  which  attach  inseparably  to  his  nature  ;  for  kingly 
 power  is  given  and  taken  away  from  a  man,  without 
 affecting   in   any   degree    at    all    the   definition   of  his 
 essence.     The  dignity  of  kingship,  therefore,  is   thrust 
 upon  a  man  by  God  as  a  gift,  and  from  without :  For  by  Prov.viii, 
 ilfe,  He  says,  kings  rule,  and  j)rinces  reign  over  the  earth.     ' 
 He  then.  That  ruleth  over  all  with  the  Father,  insomuch 
 as  He  was,  and  is,  and  will  be,  by  Nature  God,  receives 
 power  over  the  worLd,  according  to  the  form  and  limits 
 proper  to  a  man. 
 
 And  therefore  He  saith:  All  things  whatsoever  Thou 
 hast  given  Me  are  from  Thee.  For  in  a  special  and 
 peculiar  sense  all  things  are  God's,  and  are  given  to 
 us  His  creatures.  Universal  possession  and  power  are 
 most  appropriate  to  God,  but  to  us  it  is  most  fitting 
 to  receive.  He  bore  witness,  however,  before  His  devout 
 believers,  to  what  was  fitting  to  the  servant,  and  prompted 
 to  obedience.  For,  He  saith,  the  ivords  which  Thou  hast 
 given  Me  I  have  given  unto  them,  and  they  received  them 
 and  knew  of  a  truth  that  I  came  forth  from  Thee,  and 
 they  believed  that  Thou  didst  send  Me.  He  expressly  here 
 calls  His  own  words  the  sayings  of  God  the  Father, 
 because  of  Their  identity  of  Substance,  and  because  He 
 is  God  the  Word  declaratory  of  His  Father's  Will ;  just 
 as  the  word,  which  proceeds  out  of  our  own  mouths,  and 
 by  its  utterance  assailing  the  hearing  of  one  who  stands 
 by,  interprets  the  hidden  mysteries  of  the  heart.  There- 
 fore also  the  saying  of  the  Prophet  declared  concerning 
 Him :  His  Name  is  called  Messenger  of  Great  Counsel.  Is.  ix.  6. 
 For  the  truly  great,  wonderful,  and  mysterious  counsel 
 of  the  Father  is  conveyed  to  us  by  the  Word  That  is  in 
 Him,  and  of  Him,  through  the  words  He  uttered  as  a 
 
504      Tlie  '' loords"  which  the  disciples  accepted 
 
 Book  11.  Man,  when  He  came  among  us,  and  also  by  the  know- 
 
 C.XV11.6-  ig(^gg  g^^(j^  jjgjjl;,  Qf  ^]^e  Spirit  after  His  ascent  into  heaven  ; 
 
 for  He  revealeth  to  His  Saints  His  mysteries,  as  Paul 
 
 2  Cor.      bears  witness,  saying  :  If  ye  seek  a  p)roof  of  Christ  Thcd 
 
 speaketh  in  Me. 
 
 He  testified  then  to  those  who  love  Him,  that  they  re- 
 ceived and  kept  the  words  given  Him  by  the  Father, 
 and  were  besides  satisfied  that  He  came,  and  was  sent, 
 from  God ;  while  those  who  were  diseased  with  the  con- 
 trary opinion  were  otherwise   minded.     For  they  who 
 neither  received  His  words  nor  kept  their  minds  open  to 
 conviction,  were  not  disposed  to  believe  that  He  came 
 from  God,  and  was  sent  by  Him.   Moreover,  the  Jews  said 
 Cf.  supra  on  One  occasion :  If  this  Man  were  from  God,  He  would 
 ^^■^'°-      not  have  broken  the  Sabbath;   and  on  another.  We  are 
 29.  '     '  disciples  of  Moses :  tve  knoiu  that  God  hath  sp)oken  unto 
 Moses,  hut  as  for  this  Man  tve  knoiv  not  tvhence  He  is. 
 You  see  how  they  denied  His  mission  ;  so  that  they  even 
 cried  in  their  shamelessness,  they  knew  not  whence  He 
 was.     And  that  they  did  not  admit  His  unspeakably 
 high    birth    from    everlasting,   I   mean    His    proceeding 
 from  God  the  Father,  diseased  as  they  were  by  the  great 
 perversity  of  their  thoughts,  and  ready  to  stone  Him 
 with  stones  merely  because  of  His  Incarnation,  you  may 
 easily  satisfy  yourself,  if  you  will  listen  to  the  words  of 
 Supra      the  Evangelist :  For  this  cause  therefore  the  Jews  sougJd 
 to  kill  Him,  because  He  not  only  brake  the  Sabbath,  but 
 also  called  God  His  own  Father,  making  Himself  equal 
 with  God.     And  what  the  impious  Jews  said  unto  Him 
 Supra      is  also  recorded  :  For  a  good  work  we  stone  Thee  not,  but 
 ^'  for  blasphemy ;  because  thcd  Thou,  being  a  man,  makest 
 
 Thyself  God.  You  will  understand  then  very  clearly, 
 that  those  who  truly  keep  His  words  have  believed 
 and  confessed  that  He  manifested  Himself  from  the 
 Father  (for  this  is,  I  think,  what  /  came  forth  means), 
 Ps.  ii.  7.  and  that  He  was  sent  to  us  to  tell  us  the  commandment 
 of  the  Lord,  as  is  said  in  the  Psalms  ;  while  they  who 
 laughed  to  scorn  the  Word,  Who  was  thus  Divine  and 
 
signify  His  Biuine  Mission.  503 
 
 from  the  Father,  rejected  the  faith,  and  plainly  denied  Chap.  7. 
 that  He  was  God  and  from  the  Father,  and  that  He  came  to  g  ^^"'  ^~ 
 us  for  our  salvation,  and  dwelt  among  us,  yet  without 
 sin.     Justly,  then,  does  He  commend  to  God  the  Father, 
 those  who  are,  good  men,  and  are  His  own,  and  have 
 submitted  their  souls  to  the  hearing  of  His  words,  and 
 will  ever  hold  them  in  remembrance  ;  that  what  He  said 
 may  be  made  clear,   beginning  from  the  time  of  His 
 sojourn  amongst  us.     And  what  are  His  words'?  Every-  s.  Matt. 
 one  therefore  tvho  shall  confess  Me  before  men,  him  will  ^-^2,33. 
 /  also  confess  before  My  Father  Which  is  in  heaven.  But 
 tvhosoever  shall  deny  Me  before  men,  him  will  I  also 
 deny  before  My  Father  Which  is  in  heaven.     This  also 
 God  the  Father   HimseK  long   ago   declared   that   He 
 would  do,  speaking  by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah  :   Ye  are  My  is.  xliii. 
 witnesses,  saith  the  Lord,  and  the  servant  whom  I  have 
 chosen.     Our  Saviour  then  speaks,  at  the  same  time,  in 
 His  character  as  God,  and  in  His  character  as  Man.     For 
 He  was  at  once  God  and  Man,  speaking  in  either  cha- 
 racter  without    reproach,    suiting    each    occasion    with 
 appropriate  words  as  it  required. 
 
CHAPTER    VIII. 
 
 That  nothing-  which  is  spoken  of  as  belonging  to  the  Father  will 
 be  excluded  from  the  kingdom  of  the  Son,  for  Both  alike  rule 
 over  all. 
 
 Book  11,  9  /  jyTciy  for  them  :  I  'pray  not  for  the  tcorld,  hut  for  those 
 j'j      ■       10     tvhom  Thou  hast  given  Me ;  for  they  are  Thine :  and  all 
 
 things  that  are  Mine  are  Thine,  and  Thine  are  Mine  ;  and 
 11      I  am  glorified  in  them.     And  I  am  no  more  in  the  world, 
 
 and  these  are  in  the  ivorld,  and  I  come  to  Thee. 
 
 .  He  once  more  mediates  as  Man,  the  Reconciler  and 
 
 Cf.iTim.  Mediator  of  God  and  men  ;  and  being  our  truly  great  and 
 
 "■   ■        all-holy  High  Priest,  by  His  own  prayers  He  appeases 
 
 the  anger  of  His  Father,  sacrificing  Himself  for  us.     For 
 
 He  is  the  Sacrifice,  and  is  Himself  our  Priest,  Himself  our 
 
 Mediator,  Himself  a  blameless  Victim,  the  true  Lamb 
 
 Supra       Which  taheth  atvay  the  sin  of  the  ivorld.     The  Mosaic 
 
 :    on 
 
 ceremonial  was  then,  as  it  were,  a  type  and  transparent 
 shadowing  forth  of  the  mediation  of  Christ,  shown  forth 
 in  the  last  times,  and  the  high  priest  of  the  Law  indicated 
 in  his  own  person  that  Priest  Who  is  above  the  Law. 
 For  the  things  of  the  Law  are  shadows  of  the  truth.  For 
 the  inspired  Moses,  and  with  him  the  eminent  Aaron, 
 continually  intervened  between  God  and  the  assembly 
 of  the  people ;  at  one  time  deprecating  God's  anger  for 
 the  transgressions  of  the  people  of  Israel,  and  inviting 
 mercy  from  above  upon  them  when  they  were  faint ;  at 
 another,  praying  and  blessing  the  people,  and  ordering 
 sacrifices  according  to  the  Law  and  offerings  of  gifts  be- 
 sides in  their  appointed  order,  sometimes  for  sins,  and 
 sometimes  thank-offerings  for  the  benefits  they  felt  that 
 they  had  received  from  God.    But  Christ  Who  manifested 
 
Christ  mediates  as  Man;    as  did  Aaron.       507 
 
 Himself  in  the  last  times  above  the  types  and  figures  of  Chap.  8. 
 the  Law,  at  once  our  High  Priest  and  Mediator,  prays  for  ^•^^"^"■^~ 
 us  as  Man ;    and  at  the  same  time  is  ever  ready  to  co- 
 operate with  God  the  Father,  Who  distributes  good  gifts 
 to  those  who  are  worthy.     Paul  showed  us  this  most 
 plainly  in  the  words  :  Grace  to  you  and  peace  from  God,  200^1.2, 
 our  Father,  and  the  Lord  Jestis  Christ.     He  then  prays 
 for  us  as  Man,  and  also  unites  in  distributing  good  gifts 
 to  us  as  God.    For  He,  being  a  holy  High  Priest,  blame- 
 less  and   undefiled,  offered  Himself  not  for  His    own 
 weakness,  as  was  the  custom  of   those  to  whom  was 
 allotted  the  duty  of  sacrificing  according  to  the  Law,  but 
 rather  for  the  salvation  of  our  souls,  and  that  once  for  all, 
 because  of  our  sin,  and  is  an  Advocate  for  us:  A7id  He  IS.  John 
 is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  as  John  saith  ;    and  not  "'   ' 
 for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  whole  luorld. 
 
 But  perhaps  someone,  wishing  to  controvert  what  we 
 have  said,  will  exclaim,  "  Is  not  what  the  disciple  says 
 quite  contrary  to  the  Saviour's  words  ?  "  For  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ  expressly  in  these  words  repudiates  the 
 necessity  of  praying  to  God  for  the  whole  world,  while 
 the  wise  John  affii-med  quite  the  contrary.  For  he 
 maintains  that  the  Saviour  will  be  the  Advocate  and 
 propitiation,  not  merely  for  our  sins,  but  also  for  the 
 sins  of  the  whole  world.  It  is  not  hard  to  find  the  solu- 
 tion to  this  difficulty,  or  to  say  how  the  disciple  may  be 
 seen  to  be  in  accord  with  his  Master's  saying.  For  the 
 blessed  John,  as  he  was  a  Jew  and  of  the  Jews,  that  some 
 might  not  perhaps  think  that  our  Lord  was  merely  an 
 Advocate  for  the  Israelites,  and  not  in  any  sense  for  the 
 rest  of  the  nations  scattered  over  the  whole  world, 
 though  destined  to  distinguish  themselves  by  faith  on 
 Him  and  to  be  shortly  called  to  knowledge  of  salvation 
 through  Christ,  is  perforce  impelled  to  declare  that  our 
 Lord  will  not  only  be  the  propitiation  for  the  race  of 
 Israel,  but  also  for  the  whole  world ;  that  is,  those  of 
 every  nation  and  kindred,  who  shall  be  called  through 
 faith   to   righteousness   and    sanctification.      Our   Loi'd 
 
508     Those  given  to  Christ  are  yet  the  Fathers. 
 Book  11.  Jesus  Christ  clistinscuishes  from  His  own  those  who  are 
 
 C.  X 
 
 11. 
 
 ^■'''^'^"      otherwise  minded,  and  who  have  chosen  to  insult  Him 
 
 by  stubborn  disobedience  ;  and,  referring  to  those  who 
 are  prone  to  listen  to  His  Divine  commands,  and  who 
 have  already  submitted,  as  it  were,  the  necks  of  the 
 hearts,  and  well-nigh  bound  round  them  the  yoke  of 
 submission  to  God,  said  that  for  them  only  it  was  most 
 fitting  for  Him  to  pi'ay.  For  to  those  only,  whose 
 Mediator  and  High  Priest  He  is,  He  thought  it  meet 
 to  bring  the  blessings  of  His  mediation  ;  to  those,  I  mean, 
 who.  He  says,  were  given  to  Himself,  but  were  the 
 Father's,  as  there  is  no  other  way  of  fellowship  with 
 God  save  by  the  Son.     And  He  will  Himself  teach  you 
 
 Supra       this  in  the  words :  JVo  one  coineth  iinto  the  Father,  hut 
 
 ^^^'  '  hy  Me.  For  observe  how  the  Father,-  when  He  gave  to 
 His  Son  those  of  whom  He  speaks,  won  them  over  to 
 Himself.    And  the  Apostle,  who  was  so  conversant  with 
 
 2  Cor.  V.  the  sacred  writings,  knowing  this  well,  says :  God  was  in 
 Christ,  reconciling  the  ivorld  unto  Himself.  For  when 
 Christ  acted  as  Mediator,  and  received  those  who  come 
 to  Him  by  faith,  and  brought  them  aright  through  Him- 
 self to  the  Father,  the  world  was  reconciled  to  God, 
 Therefore  also  the  Prophet  Isaiah  taught  us,  in  anticipa- 
 
 Cf.  Is.      tion,  to  choose  peace  with  God,  in  Christ :    Let  us  have 
 
 XX  11.  J,  pgg^gg  with  Him ;  let  us  who  are  in  the  way  have  peace. 
 For  if  we  banish  from  our  hearts  whatsoever  estrangeth 
 us  from  the  love  of  Christ,  I  mean  the  base  lascivious- 
 ness  which  hankers  after  sinful  pleasure  and  is  ever 
 inclined  to  the  delights  of  the  world,  and  is  besides  the 
 mother  and  nurse  of  all  vice,  and  leads  us  widely  astray, 
 we  shall  become  united  in  fellowship  with  Christ,  and 
 shall  make  peace  with  God,  being  joined  to  the  Father 
 HimseK  through  the  Son,  inasmuch  as  we  receive  in  our- 
 selves the  Word  That  was  begotten  of  Him,  and  cry  out 
 
 Ron.vl'i.  in  the  Spirit,  Ahha,  Father. 
 
 ^^'  Those  then  who   have  been  given  to  Christ  are  the 
 
 Father's,  but  are  not  therefore  removed  from  Christ. 
 For  God  the  Father  reitjneth    with    Him,  and  through 
 
Christ' and  the  Father  glorified  in  the  disci/pies.  509 
 
 Him  ruleth  over  His  own.  For  the  Holy  and  Consub-  Chap.  8. 
 stantial  Trinity  share  the  same  kingdom,  and  their  \i^^^' 
 universal  dominion  is  one  and  the  same ;  and  whatever 
 is  the  Son's  will  be  subject  to  the  glory  of  the  Son  and 
 the  Father ;  and  also,  whatever  is  said  to  be  under  the 
 rule  of  the  Father,  over  that  the  Son  will  surely  hold 
 sway.  And  therefore  He  saith  :  And  all  Mine  are  Thine, 
 and  Thine  are  Mine.  For  as  in  Them  perfect  identity 
 of  Nature  is  visible  and  evident,  the  opinion  held  about 
 Their  majesty  is  not  various,  and  does  not  attribute  any- 
 thing individually  to  One  apart  from  the  Other,  but 
 considers  one  and  the  same  glory,  identical  in  every 
 respect,  to  attach  to  Both.  For  He  That  is  by  right  of 
 His  Nature  the  Heir  of  His  Father's  Divine  dignities 
 will  clearly  have  all  that  the  Father  hath,  and  will 
 also  show  that  His  Father  hath  all  that  He  Himself 
 hath.  For  Either  naturally  reveals  the  Other  in  Him- 
 self;  and  the  Son  is  seen  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father 
 also  in  the  Son.  This  kind  of  instruction  the  inspired 
 writings  gave  us  in  the  mystery.  When,  then,  universal 
 dominion  is  one  of  the  dignities  of  the  Father,  it  will 
 belong  also  to  the  Son ;  for  He  is  the  express  Image 
 of  His  Person,  and  can  endure  no  shadow  of  unlikeness 
 or  variance  at  all.  He  declares  that  He  has  been  glori- 
 fied in  them,  showing  that  His  prayer  for  them  is,  as 
 it  were,  a  recompence  well  deserved. 
 
 What  then  is  His  request,  and  why  does  He  en- 
 deavour to  obtain  God's  favour  for  His  followers  1  /  am 
 no  more  in  the  tvorld,  He  says,  and  these  are  in  the 
 tvorld,  and  I  come  to  Thee.  For  while  He  yet  lived  i.i 
 converse  with  His  holy  Apostles  in  the  flesh  upon 
 earth,  the  consolation  of  His  visible  Presence  was  ever 
 with  them  in  their  daily  path,  as  it  were  to  give  instant 
 succour  to  those  in  peril ;  and  they  were  therefore  sus- 
 tained in  courage.  For  the  mind  of  man  is  readier  to 
 rely  upon  the  things  that  are  seen  than  the  things  that 
 are  unseen,  for  encouragement  or  pleasure.  When  we 
 say  this,  we   are   far   from   asserting   that  the   Lord  is 
 
510  Christ's  jprayer  is  for  the  disciples  left  in  the  ivorhl. 
 
 * 
 Book  11.  powerless  to   save,  if  He  be   not  visibly  present ;    for 
 
 jj^^"'  ~  any  one  who  thought  this  would  rightly  be  convicted  of 
 
 Heb.  xiii.  folly.    For  Jesus  Christ  is  the  saone  yesterday,  and  to- 
 
 ^'  day,  yea,  and  for  ever.    But  He  knew  that  His  disciples 
 
 were  very  faint  at  heart,  left  desolate  as  it  were  on  the 
 
 earth,  with   the  world   raging  round  them  like  fierce 
 
 billows,  and  ever  ready  to  beleaguer  with  intolerable 
 
 terrors    and  imminent   and    great    dangers    those    who 
 
 persist  in  bearing  God's  tidings  to  the  uninitiated. 
 
 Since   then.   He    says,  I   come   to   Thee,  for  I  shall 
 
 soon  ascend  to  sit   on  the  throne  of  God  the  Father, 
 
 and  reign  with  Him,  and  these  will  remain  the  while 
 
 in  the  world,  /  jjray  for  them,  for  Thou  gavest  them 
 
 Me ;    and  as  Thine  and  Mine  now  I  rightly  care   for 
 
 them,  and  /  am  glorified  in  them,  for  all  things  tvhat- 
 
 soever  Thou  hast  given  Me  are  Thine,  and  Thine  are 
 
 Mine.    And  the  saying  is  true.    For  those  in  the  world 
 
 who  have  been  given  to  Christ,  and  are  on  that  account 
 
 the  Father's,  have  not  therefore  disavowed  the  duty  of 
 
 praising  Him  through  Whom  they  were  united  to  God 
 
 the    Father,   and    having    been   brought   to    Him,  will 
 
 remain  none  the  less  His.     For  He  hath  all  things  in 
 
 common  with  the  Father,  together  with  His   inherent 
 
 Godhead  and  power.    For  there  is  one  God  in  us.  Who 
 
 is  worshipped  in  the  Holy  and  Consubstantial  Trinity ; 
 
 and  we  all  of  us  belong  to  the  one  true  God,  being  subject 
 
 as  servants  to  the  Holy  and  Consubstantial  Trinity. 
 
CHAPTER    IX. 
 
 That  the  dignity  of  Godhead  is  inherent  in  the  Son ;  even  though 
 He  is  said  to  have  received  this  from  the  Father,  because  of  His 
 humanity  and  the  form  of  His  humiliation. 
 
 1 1     Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  Thy  Name  which  Thou  hast  given  Chap.  0. 
 Me,  that  they  may  he  one,  even  as  We  are.  c.xvn.ll. 
 
 He  still  preserves  the  blending  of  two  things  into 
 one:  the  human  element,  I  mean,  which,  so  far  as  we 
 are  concerned,  imparts  humiliation,  and  the  Divine  ele- 
 ment, which  is  pregnant  with  the  most  exalted  majesty. 
 For  His  speech  is  combined  of  both  ;  and,  just  as  we 
 stated  in  our  interpretation  of  the  foregoing  passage, 
 the  Divine  element  is  not  perfectly  exalted  to  the  height, 
 nor  yet  is  it  wholly  sundered  from  the  limitations  of 
 humanity,  holding  as  it  were  a  middle  place  by  an 
 unspeakable  and  ineffable  fusion  of  the  two,  so  as  not 
 to  pass  outside  the  limits  of  true  Godhead,  nor  yet 
 altogether  to  leave  behind  those  of  humanity.  For 
 His  ineffable  descent  from  God  the  Father  exalts  Him, 
 inasmuch  as  He  is  the  Word  and  Only-begotten,  into 
 a  Divine  Nature  and  the  majesty  which  naturally  ac- 
 companies it,  while  His  humiliation  brings  Him  down 
 in  some  sort  to  our  level,  not  as  though  it  availed 
 perforce  to  overpower  the  kingship  over  the  universe 
 which  He  shares  with  the  Father,  for  the  Only-begotten 
 could  never  submit  to  violence  against  His  Will.  Rather 
 was  His  humiliation  self-chosen,  accepted  and  main- 
 tained from  love  towards  us.  For  He  humbled  Himself, 
 that  is,  of  His  own  Will  and  not  by  any  compulsion. 
 For  He  would  be  proved  to  have  undergone  the  In- 
 carnation against  His  Will,  if  there  were  any  one  at  all 
 
512    The  fusion  of  Christ's  Divinity  and  Humanity. 
 
 Book  11.  able  to  prevail  over  Him,  and  who  bade  Him  unwill- 
 c.xvii.ii.  ij]g]y  isiko.  this  upon  Him.  He  humbled  Himself  there- 
 fore willingly  for  our  sakes,  for  we  should  never  have 
 been  called  His  sons  and  God's,  if  the  Only-begotten 
 had  not  undergone  humiliation  for  us  and  on  our 
 account ;  to  Whose  Likeness  we  are  conformed  by  partici- 
 pation in  the  Spirit,  and  so  become  children  of  God, 
 and  God's.  Whenever,  therefore,  in  His  sayings.  He 
 blends  together  in  some  way  the  human  with  the  Divine, 
 do  not  be  therefore  offended,  nor  lightly  relinquish  the 
 admiration  you  ought  to  feel  at  the  incomparable  art 
 displayed  in  His  sayings,  skilfully  preserving  for  us 
 in  divers  ways  their  twofold  character,  so  that  we  can 
 see  at  the  same  time  the  God  and  the  Man  speaking 
 truly  in  His  Nature,  marvellously  combining  the  humi- 
 liation of  His  Humanity  with  the  glory  of  His  ineffable 
 Divinity ;  preserving  wholly  blameless  and  irreproachable 
 the  harmonious  fusion  of  the  two. 
 
 And  how  is  it  that,  when  we  say  this,  we  do  not 
 affirm  that  the  Nature  of  the  Word  is  degraded  from 
 its  original  majesty  ?  To  think  this  would  indeed  dis- 
 play the  greatest  ignorance ;  for  that  which  is  Divine 
 is  altogether  and  wholly  changeless,  and  endureth  no 
 shadow  of  turning  but  rather  ever  remaineth  on  one 
 stay.  We  rather  make  such  a  statement  because  the 
 manner  of  His  voluntary  degradation,  as  by  necessary 
 inference  investing  Him  with  the  form  of  humiliation, 
 causes  the  Only-begotten,  Who  is  coequal  with,  and  in 
 the  Likeness  of,  the  Father,  and  in  Him  and  proceeding 
 from  Him,  to  be  apparently  in  an  inferior  position  to 
 Him.  Be  not  astonished  at  hearing  this,  if  the  Son 
 appear  to  fall  short  of  the  Father's  majesty  because 
 of  His  Humanity,  when  for  this  very  reason  Paul  de- 
 clared that  He  was  thus  inferior  even  to  the  angels, 
 Heb. ;i.9.  in  the  following  words:  Him  Who  hath  been  made  a 
 little  loiver  than  tJte  angels,  even  Jesus,  because  of  the 
 suffering  of  death  crowned  with  glory  and  honour, 
 though  the  holy  angels  were  bidden  to  worship  Him, 
 
GocVs  Name  In  inlterently  Christ's  Name.       513 
 
 for  u'hen,  He  says,  He  hrlngeth  in  the  Firstborn  into  Chap.  9. 
 the  world,  He    saith,   And   let   all   the   angels   of  God  ^•^^""    • 
 worship  Him,  as  well  as  also  the  Holy  Seraphim,  who  Heb.  i.  6. 
 stood  around  and  fulfilled  the  office  of  servants  when 
 He  appeared  unto  the  prophet  sitting  on  a  high  and  Is.  vi.  i. 
 lofty  throne.     Then,  so  far  as  His  being  begotten  and 
 proceeding  from  God  the  Father  is  concerned.  His  Hu- 
 manity is  not  proper  to  the   Son ;  but  it  is  proper  to 
 Him  in  so  far  as  He  is  Incarnate  Man,  and  remaineth 
 ever  what  He  was  and  is,  and  will  be  such  for  ever- 
 more, and   debaseth   Himself  to  what  He  was   not  of 
 old  for  our  sakes. 
 
 He  saith,  then:  Holy  Father,  hee])  them  in  Thy  Name 
 luhich  Thou  hast  given  Me;  that  they  may  he  one,  even 
 as  We  are.  He  desires  His  disciples  to  be  kept  by  the 
 power  and  might  of  the  Ineffable  Divine  Nature,  well 
 and  suitably  attributing  the  power  of  saving  whom- 
 soever He  will,  yea,  and  with  ease,  to  the  true  and 
 living  God ;  and  thereby,  again.  He  glorifies  no  other 
 nature  than  His  own,  as  in  the  Person  of  the  Father, 
 from  Whom  He  proceeded  as  God.  Therefore  He  saith. 
 Father,  keep  them  in  TJiy  Name  xvhich  Thoii  hast  given 
 Me ;  that  is,  the  Name  of  God.  He  says  again,  that  the 
 Name  of  God  was  not  given  unto  Him  as  though  He 
 had  not  been  God  by  Nature,  and  were  now  called  from 
 without  to  the  dignity  of  Godhead.  For  then  would 
 He  be  created,  and  possess  a  spurious  and  elective 
 glory  and  an  adulterate  nature,  which  it  were  impious 
 for  us  to  imagine.  For  thereby  He  would  be  mulcted 
 of  His  inherent  character  of  Sonship.  But  since,  as 
 the  inspired  writings  prophesy,  the  Word  became  flesh.  Supra 
 that  is,  man,  He  says  that  He  received  Divine  attributes  ^'  ' 
 by  gift ;  for  clearly  the  title  and  actuality  of  Divine  glory 
 could  not  naturally  attach  to  man.  But  consider,  and 
 attentively  reflect,  how  He  showed  Himself  the  living 
 and  inherent  Power  of  God  the  Father,  whereby  He 
 doeth  all  things.  For  when,  addressing  His  Father, 
 He    says.   Keep   them,   He    did  not   indeed    suffice    for 
 
 VOL.  II.  L  1 
 
514  Tlie  unity  of  the  disciples  resembles 
 
 Book  11.  them  alone,  but  suitably  brought  in  Himself  as  working 
 t.xvn.  .  ^^^.  ^]^g-j.  preservation  and  being  for  that  purpose  also 
 the  power  and  instrument  of  His  Father ;  for  He  says : 
 Keep  them  in  Thy  Name  tuhich  Thou  hast  given  Me. 
 Note  how  guarded  the  saying  is.  For  allotting  and 
 attributing  as  suitable  only  to  the  Nature  of  God  pro- 
 vidential care  over  us,  He  declares  at  once  that  to 
 Himself  has  been  given  the  glory  of  Godhead,  because 
 of  the  form  of  manhood,  saying  that  what  was  His  by 
 Phil.ii.9.  natural  right  was  given  to  Him  ;  that  is,  tlie  Name  wltich 
 is  above  every  name.  Therefore  also  we  say  that  this 
 Name  belongs  to  the  Son  by  nature,  as  proceeding  from 
 the  Father ;  but,  so  far  as  He  is  Man,  those  things  are 
 His  by  gift  which  He  receives  as  Man,  using  herein 
 the  form  of  speech  applicable  to  ourselves ;  for  man  is 
 not  God  by  nature,  but  Christ  is  God  by  nature,  even 
 though  He  be  conceived  of  as  Human  because  He  was 
 amongst  us. 
 
 He  wishes  indeed  the  disciples  to  be  kept  in  unity  of 
 
 mind  and  purpose,  being  blended,  as  it  were,  with   one 
 
 another  in  soul  and  spirit  and  the  bond  of  brotherly 
 
 love  ;  and  to  be  linked  together  in  an  unbroken  chain  of 
 
 affection,  so  that  their  unity  may  be  so  far  perfected  as 
 
 that  their  elective  affinity  may  resemble   the   natural 
 
 unity  which   exists   between   the  Father  and  the   Son ; 
 
 and,  remaining  undebased  and  invincible,  may  not  be 
 
 distorted  by  anything  whatever  that  exists  in  the  world, 
 
 or  by  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  into  dissimilarity  of  purpose ; 
 
 but  rather  preserving  in  the   unity  of  true  piety  and 
 
 holiness  the  power  of  love  intact,  which  also  came  to 
 
 Acts  iv.   pass.     For,  as  we  read  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  ^Ae 
 
 multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart  and 
 
 soul,  in  the  unity  that  is  of  the  Spirit.    And  this  is  what 
 
 Eph.iv.4.  Paul  himself  also  meant,  when  he  said :  One  body  and 
 
 1  Cor.  X.  one  Spirit ;  for  ive  who  are  many  are  one  body  in  Christ, 
 
 ^^'  for  tue  all  partake  of  .the  one  bread,  and  we  have  all 
 
 received  the  unction  of  one   Spirit,  that  is,  the  Spirit 
 
 of  Christ.     As.  then,  thev  were  to  be  one   body,  and 
 
the  unity  of  'purpose  of  Father  and  Son.       515 
 
 to  partake  of  one  and  the  selfsame  Spirit,  He  desires  Chap.  o. 
 His  disciples  to  be  preserved  in  a  unity  of  spirit  which  ^•^'^"•^■'' 
 nothing  could  disturb,  and  in  unbroken  singleness   of 
 mind.     And  if  any  man  suppose  that  after  this  manner 
 the  disciples  are  united  even  as  the  Father  and  the  Son    • 
 are  One,  not  merely  in  Substance,  but  also  in  purpose  (for 
 the  holy  Nature  of  God  has  one  Will,  and  one  and  the 
 selfsame  purpose  altogether),  let  him  so  think.     For  He 
 will  not    stray  wide  of  the    mark,   since  we  can   see 
 identity  of  purpose  among  true  Christians,  though  we 
 have  not  consubstantiality  as  the  Father  and  the  Word 
 That  proceeded  from  Him,  and  is  in  Him. 
 
 12  While  I  teas  with  them,  I  ke2)t  them  i^i  Thy  Name  which 
 Thou  hast  given  Me  :  and  I  guarded  them,  and  not  one 
 of  them  perished,  hut  the  son  of  perdition ;  that  the,  Scrip- 
 
 1  3     t^ire  might  he  fulfilled.    But  now  I  come  to  Thee. 
 
 Our  Saviour's  speech  soon  proceeds  to  illustrate  His 
 meaning  more  plainly  ;  and  while  at  the  first  dark  hints 
 were  given,  it  is  now  proclaimed  and  revealed  like  a 
 storm  breaking  into  sunshine.  For  the  disciples  thought 
 that  our  Saviour's  abandonment  of  them, — I  mean  in  the 
 flesh, — would  inflict  on  them  great  loss ;  for  nothing  could 
 prevent  His  being  with  them  as  God.  But  they  expected 
 that  no  one  could  then  save  them  after  Christ's  Ascension 
 into  heaven,  but  that  they  would  fall  a  prey  to  those  who 
 wished  to  injure  them,  and  that  there  would  be  nothing 
 to  restrain  the  hand  of  their  powerful  adversaries,  but 
 rather  that  any  one  so  disposed  might  work  his  will 
 on  them  without  hindrance,  and  involve  them  in  any 
 peril.  But  wise  as  they  were  and  fathers  in  the  faith, 
 and  bearers  of  light  to  the  world,  we  need  not  shrink 
 from  saying  that  they  ought  not  merely  to  have  regarded 
 the  Incarnate  Presence  of  our  Saviour  Christ,  but  to  have 
 known  that  even  though  He  were  to  deprive  them  of 
 converse  with  Him  in  the  flesh,  and  they  saw  Him  not 
 with  the  eye  of  the  body,  yet  that  it  was  their  duty 
 at  any  rate  to  think  of  Him  as  present  with  them  for 
 
 L  1  2 
 
516     Christ  'promises  protection  to  His  disciples 
 
 Book  11.  evermore  in  the  power  of  His  Godhead.     For  will  God 
 c.^xvn.i2,  g^,^^.  j^gg  ^j^g  attributes  of  His  Person?  Or  what  power 
 
 can  resist  an  Omnipotent  Nature,  or  is  able  perforce 
 to  hinder  it  in  the  performance  of  its  functions  ?  And 
 it  is  the  power  and  actuality  of  God's  Being  to  be  present 
 everywhere,  and  unspeakably  to  fill  the  heavens  and 
 also  the  earth,  and  to  contain  all  things,  but  to  be 
 contained  of  none.  For  God  is  not  bounded  by  place, 
 nor  separated  by  distance  within  any  sphere,  however 
 great ;  for  such  like  things  cannot  avail  to  affect  that 
 Nature  which  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  dimensions 
 of  space.  Then,  since  Christ  was  at  the  same  time  God 
 and  Man,  the  disciples  ought  to  have  been  aware  that, 
 though  He  were  absent  in  the  body,  yet  He  would  not 
 wholl}'  forsake  them,  but  would  be  ever  with  them  by 
 reason  of  God's  unspeakable  might.  And  for  this  reason 
 also  our  Saviour  Himself  said,  in  the  foregoing  passage  : 
 Supra  Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  Thy  Name  which  Thou  hast 
 given  Me ;  and  here  again :  While  I  tuas  with  them,  I 
 kept  them  in  Thy  JVame  tuhich  Thou  hast  given  Me; 
 almost  pointing  out  this  fact  to  His  disciples,  that  the 
 ability  to  save  them  suited  rather  the  working  of  His 
 power  as  God  than  His  Presence  in  the  flesh :  for  this 
 very  flesh  was  not  sanctified  of  itself;  but  when,  by  His 
 Incarnation,  the  Word  was  made  one  with  it,  it  was  in 
 some  sort  transformed  into  His  inherent  power,  and  is 
 now  become  the  channel  of  salvation  and  sanctification 
 to  those  who  partake  thereof.  We  must  not  then  attri- 
 bute the  whole  of  the  Divine  activities  of  Christ  to  the 
 flesh  by  itself,  but  we  shall  be  rather  right  if  we  ascribe 
 them  to  the  Divine  power  of  the  Word.  For  does  not 
 "  keeping  the  disciples  in  the  Name  of  the  Father  "  mean 
 this,  and  nothing  else  ?  For  they  are  kept  by  the  glory 
 of  God.  He  removes,  then,  from  His  disciples'  minds,  the 
 fear  which  they  felt  because  they  thought  themselves 
 forsaken ;  often  following  the  same  course  of  thought.  He 
 assures  them  that  they  will  be  in  perfect  safety,  not 
 through  living  with  their  Master  in  the  body,  but  rather 
 
through  His  power  as  God.  517 
 
 because  He  is  by  Nature  God.  Evidently  the  universal  Chap.  9. 
 dominion  and  might  which  are  His  have  no  end  ;  for  He  j'g  '  ' 
 can  suffer  no  change  or  alteration  from  that  state  in 
 which  He  dwells  eternally,  but  will  keep  them  safe  with 
 ease  for  evermore,  and  rescue  them  from  every  peril 
 that  may  assail  them.  Consider  also  the  forethought 
 wrapped  up  in  the  saying,  to  our  profit  and  edification. 
 For  when  He  asks  that  they — I  mean  His  holy  disciples 
 — should  be  kept  by  God  the  Father,  He  declares  that 
 He  Himself  had  done  this,  showing  Himself  like  in 
 power  and  works  to  His  Father,  or  rather.  His  inherent 
 might.  For  surely  He  Who  is  seen  to  have  the  same 
 power  as  God,  He  Who  is  acknowledged  the  true  God, 
 must  be  thought  to  be  wholly  inherent  in  Him,  and  to 
 possess  equality  of  power  and  identity  of  Nature  with  Him. 
 And  how  can  He  Who  kept  them  as  God  in  the  Name  of 
 God,  and  as  a  God  crowned  them  with  the  glory  that  pro- 
 ceeded from  righteous  actions  befitting  the  title,  be  foreign 
 to  God,  or  of  different  nature  ?  Is  He  not  in  very  deed 
 shown  to  be  that  which  He  is,  namely,  God  ■?  For 
 nothing  that  exists  can  do  those  works  which  are 
 peculiar  to  God,  without  being  in  its  own  nature  that 
 which  we  imagine  God  to  be.  He  still  preserves  in 
 the  passage  the  twofold  conception  of  His  character 
 owing  to  His  Incarnation.  For  He  takes  away,  as  it 
 were,  from  His  Nature,  as  a  created  Being,  the  power 
 of  saving  and  preserving  all  to  whom  this  is  due  for 
 their  piety  towards  God,  and  ascribes  it  to  the  Name 
 of  the  Father,  attributing  to  the  Divine  Nature  alone 
 the  things  which  are  of  God.  And  for  this  reason,  again, 
 though  He  says  that  He  kept  the  disciples.  He  did  not 
 give  the  honour  of  taking  up  the  work  to  His  Humanity, 
 but  rather  says  that  it  was  fulfilled  in  the  Name  of  God  ; 
 excluding  Himself,  in  a  manner,  from  its  accomplishment, 
 so  far  as  He  is  flesh  and  is  so  conceived  of,  but  not  ex- 
 cluding Himself  from  the  power  of  keeping  them,  and 
 of  accomplishing  the  works  of  a  God,  insomuch  as  He  is 
 God,  and  from  God,  the  all-working  power  of  the  Father — 
 
51 H  -Ja((((s  fell  hy  //.Is  otvii  act. 
 
 Book  11.  a  Divine  force  which  even  when  at  rest  displays  by  its 
 c.xvii.  ^,  ^gj.y  attributes  the  Nature  from  which  it  ineffably  pro- 
 ceeded^. And  if  here  too,  again,  He  says  that  the  Name 
 of  God  has  been  given  unto  Him,  although  He  is  in  fact 
 God  by  Nature,  as  the  Only-begotten  Who  proceeded 
 from  Him,  He  is  not  thereby  in  truth  degraded,  nor 
 would  He  thereby  exclude  Himself  from  the  honour  and 
 glory  which  is  His  due.  Far  from  it.  For  to  receive 
 is  appropriate  to  His  Humanity,  and  can  be  fittingly 
 ascribed  thereto ;  for,  of  itself,  humanity  possesses 
 nothing. 
 
 He  says  that  He  so  kept  His  disciples,  and  had  such 
 care  for  them,  that  none  of  them  was  lost  save  one, 
 whom  He  called  the  son  of  perdition  ;  as  though  he 
 were  doomed  to  destruction  of  his  own  choice,  or  rather 
 his  own  wickedness  and  impiety.  For  it  is  inconceiv- 
 able that  the  traitor  disciple  was  by  a  Divine  and  irre- 
 sistible decree  entangled,  as  it  were,  in  the  snare  of  the 
 fowler,  and  brought  within  the  devil's  noose ;  for  then 
 would  he  surely  have  been  guiltless  when  he  succumbed 
 to  the  verdict  of  heaven.  For  who  shall  oppose  the 
 decree  of  God  ?  And  now  he  is  condemned  and  accursed, 
 and  it  would  have  been  better  for  him  if  he  had  never 
 been  born.  And  why?  Surely  the  wretched  man  met 
 his  doom  as  a  consequence  of  his  own  volitions,  and  is 
 not  convicted  by  destiny.  He  that  was  so  enamoured 
 of  destruction  may  well  be  called  a  son  of  perdition, 
 inasmuch  as  he  merited  ruin  and  corruption,  and  ever 
 awaits  the  day  of  perdition  as  fraught  with  anguish 
 and  lamentation''. 
 
 And  as  Christ  added  to  the  words  He  used  concerning 
 him,  thnt  the  Scripture  inigJit  he  fulfilled,  we  have  given 
 an  explanation  which  may  be  useful  to  readers  of  this 
 passage.  For  it  was  not  because  of  any  prophecy  in 
 Scripture  that  the  traitor  was  lost,  and  became  so  vile  as 
 to  barter  for  a  few  coins  the  precious  Blood  of  Christ, 
 
 "■  The  text  hei-e  is  [iroliably  cnrrupt.     It  is  unintelligible  as  it  stands. 
 ^  Is  otfiov  a  false  reading  for  otijajy-fj,  or  some  kindred  word? 
 
f   Scripture  foretold,  hut  did  not  coinpel,  his  action.  519 
 
 but  rather,  as  through  his  own  innate  wickedness  he  Ch.\p  o. 
 betrayed  his  Lord,  and  was  infallibly  destined  to  ^^'^^"•12' 
 destruction  on  that  account,  the  Scripture,  which  cannot 
 lie,  foretold  that  so  it  would  be.  For  the  Scripture  is 
 the  Word  of  God,  Who  knows  all  things,  and  carries  in 
 His  own  consciousness  the  character  and  life  of  each  one 
 of  us,  and  his  conversation  from  the  beginning  to  the 
 end.  Moreover,  the  Psalmist,  attributing  to  Him  know- 
 ledge of  all  things,  of  the  past  as  well  as  of  the  future, 
 thus  addresses  Him  :  Thou  under standest  all  my  thoughts  Ps. 
 afar  off;  Thou  coinpassest  my  path  and  my  lying  dotun,  '^^^^^-  -' 
 and  art  acquainted  with  all  my  ways.  The  Divine 
 Word,  then,  Which  had  complete  foreknowledge,  and  saw 
 the  future  as  though  it  were  already  present,  besides  all 
 the  rest  which  It  told  us  about  Christ,  revealed  unto  us 
 that  he  that  was  ranked  a  disciple  would  also  die  the 
 death  of  a  traitor.  Still,  the  foreknowledge  and  fore- 
 telling of  the  future  indicated  not  the  pleasure  and 
 commandment  of  God ;  nor  yet  was  the  prophecy  directed 
 to  compel  the  actual  fulfilment  of  the  evil  that  was  fore- 
 shadowed and  the  conspiracy  against  the  Saviour,  but 
 lather  to  avert  it.  For  when  Judas  had  this  knowledge 
 he  might,  at  any  rate,  if  he  had  so  chosen,  have  shunned 
 and  avoided  the  result,  as  he  was  free  to  determine  his 
 inclinations  in  any  direction. 
 
 Put  perhaps  you  will  say,  "  How,  then,  can  Christ  be 
 said  to  have  kept  His  disciples,  if  merely  in  pursuance  of 
 the  inclinations  and  volitions  of  their  own  wills  the  rest 
 escaped  the  devil's  net,  while  Judas  alone  was  taken, 
 ill-fated  beyond  the  others '?  How,  then,  can  the  safe- 
 keeping here  spoken  of  be  said  to  have  been  of  profit  ? 
 
 Nay,  my  good  friend,  we  answer,  soberness  is  indeed 
 a  good  thing,  and  the  keeping  guard  over  our  minds 
 profiteth  much,  together  with  an  earnest  endeavour 
 towards  the  doing  of  good  works  and  stablishing  our- 
 selves in  virtue,  for  so  shall  we  work  out  our  o'lnn  Phil.  ii. 
 salvation  ;  but  this  alone  will  not  avail  to  save  the  soul 
 of  man.     For  it  stands  in  urofent  need  of  assistance  and 
 
520      Chi'ist  did  ■sustain   and  aid  His  disciples. 
 
 Book  11.  grace  from  above,  to  make  what  is  difficult  of  achieve- 
 
 c.x 
 
 13. 
 
 c.xvn.i2,  j^gjj|.  gjj^gy  ^Q  jj^^  g^j^(j  ^Q  render  the  steep  and  thorny  path  of 
 
 righteousness  smooth.  And  to  prove  to  you  that  we  are 
 not  able  to  do  anything  at  all  of  ourselves  without  the 
 aid  of  Divine  grace,  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  Psalmist : 
 
 ^'-  ..  If  the  Lord  build  not  the  house,  their  labour  is  in  vain 
 that  build  it:  and  if  the  Lord  keep  not  the  city,  the 
 tvatchman  waketh  but  in  vain. 
 
 I  say,  then,  that  it  is  our  bounden  duty  to  foster  and 
 practise  a  home-bred  self-denial  and  a  rehgious  frame  of 
 mind ;  but  in  so  doing  also  to  ask  help  of  God,  and,  receiv- 
 ing the  aid  that  comes  from  above  as  a  panoply  proof  a- 
 gainst  ever}'  assault,  to  acquit  ourselves  like  men.  When 
 God  has  once  for  all  vouchsafed  to  grant  our  prayer,  and  it 
 is  therefore  in  our  power  to  subdue  the  might  of  our 
 adversaries,  and  conquer  the  power  of  the  devil,  if  we  do 
 not  choose  to  follow  him  when  he  allures  us  to  pleasure 
 or  any  other  kind  of  sin  ;  then,  I  say,  if  we  let  our  wills 
 comply  with  him,  and,  yielding  to  our  wicked  inclinations, 
 are  entangled  in  his  noose,  how  can  we  any  more  with 
 justice  accuse  any  one  else,  or  fail  to  attribute  our  doom 
 to  our  own  folly  ?     For  is  not  this  Avhat  Solomon  said 
 
 Prov.xix.  long  ago:  The  foolishness  of  man  p)erverteth  his  way, 
 and  his  lieart  fretteth  against  the  Lord?  And  this  is 
 vmquestionably  the  case.  If,  however,  the  traitor  was 
 unable  to  enjoy  the  succour  of  the  Saviour  as  much  as 
 the  other  disciples,  let  any  man  only  prove  tliis,  and  we 
 submit ;  but  if,  while  he  was,  in  common  with  the  rest, 
 encompassed  by  the  Divine  grace,  of  his  own  will  he 
 relapsed  into  the  abyss  of  peixlition,  how  can  Christ  be 
 said  not  to  have  kept  him,  when  He  vouchsafed  him  the 
 riches  of  His  mercy,  and  increased,  so  far  as  it  was 
 possible  in  any  man's  case,  his  chance  of  safety,  if  he  had 
 not  chosen  his  doom  of  his  own  will  ?  His  grace,  more- 
 over, was  conspicuous  in  the  rest,  continually  keeping  in 
 safety  those  who  made  their  own  free-will,  as  it  were, 
 co-operate  therewith.  For  this  is  the  manner  in  which 
 the  salvation  of  each  one  of  us  is  achieved. 
 
Christ  indicates  His  twofold  Nature.  52  i 
 
 13     And  these  things  I  sjjeah  in  the  world,  that  they  may  have  Chap.  9. 
 My  joy  faljtlled  in  themselves.  c.xvn.ld. 
 
 Keep  in  mind  once  more  what  we  were  just  now 
 saying,  and  you  will  easily  understand  the  drift  of  the 
 passage.  For  He  on  all  occasions  preserved  the  juxta- 
 position of  the  two  aspects  of  His  character,  at  the  same 
 time  displaying  the  Divine  majesty  for  which  He  was 
 pre-eminent,  and  not  discarding  the  proper  limitations  of 
 the  Human  Nature  which  He  assumed  at  His  Incarnation. 
 For  there  would  be  something  absurd  in  the  supposition 
 that  He  wished  to  disown  what  He  had  willingly  taken 
 upon  Himself.  For  being  Himself  in  lack  of  nothing, 
 but  the  all-perfect  Son  of  a  perfect  Father,  He  emptied  Phil.ii.7. 
 Hiinself  of  His  glory,  not  to  do  Himself  any  service,  but 
 rather  to  convey  to  us  the  blessing  which  would  result 
 from  His  humiliation.  Showing  Himself,  then,  to  them 
 as  at  the  same  time  both  God  and  Man,  He,  as  it  were, 
 induces  His  disciples  to  reflect  that  absent,  as  well  as 
 present,  He  would  work  the  things  which  made  for  their 
 salvation  in  God ;  and  that,  as  He  had  them  in  His 
 keeping  while  He  was  yet  with  them  on  the  earth  in  the 
 form  of  Man,  so  also  would  He  keep  them  while  absent 
 from  them  as  God,  through  the  excellency  of  His  Sub- 
 stance. For  that  which  is  Divine  is  not  bounded  by 
 space,  and  is  not  far  from  anything  that  exists,  but  fills 
 and  pervades  the  universe,  and  though  present  in  all 
 things  is  contained  of  none.  When,  addressing  His  own 
 Father,  He  says:  Holy  Father,  keep  them,  He  at  once  Supra 
 refers,  by  right  of  its  existence,  to  the  universal  working  ^^^'  ' 
 of  the  power  of  the  Father  ;  and  at  the  same  time  shows 
 that  He  standeth  not  apart  from  His  Nature,  but,  being  in 
 it  and  proceeding  from  it,  is  indivisibly  united  with  it, 
 though  He  be  conceived  of  as  independently  existing. 
 Keep  therti,  He  says,  in  Thy  Name  xvhich  Thou  hast  given  Ibid. 
 Me ;  and  again:  While  I  was  tuith  them,  I  kept  them  in  Ibid-  12. 
 Thy  Name  vAich  Thou  hast  given  Me.  We  are  bound, 
 therefore,  to  think  that,  if  He  had  kept  them  hitherto  in  the 
 
522     Christ,  ivhether  iiresent  or  absent  in  Body, 
 Book  11.  Name  given  Him  by  the  Father,  that  is,  in  the  glory  of 
 
 C.xvii.13. 
 Pnil,ii.9. 
 
 c.xvii.    .  Qof^ji^jgad,  for  He  gave  unto  Hirti  the  Name  which  is  above 
 
 every  name;  and  if  He  wishes  the  Father  Himself  also  to 
 keep  them  in  the  Name  given  unto  Him,  He  will  not  be 
 excluded  from  acting  in  the  work  ;  for  the  Father  will 
 keep  those  who  are  knit  to  Him  by  faith  through  the 
 agency  of  the  Only-begotten,  Who  is  His  power  and 
 might.  For  He  will  not  exercise  His  power  in  any  way 
 save  through  Him.  Then,  if  even  in  the  flesh  He  kept 
 them,  by  the  power  and  glory  of  His  Godhead,  how  can 
 we  think  that  He  will  fail  to  think  His  disciples  worthy 
 of  the  mercy  which  they  need ;  and  how  can  they  ever 
 lose  His  sure  support  while  the  Divine  power  of  the  Only- 
 begotten  abideth  evermore,  and  the  power  which  is  His 
 by  Nature  is  for  ever  firmly  established  ?  For  that 
 which  is  Divine  admits  of  no  variance  at  all,  or  of  any 
 change  into  any  evil  agency,  but  shines  forth  for  ever  in 
 those  attributes  which  belong  to  it  eternally. 
 
 I  have  spoken  then.  He  says,  these  things  in  the  ivorld, 
 that  My  disciples  might  have  My  joy  fulfilled  in  them. 
 What  kind  of  joy  is  meant  we  will  proceed  to  show, 
 putting  away  from  us  fear  of  dispute,  because  of  the 
 obscurity  of  the  expression.  The  blessed  disciples,  then, 
 thought  indeed  that  w^hile  Christ  was  present  wdth 
 them  in  their  daily  lives,  I  mean,  of  course,  in  the  flesh, 
 they  could  easily  rid  themselves  of  every  calamity  and 
 readily  escape  danger  from  the  Jews,  and  that  they 
 would  remain  proof  against  every  assault  of  their  foes  ; 
 but  that  when  He  was  separated  from  them,  and  had 
 gone  up  to  heaven,  they  would  fall  an  easy  prey  to 
 perils  of  every  sort,  and  would  have  to  bear  the  attack 
 of  the  king  of  terrors  himself,  as  there  was  no  one  any 
 more  with  them  who  was  strong  to  save,  and  who 
 could  scare  away  the  temptations  that  assailed  them. 
 For  this  cause,  then,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  neither 
 disavowed  the  Manhood  He  had  once  for  all  taken 
 upon  Himself,  nor  yet  showed  Himself  deficient  in 
 Divine    power ;    speaking    plainly   to   this    intent,   and 
 
saved  through  the  2^ower  of  His  Godhead.       523 
 
 saying  that  the  Name  of  God  had  been  given  to  Him  Chap.  9, 
 as  Man,  but  that  through  Him,  and  in  Him,  the  Father  <^-^^"-i^- 
 showed  mercy  to  those  who  worshipped  Him,  and  had 
 them  in  safe  keeping.  What,  then,  was  the  wise  object 
 that  He  here  had  in  view?  It  was  that  the  blessed 
 disciples  might  understand  and  know  well,  if  they  only 
 slightly  considered  this  saying,  that  even  when  He  was 
 in  the  flesh,  it  was  not  through  the  flesh  that  He  was 
 working  for  their  salvation,  but  in  the  omnipotent 
 glory  and  might  of  His  Godhead.  My  absence  in  the 
 flesh  then,  He  says,  will  do  My  disciples  no  harm,  while 
 the  Divine  power  of  the  Only-begotten  can  easily  keep 
 them  safe,  even  though  He  be  not  visibly  present  in 
 the  body. 
 
 We  give  this  explanation,  not  as  making  of  no 
 account  the  holy  Body  of  Christ— God  forbid ;  but  be- 
 cause it  were  more  fitting  that  the  accomplishment  of 
 His  Word  should  be  ascribed  to  the  glory  of  the  God- 
 head. For  even  the  Body  Itself  of  Christ  was  sanctified 
 by  the  power  of  the  Word  made  one  with  it,  and  it  is 
 thus  endowed  with  living  force  in  the  blessed  Eucharist, 
 so  that  it  is  able  to  implant  in  us  its  sanctifying  grace. 
 Therefore  also  our  Saviour  Christ  Himself,  once  con- 
 versing with  the  Jews,  and  speaking  many  things  con- 
 cerning His  own  Body,  calling  it  the  true  Bread  of 
 Life,  said :  The  bread  which  I  will  give  you  is  My  Flesh,  Supra 
 which  I  ivill  give  for  the  life  of  the  world.  And  when  ^^'  °  ' 
 they  were  sore  amazed  and  perplexed  to  know  how  the 
 nature  of  earthly  flesh  could  be  to  them  the  channel  of 
 eternal  life,  He  answered  and  said :  It  is  the  Spirit  that  Ibid.  63. 
 quickeneth ;  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing:  the  words  that 
 T  spake  unto  you  are  spirit,  and  are  life.  For  here, 
 too.  He  says  that  the  flesh  can  profit  nothing,  that  is, 
 to  sanctify  and  quicken  those  who  receive  it,  so  far,  that 
 is,  as  it  is  mere  human  flesh ;  but  when  it  is  understood 
 and  believed  to  be  the  temple  of  the  Word,  then  surely 
 it  will  be  a  channel  of  sanctification  and  life,  but  not 
 altogether    of  itself,  but  through   God,  Who  has   been 
 
524  Tlie  '''"joy"  is  the  knowledge  of  Christ's  Divinity. 
 
 Book  11.  iiiacle  one  with  it,  Who  is  holy  and  Life.  Ascribing 
 c_xvii.i  ,  everything,  then,  to  the  power  of  His  Godhead,  He  says 
 that  His  disciples  will  suffer  no  loss  from  His  departure 
 in  the  body,  with  reference,  at  any  rate,  to  their  seeking 
 to  be  in  His  keeping.  For  the  Saviour,  though  He  be 
 vanished  into  heaven,  will  yet  not  be  far  from  those 
 who  love  Him,  but  will  be  with  them  by  the  power  of 
 His  Godhead. 
 
 In  order,  then,  that  they  may  have  My  joy  fulfilled  in 
 themselves,  He  says,  I  have  spoken  these  things  in  the 
 world.  What,  then,  is  this  joy  which  is  fulfilled  and 
 perfect "?  It  is  the  knowledge  and  belief  that  Christ 
 was  not  a  mere  Man  as  we  are,  but  that,  besides  being 
 as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.  He  is  also  the  true  God. 
 It  is  clear,  then,  and  beyond  dispute,  that  He  will 
 always  have  the  power  to  save  those  who  worship  Him 
 at  any  time  He  will,  even  though  He  be  not  present  in 
 the  body.  For  this  knowledge  will  involve  the  perfect 
 fulfilment  of  our  own  joy,  inasmuch  as  we  have  an  ally 
 ever  near  us.  Who  is  strong  enough  to  rescue  us  from 
 every  evil. 
 
 14  I  have  given  them  Thy  Word  ;  and  the  world  hated  them, 
 because  they  are  not  of  the  ivorld,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
 
 15  world.     I  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldest  take  them  from  the 
 iijorld,  but  that  Thou  shouldest  keep  them  from  the  evil  one. 
 
 He  points  out  to  us  the  most  needful  increase  of 
 favour  from  above  and  from  the  Father,  which,  He  says, 
 is  almost  owed  by  Him  to  those  who  incur  danger  for 
 His  sake,  as  a  just  and  well-deserved  return.  For  the 
 world  hateth  on  God's  account  those  who  worship  Him, 
 and  who  are  obedient  to  the  laws  that  He  has  laid 
 down,  and  who  lightly  esteem  worldly  pleasure,  and 
 who  also,  as  is  most  right,  will  receive  succour  and 
 grace  from  Him,  and  continuance  in  well-being.  For 
 surely  they  who  after  a  manner  rely  upon  Him,  and  are 
 of  good  courage  and  engage  in  warfare  on  His  account, 
 
Christian  life  is  dissevered  from  the  luorld.     525 
 
 will  receive  a  recompense  in  harmony  with  the  aim  they  Chap.  9. 
 have  in  view.  Therefore  the  Saviour  says  :  /  have  given  !^^^^"-i^' 
 ther)i  Thy  Word;  and  the  world  hated  them,  because 
 they  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
 world.  For  they  received  with  great  gladness,  He  says, 
 Thy  Word  given  unto  them  by  Me,  that  is,  the  Gospel 
 message,  which  easily  extricates  from  a  worldly  life 
 and  thoughts  of  earth,  those  who  welcome  it.  There- 
 fore also  are  they  hated  of  the  world,  that  is,  of  those 
 who  choose  to  have  at  heart  the  things  of  this  world, 
 and  who  love  this  pleasure-loving  and  most  impure 
 life.  For  the  conversation  of  Saints  is  displeasing  to 
 worldlings  ;  ever  making  light  as  it  does  of  the  hardships 
 of  this  life,  and  pointing  out  how  abominable  is  a 
 worldly  career,  and  accusing  its  vileness,  and  assailing 
 with  bitter  rebukes  those  who  think  that  pleasure 
 consists  in  succumbing  to  temptation,  and  in  having 
 continual  intercourse  with  the  evil  of  this  world,  and 
 triumphing  over  all  selfish  desire,  and  contemning 
 ambition,  and  teaching  men  to  abhor  covetousness  the 
 mother  of  all  evils,  and  to  cast  it  far  from  them,  and 
 furthermore  bidding  those  who  are  ensnared  in  the  net 
 of  the  devil  to  escape  from  old  deceits,  and  to  betake 
 themselves  to  the  God  of  the  universe. 
 
 For  this  cause,  therefore,  O  Father,  He  says,  are  they 
 hated.  For  they  are  in  ill  odour  with  the  world,  not 
 because  they  have  been  convicted  of  any  crime  or  im- 
 piety, but  because  I  have  given  unto  them  Thy  Word, 
 so  that  they  are  also  out  of  the  world  even  as  I  am. 
 For  the  life  and  conduct  that  is  in  Christ  is  wholly  dis- 
 severed from  earthly  thoughts  and  worldly  conversation ; 
 that  life,  by  following  after  which  we  shall  ourselves 
 also,  so  far  as  possible,  escape  being  reckoned  among  the 
 men  of  this  world.  Therefore  the  inspired  Paul  enjoins 
 us  to  folloiv  His  steps ;  and  we  shall  then  best  follow  i  S.  Pet. 
 
 11    2 1 
 
 Him,  when  we  love  only  the  things  that  are  not  of  this    ' 
 world,  and,  lifting  our  minds  above  fleshly  thoughts,  gaze 
 only  on  heavenly  things.     He  ranks  Himself,  too,  with 
 
526        Christ  inits  Himself  on  a  level  ivith  us, 
 Book  11.  jJis  disciples  because  of  His  Manhood,  by  imitating  which, 
 
 c.  xvii.l4 
 
 15.  '  '  in  the  conception  of  Him  as  Man,  we  attain  every  kind 
 of  virtue,  as  we  just  now  said ;  passing  unscathed  thi'ough 
 all  the  wickedness  of  the  world,  and  showing  ourselves 
 strangers  and  aliens  to  its  wickedness.  Just  so,  then,  the 
 Divine  Paul  indeed  himself  exhorts  us  ;  and,  with  refer- 
 Gal.  vi.  ence  to  himself  and  Christ,  through  Which  the  world  hath 
 ^^'  been  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world,  bids  us, 
 
 1  Cor.  xi.  speaking  in  another  place,  Be  ye  imitators  of  vie,  even  as 
 
 I  also  ann  of  Christ.  Paul  did  not  indeed  imitate  Christ 
 in  so  far  as  our  Lord  is  Creator  of  the  world ;  for  he  did 
 not  establish  a  new  firmament,  nor  did  he  ever  reveal  to 
 us  new  seas,  or  a  new  earth.  How,  then,  did  he  imitate 
 Him  ?  Surely  it  was  by  moulding  in  his  own  character 
 and  conduct  an  admirable  pattern  of  the  life  of  which 
 Christ  was  Himself  the  exemplar,  so  far  at  least  as  Paul 
 could  attain  to  it ;  for  who  can  be  equal  to  Christ  ? 
 
 Putting  Himself,  then,  on  a  level  with  us,  because  of 
 His  Human  Nature,  or,  to  speak  more  accurately,  as  first 
 presenting  us  with  the  blessing  of  taking  ourselves  out 
 of  the  world  by  the  life  which  transcends  worldly  things, 
 for  the  life  and  teaching  of  the  Gospel  is  above  the 
 world,  He  says  that  He  Himself  is  not  of  the  world, 
 and  that  we  are  even  as  He  is,  since  His  Divine  Word 
 has  taken  up  its  abode  in  our  hearts.  Furthermore,  He 
 declares  that  as  the  world  hated  Him  so  will  it  also  hate 
 them.  The  world  indeed  hateth  Christ,  because  it  is  in 
 conflict  with  His  words,  and  accepts  not  His  teaching, 
 men's  minds  being  wholly  yielded  up  to  base  desires  ; 
 and  even  as  the  world  hates  our  Saviour  Christ,  it  hath 
 hated  also  the  disciples  who  carry  through  Him  His 
 
 2  Cor.  V.  message,  as  Paul  also  did,  who  said :  We  are  ambassadors, 
 ''^'  therefore,  on  behalf  of  Christ,  as  though  God  tvere  intreat- 
 
 ing  by  us :  we  beseech  you  on  behalf  of  Christ,  be  ye  re- 
 conciled to  God. 
 
 What,  then,  is  His  prayer,  after  that  He  has  shown  that 
 the  disciples  are  hated  by  those  who  are  fast  bound  by 
 the  evil  things  of  the  world?    I  'pray  not.  He  saith,  that 
 
for  our  encouragertient.  5.27 
 
 Thou  shouldest  take  them  from  the  world,  but  that  Thou  Chap.  9. 
 shouldest  keep  thevi  from  the  evil  one.     For  Christ  does  i^"^^'    ' 
 not  wish  them  to  be  quit  of  human  affairs,  or  to  be  rid 
 of  life  in  the  body,  when  they  have  not  yet  finished  the 
 course  of  their  apostleship,  or  distinguished  themselves 
 by  the  virtues  of  a  godly  life ;  but  he  wishes  them,  after 
 they  have  lived  their  lives  in  the  company  of  men  in  the 
 world,  and  have  guided  the  footsteps  of  those  who  are 
 His  to  a  state  of  life  well  pleasing  to  God,  then  at  last, 
 with  the  glory  they  have  achieved,  to  be  carried  into  the 
 heavenly  city,  and  to   dwell  with  the  company  of  the 
 holy  angels.     We  find,  moreover,  one  of  the  Saints  ap- 
 proaching the  God  Who  loves  virtue  with  the  cry:  Take  Ps.cii.24. 
 ')ne  not  aivay  in  the  'midst  of  my  days ;  for  pious  souls 
 cannot,  without  a  pang,  put  off  the  garment  of  the  flesh 
 before  they  have  perfected  their  life  in  holiness  above 
 their  fellows.     Therefore  also  the  Law  of  Moses,  teaching 
 us  that  sinners  are  visited  as  in  wrath,  and  by  way  of 
 penalty,  with  premature  death,  often  reiterates  the  warn- 
 ing to  stand  aloof  from  evil,  that  thou  diest  not  before  Eccles. 
 thy  time.     Besides,  if  the  Saints  chose  to  keep  themselves  ^"' 
 apart  from  our  daily  life,  it  would  infer  no  small  loss  to 
 those  who  are  unstable  in  the  faith ;  nay,  they  could  in 
 nowise  be  guided  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  without 
 the  aid  of  those  who  are  able  to  lead  them  therein.     Paul 
 knew  this  when  he  said.  To  depart  and  be  with  Christ  is  Phil.  i. 
 far  better  for  me,  yet  to  abide  in  the  flesh  is  more  need-     '     ' 
 ful  for  your  sake.     Christ,  therefore,  in  His  care  for  the 
 salvation  of  the  uninstructed,  says  that  those  who  are  in 
 the  world  ought  not  to  be  left  desolate  without  the  Saints, 
 who  are  men  of  light,  and  the   salt  of  the  earth  ;  but 
 prays  rather  for  the  safe  keeping  of  His  holy  ones,  and 
 that  they  may  be  ever  untouched  by  the  malice  of  the 
 evil  one,  shunning  the  assault  of  temptations  by  the 
 power  of  His  Omnipotent  Father. 
 
 We  must  also  remark  that  He  calls  the  Word,  which 
 is  His,  and  came  forth  from  Him — I  mean  the  Gospel — 
 the  Word  of  God  the  Father,  showing  that  He  is  not 
 
528  The  Saints  reinain  for  our  example. 
 
 Book  11.  separate  from  the  Father,  but  Consubstantial  with  Him. 
 ^.xvu.    ,  Yq^  ^yg  shall  find  in  the  writings  of  the  Evangelists  that 
 s.  Matt,  the  people  of  the  Jews  were  amazed  at  Him,  because  He 
 ^"' '   ■     taught  them  as  one  having  authority,  and  not  as  their 
 Scribes.     For  these  latter  were  seen  to  apply  the  teach- 
 ing of  the  Law  in  every  case  in  their  discourses  to  them  ; 
 while  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did  not  at  all  follow  slav- 
 ishly the  types  shadowed  forth  in  those  writings,  but, 
 illumining  His  own  Word  by  Divine  power,  exclaimed : 
 Ibid.  V.    It  ivas  said  to  them  of  old  time,  Thou  shall  not  commit 
 ''     '     adultery:   hut  I  say  unto  you,  Thou  shalt  not  covet; 
 though  the  Law  expressly  says,  with  reference  to  the 
 statutes  of  God,  that  none  should  add  thereto  or  take 
 away  therefrom :   but  Christ  took  away  from,  and  also 
 added  unto  them,  changing  the  type  into  truth.     There- 
 fore He  cannot  be  reckoned  among  those  under  the  Law, 
 that  is,  among  creatures  ;  for  on  whomsoever  Nature  has 
 put  the  brand  of  slavery,  on  him  is  imposed  the  necessity 
 of  being  under  the  Law.     Christ,  then,  represented  His 
 own  Word  as  the  Word  of  the  Father.     For  He  is  the 
 Word  That  is  in  the  Father  and  proceedeth  from  Him, 
 and  That  enunciates  the  Will  of  the  Godhead — I  mean 
 the  only  true  Godhead  Which  is  in  the  Father,  Son,  and 
 Holy  Spirit. 
 
 16  They    are    not    of  the   world,    even    as   I  avi    not  of  the 
 
 1 7  world.     Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  truth  :    Thy   Word  is 
 truth. 
 
 By  these  words  He  indicates  once  more,  and  makes 
 clear  to  us,  the  reason  why  He  requires  to  ascend  to  God 
 the  Father,  and  why  so  to  do  becomes  Him,  while  He 
 is  still  our  Mediator,  and  High  Priest,  and  Advocate, 
 according  to  the  Holy  Scripture ;  and  shows  us  that  it 
 is  in  order  that,  if  at  any  time  we  encounter  failure,  or 
 miss  the  straight  path  in  thought  or  action,  or  are  as- 
 sailed by  unexpected  perils  or  buffeted  by  the  tempest 
 of  the  devil's  malice,  He  may  approach  His  Father  on 
 our  behalf  in  His  appropriate  character  as  Mediator  ;  and 
 
They  must  continue  in  iJurity.  529 
 
 may  join  with  Him  in  granting  good  gifts  to  those  who  chap.  9, 
 are  worthy.  For  it  would  well  become  Him  so  to  do,  ^•''^"•i''> 
 as  He  is  God  by  Nature.  Those  then,  He  says,  who  have 
 received  Thy  Word,  O  Father,  through  Me,  show  forth 
 My  Likeness  in  themselves  and  are  conformed  to  the 
 pattern  of  Thine  own  Son,  who,  like  Him,  pass  un- 
 scathed through  the  ocean  of  the  world's  wickedness, 
 and  have  shown  themselves  foreigners  and  strangers  to 
 the  love  of  pleasure  in  this  life,  and  every  kind  of  vice. 
 Therefore  keep  them  in  Thy  truth,  for  exceeding  purity 
 is  inherent  in  Christ.  For  He  is  truly  God,  and  cannot 
 be  subject  to  sin  nor  endure  it,  but  is  rather  the  fountain 
 of  all  goodness,  and  the  beauty  of  holiness.  For  the 
 Divine  Nature,  that  ruleth  over  all,  can  do  nothing  but 
 what  is  in  truth  suitable  and  belongeth  thereto.  And 
 the  holy  disciples,  I  mean  all  who  believe  on  Him,  can- 
 not otherwise  exhibit  purity  unspotted  by  the  wicked- 
 ness of  this  world  than  by  means  of  forgiveness  and 
 grace  from  above,  which  putteth  away  the  defilement  of 
 previous  offences  and  the  accusing  sins  of  their  past 
 lives ;  and,  further,  conferring  on  them  the  glory  of  a 
 life  of  sanctification,  though  their  continuance  therein  be 
 not  free  from  conflict,  as  Paul  wisely  teaches  us,  saying  : 
 Wherefore  let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  i  Cor.  x. 
 he  fall.  For  our  life  is  cast  upon  the  deep,  and  we  are 
 tossed  by  divers  storms,  as  the  devil  tempts  without 
 ceasing,  and  continually  assails  and  strives  to  defile  if 
 he  can,  by  the  insidious  inventions  of  malice,  even  those 
 who  have  been  already  made  pure.  For  his  meat  is  well  Hab.i.16. 
 chosen,  as  the  prophet  says.  Having  then  borne  witness 
 to  His  disciples  that  their  life  was  out  of  the  world,  and 
 that  they  were  conformed  to  the  likeness  of  His  own 
 essential  purity,  He  proceeds  to  pray  to  His  Father  to 
 keep  them.  It  is  almost  as  though  He  said :  O  Holy 
 Father,  if  they  were  in  the  world— that  is,  if  they  lived 
 the  life  that  has  honour  in  this  world — if,  sowing  the  seed 
 of  earthly  and  temporary  pleasure  in  their  hearts,  they 
 imprinted  on  themselves  the  foul  image  of  the  evil  one, 
 VOL.  II.  M  m 
 
530  Satan,  being  of  necessity  a  foe, 
 
 Book  11.  he  would  not  have  attacked  them  with  temptation,  nor 
 c.^vu.it),  ijg^yg  armed  himself  against  his  own  children,  for  he 
 would  have  in  them  the  likeness  of  his  own  inherent 
 wickedness.  But  since  they,  following  after  Me,  laugh 
 to  scorn  the  deceitfulness  of  this  world,  and  are  out  of 
 the  world,  and,  moreover,  in  their  conduct  show  most 
 clearly  the  impress  of  My  incomparable  holiness,  and  on 
 that  account  have  Satan,  who  is  ever  murmuring  against 
 the  Saints,  for  their  bitter  foe,  ever  lying  in  wait  for 
 them ;  therefore  of  necessity  I  desire  them  to  be  in  Thy 
 safe  keeping.  And  to  be  in  Thy  safe  keeping  is  not  to 
 be  far  from  Thy  truth,  that  is,  from  Me.  For  I  am 
 by  Nature  Thy  truth,  O  Father,  the  Essential,  True,  and 
 Living  Word. 
 
 We  must  suppose  that  this  is  what  He  thinks  right  to 
 say.  See  how,  in  all  His  sayings,  so  to  speak,  He 
 insinuates  His  own  Person  into  the  action  of  the  Father, 
 whatever  that  action  has  reference  to,  and  puts  Himself 
 altogether  side  by  side  with  Him,  wishing  probably  to 
 Supra  show  how  ti'ue  the  statement  is :  All  things  were  made 
 ^-  ^-  by  Him ;  and  without  Him  was  not  anything  made. 
 In  the  previous  passage,  indeed.  He  briefly  besought  His 
 Father  to  keep  the  disciples  in  the  Name  which  had  been 
 given  unto  Himself.  In  this,  however.  He  desires  His 
 prayer  on  their  behalf  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  truth  of  the 
 Father.  What,  then,  does  this  mean  ;  or  what  does  the 
 change  in  the  language  signify?  Is  it  meant  to  show 
 that  the  working  of  the  Father,  shown  through  Him  in 
 mercy  to  the  Saints,  is  not  uniform  ?  For  in  the  fii-st 
 passage,  when  He  says  that  His  disciples  ought  to  be 
 kept  in  the  Name  of  the  Father,  that  is  to  say,  in  the 
 glory  and  power  of  His  Godhead,  so  that  they  should  be 
 out  of  the  power  of  the  enemy.  He  declares  that  aid  is 
 vouchsafed  to  the  Saints  in  whatever  happens  unto  them, 
 after  the  secret  fashion  that  Christ  at  the  proper  season 
 S.  Luke  revealed  to  His  disciples  when  He  said :  Simon,  Simon, 
 ^"'  '  behold,  Satan  asked  to  have  you,  that  he  might  sift  yow 
 as  ivheat :    but  I  made  sivpiilieation  for  thee,  that  thy 
 
renders  Divine  assistance  necessary.  531 
 
 faith  fail  not.  For  many  of  God's  dealings  concerning  Chap.  9. 
 us  are  in  secret,  Christ  taking  thought  for  the  life  of  j^^""''^^' 
 each  of  us,  and  covering  us  as  with  a  shield.  But  here, 
 when  He  says  Keep  them  in  the  truth,  He  signifies 
 clearly  their  being  led  by  revelation  of  the  truth  to 
 apprehend  it.  For  no  man  can  attain  to  the  knowledge 
 of  truth  without  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  nor  can  he  at 
 all,  humanly  speaking,  work  out  for  himself  an  accurate 
 comprehension  of  the  Divine  doctrines.  For  the  mysteries 
 of  Holy  Writ  exceed  our  understanding,  and  glorious  is 
 the  blessing  of  having  even  a  moderate  knowledge  con- 
 cerning Christ. 
 
 The  blessed  Peter,  moreover,  when  he  confessed  that 
 the  Lord  was  in  truth  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  heard 
 the  words :  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona  ;  for  flesh  s.  Matt. 
 and  blood  hath  not  revecded  it  unto  thee,  but  My  Fcdher  ^^^'  '' 
 Which  is  in  heaven.  For  He  reveals  to  the  Saints  His 
 Son,  Who  is  truth,  and  does  not  allow  Satan  to  lead  the 
 mind  of  His  believers  astray  to  false  knowledge  ;  relying 
 on  whom,  in  their  season,  Hymenceus  and  Alexander  i  Tim.  i. 
 have  made  shipivrech  concerning  tlie  faith,  rejecting  the  ' 
 true  doctrine  of  the  faith.  Of  great  avail,  then,  towards 
 a  right  continuance  in  the  straight  path  of  thought  and 
 action,  is  our  safe  keeping  by  the  Father  in  the  Name  of 
 God  and  in  truth  ;  that  we  may  not  fail  in  making  our 
 light  shine  forth  in  action,  nor,  by  turning  aside  to  folly, 
 stray  far  away  from  the  doctrines  of  true  holiness.  And 
 this  may  easily  be  our  lot,  if  we  are  seen  to  be  out  of  the 
 world  while  not  disavowing  our  birth  in  the  world ;  for 
 of  the  dust  of  the  earth  are  we  all  framed,  as  the 
 Scripture  saith,  but  by  the  quahty  of  our  deeds  we  rid 
 ourselves  of  life  in  the  world.  For  while  they  walk 
 upon  earth,  those  who  love  conformity  with  Christ  are 
 citizens  of  heaven. 
 
 We  must  also  remark  that  He  very  appropriately  here 
 calls  the  Father  holy,  almost,  as  it  were,  reminding  Him 
 that,  as  He  is  holy.  He  takes  pleasure  in  those  that  are 
 holy.     And  all  men  are  holy,  whosoever  are  seen  to  be 
 
 ]\i  m  2 
 
532     God,  being  holy,  takes  ]jleasure  in  the  holy. 
 
 Book  11.  unspotted  by  the  world,  and  whosoever  are  by  nature  in 
 17^  ■  '  Christ,  in  the  Father's  likeness  adopted,  and  chosen  to  be 
 His  disciples  by  the  sanctification  according  to  grace, 
 and  the  light  and  goodness  of  their  lives.  For  a  man 
 may  thus  be  conformed  to  the  Image  of  God,  Which 
 transcends  the  world. 
 
CHAPTER     X. 
 
 That  Christ  is  not  holy  from  participation  in  anything-  diflferent 
 from  Himself;  and  that  the  sanctification  through  the  Spirit  is 
 not  alien  to  His  Substance. 
 
 18  As  Thou  didst  send  Me  into  tlie  world,  even  so  sent  I  them  Chap.  10. 
 
 1 9  into  the  world.     And  for  their  sakes  I  sanctify  Myself,  that  ^^      "    ' 
 they  themselves  also  may  be  sanctified  in  truth. 
 
 After  giving  the  Father  here  especially  the  name  of 
 Holy,  and  praying  that  the  disciples  might  be  kept  in  the 
 truth,  that  is,  in  His  Spirit  (for  the  Spirit  is  the  truth,  IS. John 
 as  John  says,  as  He  is  also  the  Spirit  of  truth,  that  is,  of  ^'  '' 
 the  Only-begotten  Himself),  He  declares  that  He  sent  xvi.  13, 
 them  into  the  world  after  the  fashion  of  His  own  mission  ; 
 for  Jesus  is  the  Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our  confession,  Heb.iii.i. 
 as  Paul  says,  in  the  appropriate  character  of  His  Manhood, 
 and  by  the  way  of  His  humiliation.  He  says,  then,  that 
 the  disciples,  after  having  been  once  for  all  thereto 
 prepared,  stand  wholly  in  need  of  sanctification  by  the 
 Holy  Father,  Who  implanteth  in  them  the  Holy  Spirit 
 through  the  Son.  For  in  truth  the  disciples  of  the 
 Saviour  would  never  have  become  so  illustrious  as  to  be 
 the  torchbearers  of  the  whole  world,  nor  would  they 
 have  withstood  the  brunt  of  the  temptations  of  their 
 enemies,  nor  the  terrible  assaults  of  the  devil,  had  they 
 not  had  their  minds  fortified  by  communion  with  the 
 Spirit ;  and  had  they  not  been  continually  thereby 
 enabled  to  accomplish  a  bidding  unheard  of  before  and 
 passing  mere  human  power  ;  and  had  they  not  been  ever 
 led  by  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  without  effort,  to  a  perfect 
 knowledge    of    the    inspired    writings    and    the    holy 
 
534  Tlte  Father,  Son,  and  S/Jirit 
 
 Book  11.  doctrines  of  the  Church.  Furtherinore,  the  Saviour, 
 c.xvii.  ^,  j^^^^^g  cissemhled  together  luith  them  after  His  resurrection 
 Acts  i.  4.  from  the  dead,  as  is  recorded,  and  bidding  them  preach 
 Ibid.  grace  through  faith  throughout  the  whole  world,  charged 
 them  not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem,  hid  to  wait  for  the 
 'promise  of  the  Father,  tvhich  they  had  heard  of  Him  as 
 Joel  ii.  well  as  by  the  mouth  of  the  holy  prophets.  For  it  shall 
 come  to  pass  in  those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  thcd  I  ivill 
 pour  out  My  Spirit  upon  all  flesh.  And  the  Saviour 
 Himself  plainly  declared  that  His  Holy  Spirit  would  be 
 Supra  shed  forth  upon  them,  in  the  words :  I  have  yet  many 
 ^3^"  "'  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  hear  them  noiu. 
 Hoivheit,  ivhen  He,  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  is  come.  He  shall 
 Ibid.  xiv.  guide  you  into  all  truth  ;  and  again :  I  tvill  pray  the 
 Father,  and  He  shcdl  give  you  another  Comforter.  For 
 the  Spirit  belongeth  unto  God  the  Father,  and  none  the 
 less  also  unto  the  Son  Himself,  not  as  distinct  Entities,  or 
 as  though  He  was  inherent  or  existed  in  Either  divisibly ; 
 but,  inasmuch  as  the  Son  by  Nature  proceeds  from  the 
 Father  and  is  in  Him  (being  the  true  Offspring  of  His 
 Essence),  the  Spirit — Which  is  the  Father's  by  Nature— is 
 brought  down  to  men ;  shed  forth  indeed  from  the  Father, 
 but  through  the  Son  Himself  conveyed  to  the  creature ; 
 not  merely  ministerially  or  in  the  manner  of  a  servant, 
 but,  as  I  said  just  now,  proceeding  from  the  Substance 
 Itself  of  God  the  Father ;  and  shed  forth  on  those  worthy 
 to  receive  Him  through  the  Word, Which  is  Consubstantial 
 with  and  proceeded  from  Him,  and  so  proceeded  as  to 
 have  a  self-dependent  being,  and  ever  abideth  in  Him,  at 
 the  same  time  in  unity,  and  also,  as  it  were,  with  an 
 individual  existence.  For  we  maintain  that  the  Son  has 
 an  independent  existence,  but  still  inheres  in  His  Father, 
 and  has  in  Himself  Him  that  begat  Him ;  and  that  the 
 Spii'it  of  the  Father  is  indeed  the  Spirit  of  the  Son  ;  and 
 that,  when  the  Father  sends  or  promises  to  distribute  the 
 Spirit  to  the  Saints,  the  Son  also  vouchsafes  the  Spirit  to 
 them  as  His  own,  because  of  His  identity  in  Substance  with 
 the  Father.    And  that  the  Father  works  in  every  respect 
 
are  essentially  One.  535 
 
 through  Him  He  has  Himself  very  clearly  pointed  out  Chap.  lo. 
 to   us  in  the  words :    It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  ^•^^"•^^' 
 away :  for  if  I  go  not  aivay  the  Comforter  cannot  come  Supra 
 unto  you;   but  tvken  I  depart  I  tuill  send  Him  unto^''^        " 
 you.     And  again:  /  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall  ibid. 
 give  you  another  Comforter.     Plainly  here  He  promises  ^^^'     " 
 to  send  us  the  Comforter. 
 
 Since,  then,  the  disciples,  who  respect  My  sayings,  have 
 been  sent  forth  on  their  mission  in  the  world,  even  as 
 I  myself,  keep  them,  Holy  Father,  in  Tliy  truth;  that  is, 
 in  Thy  Word,  in  Which,  and  through  Which,  the  Spirit 
 Which  sanctifies  is  and  proceeds.  And  what  is  the  Sa- 
 viour's aim  in  saying  this  ?  He  besought  the  Father  for 
 that  sanctification  which  is  in  and  through  the  Spirit  to 
 be  given  to  ourselves  ;  and  He  desires  that  which  was  in 
 us  at  the  first  age  of  the  world,  and  at  the  beginning 
 of  creation  by  gift  of  God,  to  be  quickened  anew" 
 into  life.  This  we  say,  because  the  Only-begotten  is 
 our  Mediator,  and  fulfils  the  part  of  Advocate  for  us 
 before  our  Father  Which  is  in  heaven.  But  that  we 
 may  free  our  explanation  from  all  obscurity,  and  make 
 the  meaning  of  what  is  said  clear  to  our  hearers,  let 
 us  say  a  few  words  about  the  creation  of  the  first 
 man. 
 
 The  inspired  Moses  said  concerning  him,  that  God 
 took  dust  from  the  earth  and  formed  man  of  it.  He 
 then  goes  on  to  tell  the  manner  in  which,  after  the 
 body  was  perfectly  joined  together,  life  was  given  to 
 it.  He  breathed,  he  says,  into  his  nostrils  the  breath  o/Gen.ii.  7. 
 life;  signifying  that  not  without  sanctification  by  the 
 Spirit  was  life  given  to  man,  nor  yet  was  it  wholly 
 devoid  or  barren  of  the  Divine  Nature.  For  never 
 could  anything,  which  had  so  base  an  origin,  have 
 been  seen  to  be  created  in  the  Image  of  the  Most 
 High,  had  it  not  taken  and  received,  through  the  Spu-it 
 moulding  it,  so  to  speak,  a  fair  mask,  by  the  Will  of 
 God.  For  as  His  Spirit  is  a  perfect  Likeness  of  the 
 Substance  of  the  Only-begotten,  according  to  the  saying 
 
536  The  Saviour  "sanctified"  Himself 
 
 Book  11.  of  Paul :  For  ivhom  He  forekneiv,  He  also  fore-ordained 
 19  ■  '  to  he  conformed  to  the  linage  of  His  Son,  He  maketh 
 Eom.viii.  tliose  in  whoin  He  abides  to  be  conformed  to  the  Imasre 
 *■  '  of  the  Father,  that  is,  the  Son ;  and  thus  all  thoughts 
 
 are  uplifted  through  the  Son  to  the  Father,  from  Whom 
 He  proceeds  by  the  Spirit.  He  desires,  therefore,  the 
 nature  of  man  to  be  renewed,  and  moulded  anew,  as  it 
 were,  into  its  original  likeness,  by  communion  with  the 
 Spirit ;  in  order  that,  putting  on  that  pristine  grace,  and 
 being  shaped  anew  into  conformity  with  Him,  we  may 
 be  found  able  to  prevail  over  the  sin  that  reigns  in 
 this  world,  and  may  simply  cling  to  the  love  of  God, 
 striving  with  all  our  might  after  whatsoever  things  be 
 good,  and,  lifting  our  minds  above  fleshly  lusts,  may 
 keep  the  beauty  of  His  Image  implanted  in  ourselves 
 unspoiled.  For  this  is  spiritual  life,  and  this  is  the  mean- 
 ing of  worship  in  the  Spirit. 
 
 And  if  we  may  sum   up  in  brief  the  whole  matter, 
 Christ  called  down  upon  us  the  ancient  gift  of  humanity, 
 that  is,  sanctification  through  the  Spirit  and  communion 
 with  the  Divine  Nature,  His  disciples   being  the  first 
 2  Tim.  ii.  to  receive  it ;  for  the  saying  is  true,  that  the  husbandman 
 ^"  that  lahoureth  must  be  the  first  to  jmrtake  of  the  fruits. 
 
 Col.  i.  18,  But  that  He  might  herein  also  indeed  have  the  pre- 
 eminence (for  it  was  meet  that  He,  being,  as  it  were,  one 
 of  many  brethren,  and  still  Man  even  as  we  are  men, 
 should,  through  being  in  our  likeness,  be  seen  to  be 
 and  in  fact  be  the  Beginning,  and  the  Gate,  and  the 
 Way,  of  every  good  thing  for  us).  He  is  impelled  to 
 add  what  follows,  namely,  the  words :  For  their  salces 
 I  sanctify  Myself. 
 
 And,  indeed,  the  saying  is  hard  to  explain  and  difficult 
 to  understand.    Still,  the  Word  Which  maketh  all  things 
 Job  xii.    clear,  and  discovereth  deep  things  out  of  darkness,  will 
 ^^'  reveal  to  us  even  this  mystery.     That  which  is  brought 
 
 by  any  one  to  God  by  way  of  an  offering  or  gift,  as 
 sacred  to  Him,  is  said  to  be  sanctified  according  to  the 
 custom  of  the  Law  ;  as,  for  example,  every  firstborn  child 
 
hy  offering  Himself  for  us.  537 
 
 that  opens  the  womb  among  the  children  of  Israel.    For  Chap.  lo. 
 sanctify  unto  Me  all  the  firsthorn,  whatsoever  openeth  ^^J  '    ' 
 the  ivovib,  God  said  to  the  good  Moses ;    that  is,  offer  Ex.  xiii. 
 and  dedicate  and  set  down  as  holy.     We  do  not  indeed  "• 
 assert,  nor  would  we  listen  to  any  one's  suggestion,  that 
 God  bade  Moses  impose  on  any  the  sanctification  of  the 
 Spirit,  for  the  stature  of  created  beings  attains  not  unto 
 ability  to  perform  any  such  act,  but  it  is  adapted  and 
 can  be  ascribed  to  God  only.   Moreover,  when  He  wished 
 to  appoint  to  office   the  elders  together  with  Him,  He 
 did  not  bid  Moses  himself  impose  sanctification  upon 
 those  who  were  selected ;  but,  instead,  plainly  said  that 
 He  would  take  of  the  Spirit  That  was  upon  him  and 
 would  put  It  upon  each  of  those  who  were  called.     For 
 the  power  of  sanctifying  by  communion  with  the  Spirit 
 belongs  only  to  the  Nature  of  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  ; 
 and  what  the  meaning  of  sanctification  is,  I  mean  so 
 far  as  the  customs  of  the  Law  are  concerned,  the  saying 
 of  Solomon  will  make  quite  clear  to  us :  It  is  a  snare  Prov.  xx. 
 
 OK 
 
 to  a  riian  hastily  to  sanctify  anything  that  is  his, for     ' 
 after  he  has  made  his  voiv  repentance  conieth. 
 
 Since,  then,  this  is  what  sanctification  is,  so  far  as 
 the  custom  of  offering  and  setting  apart  is  concerned, 
 we  say  that  the  Son  sanctified  Himself  for  us  in  this 
 sense.     For  He  brought  Himself  as  a  Victim  and  holy 
 Sacrifice  to  God  the  Father,  reconciling  the  loorld  unto  2  Cor.  v. 
 Himself,  and  bringing  into  kinship  with  Him  that  which     * 
 had   fallen  away  therefrom,  that  is,  the  race  of  man. 
 For  He  is  our  Peace,  according  to  the  Scripture.    And,  Ephes. 
 indeed,  our   reconciliation  to   God   could  no   otherwise "'     ' 
 have  been  accomplished  through  Christ  that  saveth  us 
 than  by   communion  in   the   Spirit  and  sanctification. 
 For  that  which  knits  us  together,  and,  as  it  were,  unites 
 us  with  God,  is  the  Holy  Spirit ;  Which  if  we  receive, 
 we   are   proved   sharers   and   partakers  in   the  Divine 
 Nature,  and   we   admit   the    Father    Himself  into   our 
 hearts,  through  the  Son  and  in  the  Son.     Further,  the  ,  „  -r  ■, 
 
 °.  .  .'IS.  John 
 
 wise  John  writes  for  us  concerning  Him:  Hereby  /cnoiuiv.13. 
 
538    Sanctijieation  is  by  the  tSpirit,  tJcroiKjh  Christ. 
 
 Book  11.  u'g  that  we  abide  in  Him,  and  He  in  us,  because  He 
 j'g^^"'  '  has  given  us  of  His  Spirit.  And  what  does  Paul  also 
 Gal.  iv.  6.  say  ?  And  because  ye  are  sons,  God  sent  forth  the 
 Spirit  of  His  Son  into  your  hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father, 
 as,  if  we  had  chanced  to  remain  without  partaking  of 
 the  Spirit,  we  could  never  at  all  have  known  that  God 
 was  in  us ;  and,  if  we  had  not  been  enriched  with  the 
 Spirit  that  puts  us  into  the  rank  of  sons,  we  should 
 never  have  been  at  all  the  sons  of  God.  How,  then, 
 should  we  have  had  added  to  us,  or  how  should  we  have 
 been  shown  to  be  partakers  in,  Divine  Nature,  if  God 
 had  not  been  in  us,  nor  we  been  joined  to  Him  through 
 having  been  called  to  communion  with  the  Spirit  ?  But 
 now  are  we  both  partakers  and  sharers  in  the  Substance 
 That  transcends  the  universe,  and  are  become  temples  of 
 God.  For  the  Only-begotten  sanctified  Himself  for  our 
 sins  ;  that  is,  offered  Himself  up,  and  brought  Himself  as 
 a  holy  Sacrifice  for  a  sweet-smelling  savour  to  God  the 
 Father  ;  that,  while  He  as  God  came  between  and  hedged 
 ofi"  and  built  a  wall  of  partition  between  human  nature 
 and  sin,  nothing  might  hinder  our  being  able  to  have 
 access  to  God,  and  have  close  fellowship  with  Him, 
 through  communion,  that  is,  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  mould- 
 ing us  anew  to  righteousness  and  sanctification  and  the 
 original  likeness  of  man.  For  if  sin  sunders  and  dis- 
 severs  man  from  God,  surely  righteousness  will  be  a 
 bond  of  union,  and  will  somehow  set  us  by  the  side  of 
 God  Himself,  with  nothing  to  part  us.  We  have  been 
 Rom.  iv.  justified  through  faith  in  Christ,  Who  tvas  delivered  up 
 "  '  for  our  trespasses,  according  to  the  Scripture,  and  tuas 
 raised  for  our  justification.  For  in  Him,  as  in  the  fii'st- 
 fruits  of  the  race,  the  nature  of  man  was  wholly  reformed 
 into  newness  of  life,  and  ascending,  as  it  were,  to  its  own 
 first  beginning,  was  moulded  anew  into  sanctification. 
 Supra  Sanctify  thcTii,  He  says,  0  Fcdher,  in  Thy  truth ;  that  is, 
 ver.  17.  .^  -j^g^  £^^.  rji^^y  Word  is  truth ;  that  is,  I  once  more.  For 
 I  sanctified  Myself  for  them ;  that  is,  brought  Myself  as 
 an  offering,  One  dying  for  many,  that  I  might  reform 
 
Jesus  bore  our  sins.  539 
 
 them  into  newness  of  life,  and  that  they  might  be  sane-  Chap.  lo. 
 tified  in  truth,  that  is,  in  Me.  c^xvii.is, 
 
 Now  that  the  foregoing  speech  has  been  explained, 
 and  understood  in  the  sense  we  have  just  given  out,  we 
 shall  not  be  slack  to  enter  on  another  investigation. 
 For  to  be  very  zealous  in  searching  out  the  meaning  of 
 difficult  passages  in  Scripture,  must,  I  think,  reflect  much 
 honour  both  on  those  who  have  this  desire,  and  also  on 
 those  who  listen  to  them  attentively.  Our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  then,  said  that  He  sanctified  Himself  for  our  sakes, 
 that  we  also  may  be  sanctified  in  truth.  In  what  sense 
 He  is  sanctified,  being  Himself  by  Nature  holy,  in  order 
 that  we  may  be  sanctified  also,  let  us  then,  adhering  to 
 the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  and  not  starting  aside  from 
 the  right  rule  of  faith,  so  far  as  we  can,  carefully  con- 
 sider. We  say,  then,  that  the  Only-begotten,  heiiig  by  Phil.  ii. 
 Nature  God,  and  in  the  formi  of  God  the  Father,  and  in  ^'  '^' 
 equality  with  Him,  envptied  Himself,  according  to  the 
 Scripture,  and  became  Man  born  of  a  woman,  receiving 
 all  the  properties  of  man's  nature,  sin  only  excepted,  and 
 in  an  unspeakable  way  uniting  Himself  to  our  nature 
 by  His  own  free  will,  in  order  that  He  might  in  Himself 
 first,  and  through  Himself,  regenerate  it  into  that  glory 
 which  it  had  at  the  beginning ;  and  that  He,  having 
 proved  Himself  the  second  Adam,  that  is,  a  heavenly 
 Man,  and  being  found  first  of  all,  and  the  firstfruits  of 
 those  who  are  built  up  into  newness  of  life,  in  incor- 
 ruption  that  is,  and  in  righteousness  and  the  sanctification 
 which  is  through  the  Spirit,  He  might  henceforth  through 
 Himself  send  good  gifts  to  the  whole  race.  For  this 
 cause,  though  He  is  Life  by  Nature,  He  became  as  one 
 dead ;  that,  having  destroyed  the  power  of  death  in  us. 
 He  might  mould  us  anew  into  His  own  life ;  and  being 
 Himself  the  righteousness  of  God  the  Father,  He  became 
 sin  for  us.  For,  according  to  the  saying  of  the  Prophet, 
 He  Himself  heareth  our  sins,  and  He  was  counted  to-  Is.  liii.  4. 
 gether  with  us  among  transgressors,  that  He  might  Ibid.  12. 
 justify  us  through  Himself,  rending  the  bond  that  ivas  Col.ii.i4. 
 
19 
 
 540  Further  explanation   may  he  found 
 
 Book  11.  against  us,  and  nailing  it  to  His  cross,  according  to  the 
 c^xvii.  ,  g(3j.ip^;,m.Q_  Being  also  Himself  by  Nature  holy  as  God, 
 and  granting  to  the  whole  creation  participation  in  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  to  their  continuance  and  stablishing  and 
 sanctification,  He  is  sanctified  on  our  account  in  the  Holy 
 Spirit ;  no  one  else  sanctifying  Him,  but  rather  He  Him- 
 self working  for  Himself  to  the  sanctification  of  His 
 own  Flesh.  For  He  receiveth  His  own  Spirit,  and  par- 
 takes of  It  in  so  far  as  He  was  Man ;  yea,  and  giveth  it 
 unto  Himself  as  God.  And  He  did  this  for  our  sakes, 
 not  for  His  own,  that,  originating  in  Him  fii-st,  the  gi'ace 
 of  sanctification  might  henceforth  reach  even  unto  all 
 mankind.  Just  as  by  Adam's  transgression  and  dis- 
 obedience, as  in  the  founder  of  the  race,  human  nature 
 was  doomed  to  die  by  the  fault  of  one  man,  the  first  of 
 Gen.  iii.  men  hearing  the  sentence.  Dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust 
 shall  thou  return;  in  the  same  way,  I  think,  through  the 
 obedience  and  righteousness  of  Christ,  in  so  far  as  He 
 became  under  the  Law,  though  as  God  He  was  Himself 
 the  Lawgiver,  the  Eucharist  and  the  quickening  power 
 o^  the  Spirit  might  be  extended  unto  men  universally. 
 For  the  Spirit  reforms  into  incorruption  that  which  was 
 by  sin  corrupted,  and  fashions  into  newness  of  life  that 
 which  was  obsolete  through  apathy,  and  verging  to 
 decay. 
 
 But  perhaps  you  will  ask.  How,  then,  was  He  That  is 
 holy  by  Nature  sanctified,  and  that  through  participa- 
 tion ?  And  in  what  sense  does  He  Who  granteth  His  own 
 Spirit  to  all  who  are  worthy  to  receive  it,  both  those, 
 I  mean,  in  heaven  and  those  on  earth,  do  Himself  this 
 service?  Such  things  are  indeed  hard  to  fathom  or 
 comprehend,  and  difiicult  to  explain,  when  you  consider 
 the  Word  That  proceeded  from  God  as  still  devoid  of,  or 
 as  only  partially  endued  with,  the  humanity  so  sanctified  ; 
 but  when  you  think  with  wonder  on  His  incompre- 
 hensible Incarnation  and  union  with  the  flesh,  and  have 
 present  before  your  minds  the  true  God  now  become 
 Man,  even  as  we  are  men,  vou  will  no  longer  be  sur- 
 
in  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation.  541 
 
 prised;  but,  putting  off  all  perplexity  of  mind,  and  having  Chap.  10. 
 before  your  thoughts  the  Son  Who  is  at  the  same  time  jg^^"'  ' 
 God  and  Man,  you  will  not  think  that  the  proper  at- 
 tributes of  humanity  ought  to  be  cast  aside,  even  though 
 they  be  merged  in  the  Person  of  One  Who  is  the  Son  by 
 Nature,  I  mean  Christ.  For  do  we  not  think,  for  example, 
 that  death  is  foreign  to  the  Nature  of  the  all-quickening 
 Word? 
 
 Still,  you  will  say,  He  endured  death  in  the  flesh ;  for 
 the  body  is  mortal,  and  therefore  is  said  to  die,  for  His 
 own  Body  died. 
 
 You  are  quite  right  in  your  idea,  and  say  well ;  for 
 of  a  truth  in  His  scheme  for  our  redemption,  He  did  give 
 up  His  Body  to  die,  and  again  infused  His  own  life  into 
 it,  and  did  not,  that  is,  rescue  Himself  from  the  bonds 
 of  death,  by  the  power  He  actually  has  as  God.  For 
 He  came  among  us  and  became  Man,  not  for  His  own 
 sake,  but  rather  He  prepared  the  way,  through  Himself 
 and  in  Himself,  for  human  nature  to  escape  from  death 
 and  to  return  to  its  original  incorruption.  Let  us,  then, 
 by  an  analogous  train  of  reasoning,  find  out  the  manner 
 of  His  sanctification.  Can  we  then  at  all  maintain  that 
 the  body,  which  is  of  earth,  is  holy  by  the  law  of  its  own 
 nature,  even  if  it  receive  not  sanctification  from  God, 
 Who  is  by  Nature  holy  1  How  could  this  be  ?  For  what 
 difference  could  there  then  be  any  longer  between  earth- 
 born  flesh  and  that  Substance  Which  is  holy  and  pure  ? 
 And  if  it  be  true  to  say  that  all  rational  creatures,  and 
 in  general  everything  that  has  been  caljed  into  being 
 and  ranks  among  created  things,  do  not  enjoy  sanctifi- 
 cation as  the  fruit  of  their  own  nature,  but,  as  it  were, 
 borrow  grace  from  That  Which  is  by  Nature  holy,  would 
 it  not  be  the  height  of  absurdity  to  think  that  the  flesh 
 had  no  need  of  God,  Who  is  able  to  sanctify  all  things  ? 
 Since,  then,  the  flesh  is  not  of  itself  holy,  it  was  therefore 
 sanctifled,  even  in  the  case  of  Christ — the  Word  That 
 dwelt  therein  sanctifying  His  own  Temple  through  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  and  changing  it  into  a  living  instrument  of 
 
542  The  requirenients  of  human  reason 
 
 Book  11.  His  own  Nature.  For  the  Body  of  Christ  is  for  this 
 j'^^"*  '  cause  holy  and  pure  ;  as  being,  in  accordance  with  what 
 Cf.  Col.  I  said  just  now,  in  a  corporeal  sense,  as  Paul  says,  the 
 "■  Temple  of  the  Word  united  with  it.     Therefore  the  Holy 
 
 Spirit,  in  the  form  of  a  dove,  descends  upon  Him  from 
 heaven ;  and  the  wise  John  bore  testimony  to  this,  that 
 we  might  also  know  that  on  Christ  first,  as  on  the  first- 
 fruits  of  the  renewed  nature  of  man,  the  Spirit  came 
 down,  in  so  far  as  He  was  Man,  and  so  capable  of  sancti- 
 fication.  We  do  not  indeed  afiirm  that  Christ  then 
 became  holy  as  to  His  Flesh,  when  the  Baptist  saw  the 
 Supra  Spirit  descending  upon  Him  ;  for  He  was  holy  when  He 
 was  still  unborn  and  in  the  womb.  Yea,  and  it  was 
 S.  Luke  said  unto  the  Blessed  Virgin,  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come 
 '■  '  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall  over- 
 shadoiv  thee.  Rather  was  the  sight  given  as  a  sign  to 
 the  Baptist.  We  are  of  opinion,  nevertheless,  that  Christ's 
 Flesh  was  sanctified  by  the  Spirit ;  the  Word,  Which  is 
 by  Nature  holy,  and  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  anoint- 
 ing His  own  Temple  that  is  in  Him,  like  all  else  that  is 
 created.  And  the  Psalmist,  knowing  this,  exclaimed,  while 
 he  gazed  upon  the  human  Person  of  the  Only-begotten : 
 Ps.xlv.7.  Therefore  God,  even  Thy  God,  hath  anointed  Thee  ivith 
 the  oil  of  gladness  above  Thy  felloivs.  For  when  the 
 Son  anoints  the  Temple  of  His  Body,  the  Father  is  said 
 so  to  do.  For  He  only  works  through  the  Son.  For 
 whatsoever  the  Son  doeth  is  referred  to  the  Father  from 
 Whom  He  springs,  as  the  Father  is,  as  it  were,  the  Root 
 and  Source  of  His  Offspring. 
 
 And  no  marvel  if  He  declares  that  even  He  Himself 
 is  sanctified,  though  by  Nature  He  is  holy,  when  the 
 Scripture  calls  God  His  Father,  though  He  is  Himself 
 by  Nature  God.  But  I  think  one  may  well  and 
 justly  attribute  such  expressions,  without  fear  of  error, 
 to  the  requirements  of  human  reason,  and  to  analogy 
 with  human  relationships.  Just  as,  then.  He  died  in 
 the  flesh  for  our  sakes  as  Man,  though  being  by  Nature 
 God  ;  and  just  as,  ranking  Himself  among  creatures,  and 
 
render  such  expressions  necessary.  543 
 
 under  subjection  on  account  of  His  Manhood,  He  calls  Chap.io. 
 God  His  Father,  though  He  was  Lord   of  all ;    so  He  \^J''-^^' 
 affirms  that  He  sanctifies  Himself  for  our  sakes :  that, 
 when  the  influence  thereof  reaches  even  to  us,  as  through 
 the  firstfruits  of  regenerate  human  nature  in  Him,  we  also 
 may  be  sanctified  in  truth,  that  is,  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  i  S.  John 
 For  the  Spirit  is  the  truth,  as  John  says ;  for  the  Spirit  ^' 
 is  not  separate  from  the  Son,  in  Substance  at  any  rate, 
 inasmuch  as  He  exists  in  Him  and  proceeds  through 
 Him. 
 
 He  says  that  He  was  sent  into  the  world,  though  He 
 was  in  it  before  His  Incarnation.     For  He  ivas  in  the  Supra 
 ivorld,  though  the  ivorld  knew  Him  not,  according  to  ^' 
 the  Scripture  ;  signifying  that  the  manner  in  which  His 
 mission   was   given  Him   was    by  the   unction   of  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  in   so  far  as  He  was  Man,  and  was  the 
 Angel  of  great  counsel,  after  the  analogy  of  the  prophetic  is.  ix.  6. 
 office.     And  when  He  says  that  His  disciples  have  been 
 prepared,  as  He  was  Himself,  and  sent  from  Him   to 
 announce  to  the  world  the  message  of  the  Gospel  from 
 heaven.  He  declares  that  they  stand  in  great  need  of 
 being  sanctified  in  truth,  that  they  may  be  enabled  well 
 and  strenuously  to  run  the  course  of  their  apostleship 
 to  the  end. 
 
CHAPTER   XL 
 
 Tliat  the  Son  is  naturally  One  with  God  His  Father ;  and 
 that  He  is  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  Him,  according- 
 to  the  essential  bond  and  character  of  their  Unity ;  and  that 
 likewise  also  we  ourselves,  when  we  receive  faith  in  Him,  are 
 proved  one  with  each  other  and  with  God,  both  in  a  corporeal 
 and  in  a  spiritual  sense. 
 
 Book  11.  20     Neither  for  these  only  do  I  j>ray,  but  for  them  also  that 
 
 22      '    '  21     believe  on  Me  through  their  word;    that  they  may  all  be 
 
 one ;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  Me,  and  J  in  Thee,  that 
 
 they  also  may  be  one  in  Us  :  that  the  ivorld  inay  believe  that 
 
 Thou  didst  send  Me. 
 
 Christ  is,  as  it  were,  the  Firstfruits  of  those  who  are 
 built  np  into   newness   of  life,  and   Himself  the   first 
 1  Cor. XV.  heavenly  Man.    For,  as  Paul  says:  The  second  Adam  is 
 ^/"  the  Lord  from  heaven.    Therefore  also  John  wrote :  And 
 
 iii.  13.  no  man  hath  ascended  into  heaven,  but  He  That  descended 
 out  of  heaven,  even  the  Son  of  man.  And  in  close  con- 
 nexion with  Him,  the  Firstfruits,  yea,  and  far  nearer 
 unto  Him  than  others,  were  those  who  were  chosen  to  be 
 disciples,  and  who  held  the  rank  of  His  followers ;  who 
 also  with  their  own  eyes  beheld  His  glory,  ever  attending 
 upon  Him,  and  in  converse  with  Him,  and  gathering 
 in,  as  it  were,  the  firstfruits  of  His  succour  into  their 
 hearts.  They  were  then,  and  are  after  Him,  Who  is  far 
 Col, i.  18.  above  all  others,  the  Head  of  the  body,  the  Church,  the 
 precious  and  more  estimable  members  thereof.  Further- 
 more, He  prays  that  on  them  the  blessing  and  sancti- 
 fication  of  the  Spirit  may  be  sent  down  from  His  Father, 
 but  through  Him  wholly  ;  for  it  could  not  be  otherwise, 
 since  He  is  the  living,  and  true,  and  active,  and  all- 
 
Christ  prayed  for  all.  545 
 
 performing  wisdom  and  power  of  Him  That  begat  Him.  Chap.  ii. 
 But  that  none  of  those,  who  are  not  well-practised  ^•^^^"■^'^' 
 attentively  to  hearken  to  the  inspired  writings,  might 
 thoughtlessly  imagine  that  upon  the  disciples  only  He 
 prayed  that  the  Spirit  of  God  might  come  down,  and 
 that  He  did  not  pray  for  us,  who  clearly  follow  after 
 them,  and  live  in  an  early  age  of  Christianity,  the  Me- 
 diator between  God  and  man,  the  Advocate  and  High 
 Priest  of  our  souls,  is  induced,  with  a  view  to  check 
 beforehand  the  foolish  imaginations  of  such  men,  to 
 add  this  passage  to  what  He  had  said,  namely :  Neither 
 for  these  only  do  I  pray,  hut  for  them  also  that  believe 
 on  Me  through  their  word.  For  it  would  have  been 
 in  a  manner  absurd,  that  the  sentence  of  condemnation 
 should  fall  upon  all  men  through  one  man,  who  was 
 the  first,  I  mean  Adam ;  and  that  those  who  had  not 
 sinned  at  that  time,  that  is,  at  which  the  founder  of  our 
 race  transgressed  the  commandment  given  unto  him, 
 should  wear  the  dishonourable  image  of  the  earthy ; 
 and  yet  that  when  Christ  came  among  us,  Who  was 
 the  Man  from  heaven,  those  who  were  called  through 
 Him  to  righteousness,  the  righteousness  of  course  that  is 
 through  faith,  should  not  all  be  moulded  into  His  Image. 
 And,  just  as  we  say  that  the  unlovely  image  of  the  iCot.xv. 
 earthy  is  seen  in  types,  and  in  a  form  bearing  the  defile-  " 
 ment  of  sin,  and  the  weakness  of  death  and  corruption, 
 and  the  impurity  of  fleshly  lusts  and  worldly  thoughts  ; 
 so  also,  on  the  other  hand,  we  think  that  the  Image  of 
 the  heavenly,  that  is,  Christ,  shines  forth  in  purity  and 
 sincerity,  and  perfect  incorruption,  and  life,  and  sancti- 
 fication.  It  was,  perhaps,  impossible  for  us  who  had 
 once  fallen  away  through  the  original  transgression  to 
 be  restored  to  our  pristine  glory,  except  we  obtained 
 an  inefiable  communion  and  unity  with  God ;  for  the 
 nature  of  men  upon  the  earth  was  ordered  at  the  begin- 
 ning. And  no  man  can  attain  to  union  with  God,  save 
 by  communion  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  Who  implants  in 
 us  the  sanctification  of  His  own  Person,  and  moulds 
 VOL.  II.  N  n 
 
546  Tlte  Divine  Type  of  our  unity 
 
 Book  11.  anew  into  His  own  life  the  nature  which  was  subject 
 21^^"'  '  to  corruption,  and  so  brings  back  to  God  and  to  His 
 Likeness  that  which  was  bereft  of  the  glory  that  this 
 confers.  And  the  Son  is  the  express  Image  of  the 
 Father,  and  His  Spirit  is  the  natural  Likeness  of  the 
 Son.  For  this  cause,  moulding  anew,  as  it  were,  into 
 Himself  the  souls  of  men,  He  stamps  them  with  the 
 Likeness  of  God,  and  seals  them  with  the  Image  of  the 
 Most  High. 
 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  then,  prays  not  for  the  twelve 
 Apostles  alone,  but  rather  for  all  who  were  destined  in 
 every  age  to  yield  to  and  obey  the  words  that  exhort 
 those  who  hear  to  receive  that  sanctification  that  is 
 through  faith,  and  to  that  purification  which  is  ac- 
 complished in  them  through  partaking  of  the  Spirit. 
 And  He  thought  it  not  right  to  leave  us  in  doubt 
 about  the  objects  of  His  prayer,  that  we  might  learn 
 hereby  what  manner  of  men  we  ought  to  show  our- 
 selves, and  what  path  of  righteousness  we  ought  to 
 tread,  to  accomplish  those  things  which  are  well-pleasing 
 to  Him.  What,  then,  is  the  manner  of  His  prayer  ?  That, 
 He  says,  they  may  be  one ;  even  as  Thou,  Father,  art  in 
 Me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  he  one  in  Us.  He 
 asks,  then,  for  a  bond  of  love,  and  concord,  and  peace, 
 to  bring  into  spiritual  unity  those  who  believe ;  so 
 that  their  unitedness,  through  perfect  sympathy  and 
 inseparable  harmony  of  soul,  might  resemble  the 
 features  of  the  natural  and  essential  unity  that  exists 
 between  the  Father  and  the  Son.  But  the  bond  of 
 the  love  that  is  in  us,  and  the  power  of  concord,  will 
 not  of  itself  altogether  avail  to  keep  them  in  the  same 
 unchangeable  state  of  union  as  exists  between  the 
 Father  and  the  Son,  Who  preserve  the  manner  of 
 Their  union  in  identity  of  Substance.  For  the  one  is, 
 in  fact,  natural  and  actual,  and  is  seen  in  the  very 
 definition  of  the  existence  of  God ;  while  the  other' 
 only  assumes  the  appearance  of  the  unity  which  is 
 actual.     For   how    can   the    imitation   be   wholly  like 
 
does  not  support  the  heretics  contention.        54:7 
 
 the   reality  ?     For   the   semblance   of  truth  is  not  the  Chap.  ii. 
 same   in   conception   with  truth  itself,   but   presents  a  21^^"'    ' 
 similar  appearance,  and  will  not  differ  from  it  so  long 
 as  there  does  not  occur  an  occasion  of  distinction. 
 
 Whenever,  then,  a  heretic,  imagining  that  he  can  upset 
 the  doctrine  of  the  natural  identity  and  consequent  unity 
 of  the  Son  with  God  the  Father,  and  then,  to  demon- 
 strate and  establish  his  crazy  theory,  brings  forward  our 
 own  case,  and  says,  "  Just  as  we  are  not  all  one  by 
 reason  of  actual  physical  identity,  nor  yet  by  the 
 fusion  of  our  souls  together,  but  in  temper  and  dis- 
 position to  love  God,  and  in  a  united  and  sympathetic 
 purpose  to  accomplish  His  Will,  so  also  the  Son  is  One 
 with  the  Father,"  we  shall  then  reject  him  wholly,  as 
 guilty  of  great  ignorance  and  folly.  And  for  what 
 reason?  Because  things  superhuman  do  not  entirely 
 follow  the  analogy  of  ourselves ;  nor  can  that  which 
 has  no  body  be  subject  to  the  laws  to  which  bodies 
 are  subject ;  nor  do  things  Divine  resemble  things 
 human.  For  if  there  were  nothing  at  all  to  separate 
 or  create  a  distinction  between  us  and  God,  we  might 
 then  apply  the  analogy  of  our  own  case  to  the  things 
 which  concern  God ;  but  if  we  find  the  interval  betwixt 
 us  to  be  something  we  cannot  fathom,  why  do  men  set 
 up  the  attributes  of  our  own  nature  as  a  rule  and 
 standard  for  God,  conceiving  of  that  Nature  Which  is 
 not  bound  by  any  law  in  the  light  of  our  own  weak- 
 nesses, and  so  suffer  themselves  to  be  guilty  of  doing 
 a  thing  which  is  most  irrational  and  absurd?  In  so 
 doing,  they  are  constructing  the  reality  from  the  shadow, 
 and  the  truth  from  that  which  is  conformed  to  its  image  ; 
 giving  the  second  place  of  honour  to  that  which  has  of 
 right  the  first,  and  inferring  their  conception  of  that 
 which  is  first  from  that  which  is  second  to  it. 
 
 But  that  we  may  not  seem  to  dwell  too  long  on  the 
 discussion  of  this  subject,  and  so  to  be  straying  away 
 from  the  text,  we  must  once  more  repeat  the  assertion, 
 that   when    Christ   brings    forward  the  essential  unity 
 
 N  n  2 
 
548       We  arc  one  ivitk  each  oilier  and  ivith  God 
 
 Book  11.  which  the  Father  has  with  Himself,  and  Himself  also 
 c.xvii._  ,  -y^rith  the  Father,  as  an  Image  and  Type  of  the  inseparable 
 fellowship,  and  concord,  and  unity  that  exists  in  kin- 
 dred souls,  He  desires  us  in  some  sort  to  be  blended 
 with  one  another  in  the  power  that  is  of  the  Holy  and 
 Consubstantial  Trinity ;  so  that  the  whole  body  of  the 
 Church  may  be  in  fact  one,  ascending  in  Christ  through 
 the  fusion  and  concurrence  of  two  peoples  into  one 
 Eph.  ii.  perfect  whole.  For  as  Paul  says :  For  He  is  our  peace, 
 Who  "made  both  one,  and  brake  doivn  the  middle  wall 
 of  pai'tition,  having  abolished  in  His  Flesh  the  enmity, 
 even  the  law  of  commandments  contained  in  ordinances  ; 
 that  He  might  create  in  Himself  of  the  ttuain  one  Neiu 
 Man,  so  mahing  peace ;  and  might  reconcile  them  both 
 in  one  Body  unto  God  through  the  Cross,  having  slain 
 the  enmity  thereby.  And  this  was,  in  fact,  accomplished  ; 
 those  who  believed  on  Christ  being  of  one  soul  one  with 
 another,  and  receiving,  as  it  were,  one  heart,  through 
 their  complete  resemblance  in  piety  towards  God,  and 
 their  obedience  in  believing,  and  aspirations  after  virtue. 
 And  I  think  that  what  I  have  said  is  not  wide  of  the 
 mark,  but  is  rather  requisite  and  necessary.  But,  as  the 
 meaning  of  the  passage  compels  us,  leaving  this  subject, 
 to  enter  upon  a  more  profound  inquiry,  and  our  Saviour's 
 words  especially  incite  us  thereto:  Even  cls  Thou,  Father, 
 art  in  Me,  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in 
 Us,  we  must  attentively  consider  what  explanation  we 
 must  here  give.  For  in  what  has  gone  before  we  rightly 
 maintained  that  the  union  of  believers,  in  concord  of  heart 
 and  soul,  ought  to  resemble  the  manner  of  the  Divine 
 unity,  and  the  essential  identity  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  and 
 Their  intimate  connexion  with  Each  Other ;  but  in  this 
 place  we  are  now  desirous  of  pointing  out  a  sort  of  natu- 
 ral unity  by  which  we  are  joined  into  each  other,  and  all 
 of  us  to  God,  not  altogether  falling  short  of  a  kind  of  phy- 
 sical unity,  I  mean  with  each  other,  even  though  we  are 
 distinguished  by  having  different  bodies,  each  one  of  us, 
 as  it  were,  retiring  to  his  own  personal  environment  and 
 
both  in  a  corporeal  and  a  spiritual  sense.      549 
 
 individuality.  For  Peter  cannot  be  Paul,  or  be  spoken  Chap.  ii. 
 of  as  such ;  or  again,  Paul  as  Peter,  even  though  both  g'f/"'  ' 
 be  in  fact  one,  after  the  manner  of  their  union  through 
 Christ.  Taking  for  granted,  then,  the  physical  unity  that 
 exists  between  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  also  of  course 
 the  Holy  Spirit  (for  we  believe  and  glorify  One  Godhead 
 in  the  Holy  Trinity),  let  us  further  inquire  in  what  man- 
 ner we  are  proved  to  be  one  with  each  other  and  with 
 God,  both  in  a  corporeal  and  a  spiritual  sense.  The 
 Only-begotten,  then,  proceeding  from  the  very  Substance 
 of  God  the  Father,  and  having  entirely  in  His  own 
 Nature  Him  That  begat  Him,  became  Flesh  according  to  Cf.  supra 
 the  Scripture,  blending  Himself,  as  it  were,  with  our  ^"  ^^' 
 nature  by  an  unspeakable  combination  and  union  with 
 this  body  that  is  earthy ;  and  thus  He  That  is  God  by 
 Nature  became,  and  is  in  truth,  a  Man  from  heaven  ;  not 
 inspired  merely,  as  some  of  those  who  do  not  rightly 
 understand  the  depth  of  the  mystery  imagine,  but  being 
 at  the  same  time  God  and  Man,  in  order  that,  uniting  as 
 it  were  in  Himself  things  widely  opposed  by  nature,  and 
 averse  to  fusion  with  each  other,  He  might  enable  man 
 to  share  and  partake  of  the  Nature  of  God.  For  even 
 unto  us  has  reached  the  fellowship  and  abiding  Presence 
 of  the  Spirit,  which  originated  through  Christ  and  in 
 Christ  first,  when  He  is  in  fact  become  even  as  we  are, 
 that  is,  a  Man,  receiving  unction  and  sanctification, 
 though  He  is  by  Nature  God,  insomuch  as  He  proceeded 
 from  the  Father  Himself,  sanctifying  with  His  own 
 Spirit  the  temple  of  His  Body  as  well  as  all  the  creation 
 that  to  Him  owes  its  being,  and  to  which  sanctification 
 is  suitable.  The  mystery,  then,  that  is  in  Christ  is  be- 
 come, as  it  were,  a  beginning  and  a  way  whereby  we  may 
 partake  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  union  with  God ;  for  in 
 Him  are  we  all  sanctified,  after  the  manner  I  have  just 
 indicated. 
 
 In  order,  then,  that  we  ourselves  also  may  join  together, 
 and  be  blended  into  unity  with  God  and  with  each  other, 
 although,  through  the  actual  difference  which  exists  in 
 
17. 
 
 xii.  27. 
 
 550       Corporeal  union  is  through  the  Eucharist, 
 
 Book  11.  each  one  of  us,  we  have  a  distinct  individuality  of  soul 
 
 c.xvii_  ,  ^^j  body,  the  Only-begotten  has  contrived  a  means 
 which  His  own  due  Wisdom  and  the  Counsel  of  the 
 Father  have  sought  out.  For  by  one  Body,  that  is,  His 
 own,  blessing  through  the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist 
 those  who  believe  on  Him,  He  makes  us  of  the  same 
 Body  with  Himself  and  with  each  other.  For  who  could 
 sunder  or  divide  from  their  natural  union  with  one  an- 
 other those  who  are  knit  together  through  His  Holy  Body, 
 
 1  Cor.  X.  Which  is  one  in  union  with  Christ  ?  For  if  we  all  partake 
 of  the  one  Bread,  we  are  all  made  one  Body ;  for  Christ 
 cannot  suffer  severance.     Therefore  also  the  Church  is 
 
 Cf.  ibid,  become  Christ's  Body,  and  we  are  also  individually  His 
 members,  according  to  the  wisdom  of  Paul.  For  we, 
 being  all  of  us  united  to  Christ  through  His  holy  Body, 
 inasmuch  as  we  have  received  Him  Who  is  one  and 
 indivisible  in  our  own  bodies,  owe  the  service  of  our 
 members  to  Him  rather  than  to  ourselves.  And  that, 
 while  Christ  is  accounted  the  Head,  the  Church  is  called 
 the  rest  of  the  Body,  as  joined  together  of  Christian 
 
 Eph.  iv.  members,  Paul  will  prove  to  us  by  the  words :  That 
 tve  may  be  no  longer  children,  tossed  to  and  fro  and 
 carried  about  with  every  ivind  of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight 
 of  men,  in  craftiness,  after  the  wiles  of  error  ;  but,  speak- 
 ing truth  in  love,  may  grow  up  in  all  things  into  Him, 
 Which  is  the  Head,  even  Christ;  from  Whom  all  the  Body, 
 fitly  framed  and  knit  together  through  that  ivhich  every 
 joint  supplieth,  according  to  the  tuorking  in  due  measure 
 of  each  several  member,  maketh  the  increase  of  the  Body 
 unto  the  building  uj)  of  itself  in  love.  And  that  those 
 who  partake  of  His  holy  Flesh  do  gain  therefrom  this 
 actual  physical  unity,  I  mean  with  Christ,  Paul  once 
 more  bears  witness,  when  he  says,  with  reference  to  the 
 
 Eph.  iii.  mystery  of  godliness:  Which  in  other  generations  ivas  not 
 made  known  unto  the  sons  of  men,  as  it  hath  noiu  been 
 revealed  unto  His  holy  Apostles  and  Prophets  in  the 
 Spirit;  to  ivit,  that  the  Gentiles  are  fellow-heirs  and 
 felloiu-p)aTtakers  of  the  promise  in  Christ.     And  if  we 
 
 14-16. 
 
 6. 
 
spiritual  union  is  through  the  Spirit.  551 
 
 are  all  of  us  of  the  same  Body  with  one  another  in  Chap.  ii. 
 Christ,  and  not  only  with  one  another,  but  also  of  ^•^^^^•2^' 
 course  with  Him  Who  is  in  us  through  His  Flesh,  are 
 we  not  then  all  of  us  clearly  one  both  with  one  another 
 and  with  Christ  ?  For  Christ  is  the  bond  of  union,  being 
 at  once  God  and  Man.  With  reference,  then,  to  the  unity 
 that  is  by  the  Spirit,  following  in  the  same  track  of 
 inquiry,  we  say  once  more,  that  we  all,  receiving  one 
 and  the  same  Spirit,  I  mean  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  in 
 some  sort  blended  together  with  one  another  and  with 
 God.  For  if,  we  being  many,  Christ,  Who  is  the  Spirit 
 of  the  Father  and  His  own  Spirit,  dwells  in  each  one  of 
 us  severally,  still  is  the  Spirit  one  and  indivisible,  bind- 
 ing together  the  dissevered  spirits  of  the  individualities 
 of  one  and  all  of  us,  as  we  have  a  separate  being,  in  His 
 own  natural  singleness  into  unity,  causing  us  all  to  be 
 shown  forth  in  Him,  through  Himself,  and  as  one.  For 
 as  the  power  of  His  holy  Flesh  maketh  those  in  whom 
 It  exists  to  be  of  the  same  Body,  so  likewise  also  the 
 indivisible  Spirit  of  God  That  abideth  in  all,  being  one, 
 bindeth  all  together  into  spiritual  unity.  Therefore  also 
 the  inspired  Paul  thus  addressed  us :  Forbearing  one  an-  Eph.  iv. 
 other  in  love;  giving  diligence  to  keep  the  unity  of  the 
 Spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace.  There  is  one  Body,  and  one 
 Spirit,  even  as  also  ye  vjere  called  in  one  hope  of  your 
 calling ;  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and 
 Father  of  all.  Who  is  over  all,  and  through  all,  and  in 
 all.  For  while  the  Spirit,  Which  is  One,  abideth  in  us, 
 the  One  God  and  Father  of  all  will  be  in  us,  binding 
 together  into  unity  with  each  other  and  with  Himself 
 whatsoever  partaketh  of  the  Spirit.  And  that  we  are 
 made  one  with  the  Holy  Spirit  through  partaking  of 
 It,  will  be  made  manifest  hereby.  For  if,  giving  up  the 
 natural  life,  we  have  surrendered  ourselves  wholly  to 
 the  laws  of  the  Spirit,  is  it  not  henceforth  beyond  ques- 
 tion, that  by  denying,  as  it  were,  our  own  lives,  and  tak- 
 ing upon  ourselves  the  transcendent  Likeness  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit,  Who  is  joined  unto  us,  we  are  well-nigh  trans- 
 
552  All  are  one  in  the  Holy  Trinity. 
 
 Book  11.  formed  into  another  nature,  so  to  say,  and  are  become 
 c.xvii.  ,  ^^  longer  mere  men,  but  also  sons  of  God,  and  heavenly 
 men,  through  having  been  proved  partakers  of  the  Divine 
 Nature  ?  We  are  all,  therefore,  one  in  the  Father,  and  the 
 Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit ;  one,  I  mean,  both  in  identity 
 of  mental  condition  (for  I  think  we  ought  not  to  forget 
 what  we  said  at  first),  and  also  in  conformity  to  the  life 
 of  righteousness,  and  in  the  fellowship  of  the  holy  Body 
 of  Christ,  and  in  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Which 
 is  One,  as  we  just  now  said. 
 
CHAPTER    XII. 
 
 That  the  Son  is  by  Nature  One  with  God  His  Fatlier,  though  He 
 says  that  He  received,  as  by  way  of  grace,  His  being  One  with 
 the  Father. 
 
 22  And  the  glory  ivhich  Thou  hast  given  Me  I  have  given  unto  Chap.  12. 
 
 23  them ;  thatthey  may  he  one,  even  as  We  are  One  :  I  in  them,  n'.f^"'"'"'' 
 ccnd  Thou  in  Me,  that  they  may  he  perfected  into  one  ;  that 
 
 the  loorld  may  know  that  Thou  didst  send  Me,  and  lovedst 
 them,  even  as  Thou  lovedst  Me. 
 
 We  say,  and  therein  we  are  justified,  that  the  Only- 
 begotten  hath  an  essential  and  natural  unity  with  His 
 Father,  insomuch  as  He  was  both  in  the  true  sense 
 begotten,  and  from  Him  proceeds,  and  is  in  Him  ;  and 
 though  He  seem  in  His  own  Person  to  have  a  separate 
 and  distinct  Being,  yet  that  He  is  accounted,  by  reason 
 of  His  innate  identity  of  Substance,  as  One  with  the 
 Father.  But  since,  in  His  Incarnation,  on  our  behalf,  in 
 order  to  save  our  souls.  He  abdicated,  as  it  were,  that 
 place  which  was  His  at  the  beginning,  I  mean  His 
 equality  with  God  the  Father,  and  appears  to  have  been 
 in  some  sort  so  far  removed  therefrom  as  to  have  stepped 
 outside  His  invisible  glory,  for  this  is  what  is  meant  by 
 the  expression,  He  made  Himself  of  no  reputation.  He  that  Cf.  Phil, 
 of  old  and  from  the  very  beginning  was  enthroned  with  "' 
 the  Father,  receives  this  as  a  gift  when  in  the  Flesh ;  His 
 earthy  and  mortal  frame  and  human  form,  which  was 
 actually  part  of  His  Nature,  of  necessity  requiring  as  a 
 gift  that  which  was  His  by  Nature ;  for  He  was  and  is 
 in  the  form  of  the  Father,  and  in  equality  with  Him. 
 Though,  therefore,  the  flesh  from  a  woman's  womb,  that 
 temple  wherewith  the  Virgin  endowed  Him,  was  not  in 
 
554  By  receiving  Christ 
 
 Book  11.  any  wise  consubstantial  with  God  the  Father,  nor  of 
 23.  """''  like  Nature  with  Him  ;  yet,  when  once  received  into  the 
 Body  of  the  Word,  henceforth  it  was  accounted  as  One 
 with  Him.  For  Christ  is  One,  and  the  Son  is  One,  even 
 when  He  became  Man.  In  this  aspect  of  His  Person 
 He  is  conceived  of  as  taken  into  union  with  the  Father, 
 being  admitted  thereto  even  in  the  Flesh,  which  originally 
 enjoys  not  union  with  God.  And,  to  speak  more  con- 
 cisely and  clearly,  the  Only-begotten  says,  that  that 
 which  was  given  unto  Him  was  given  to  His  Flesh  ; 
 given  too,  of  course,  wholly  by  the  Father,  through  Him- 
 self, in  the  Spirit.  For  in  no  other  way  than  this  can 
 union  with  God  be  effected,  even  in  the  case  of  Christ 
 Himself,  so  far  as  He  manifested  Himself  as,  and  indeed 
 became,  Man.  The  flesh,  that  is,  was  sanctified  by  union 
 with  the  Spirit,  the  twain  coming  together  in  an  in- 
 effable way ;  and  so  unconfusedly  attains  to  God  the 
 Word,  and  through  Him  to  the  Father,  in  habit  of  mind, 
 that  is,  and  not  in  any  physical  sense.  This  favour  and 
 glory  then.  He  says,  given  unto  Me,  O  Father,  by  Thee, 
 that  is,  the  glory  of  being  One  with  Thee,  /  have  given 
 unto  them,,  that  they  may  he  one,  even  as  We  are  One. 
 
 For  we  are  made  one  with  each  other  after  the  manner 
 already  indicated,  and  we  are  also  made  one  with  God. 
 And  in  what  sense  we  are  made  one  with  Him,  the  Lord 
 very  clearly  explained,  and  to  make  the  benefit  of  His 
 teaching  plain,  added  the  words:  /  in  them,  and  Thou  in 
 Me,  that  they  may  he  made  perfected  into  one.  For  the 
 Son  dwells  in  us  in  a  corporeal  sense  as  Man,  com- 
 mingled and  united  with  us  by  the  mystery  of  the 
 Eucharist ;  and  also  in  a  spiritual  sense  as  God,  by  the 
 effectual  working  and  grace  of  His  own  Spirit,  building 
 up  our  spirit  into  newness  of  life,  and  making  us  partakers 
 of  His  Divine  Nature.  Christ,  then,  is  seen  to  be  the 
 bond  of  union  between  us  and  God  the  Father ;  as  Man 
 making  us,  as  it  were,  His  branches,  and  as  God  by 
 Nature  inherent  in  His  own  Father.  For  no  otherwise 
 could  that  nature  which  is  subject  to  corruption  be  up- 
 
we  are  partakers  of  the  Divine  Nature.         555 
 
 lifted  into  incorruption,  but  by  the  coming  down  to  it  Chap.  12. 
 of  Tliat  Nature  Which  is  high  above  all  corruption  and  23^7"'^^' 
 variableness,  lightening  the  burthen  of  ever  sinking 
 humanity,  so  that  it  can  attain  its  own  good ;  and  by 
 drawing  it  into  fellowship  and  intercourse  with  Itself, 
 well-niffh  extricatina:  it  from  the  limitations  which  suit 
 the  creature,  and  fashioning  into  conformity  with  Itself 
 that  which  is  of  itself  contrary  to  It.  We  have,  therefore, 
 been  made  perfect  in  unity  with  God  the  Father,  through 
 the  mediation  of  Christ.  For  by  receiving  in  ourselves, 
 both  in  a  corporeal  and  spiritual  sense,  as  I  said  just 
 now,  Him  that  is  the  Son  by  Nature,  and  Who  has 
 essential  union  with  the  Father,  we  have  been  glorified 
 and  become  partakers  in  the  Nature  of  the  Most  High. 
 
 When  Christ  desires  us  to  be  admitted  to  union  with 
 God  the  Father,  He  at  the  same  time  calls  down  upon 
 our  nature  this  blessing  from  the  Father,  and  also 
 declares  that  the  power  which  the  grace  confers  will  be 
 a  convincing  refutation  of  those  who  think  that  He  is 
 not  from  God.  For  what  ground  will  there  be  any 
 longer  for  this  false  accusation,  if  of  Himself  He  exalts 
 to  union  with  the  Father  those  who  have  been  brought 
 near  to  Him  through  faith  and  sincere  love?  When, 
 then,  O  Father,  they  gain  union  with  Thee,  through 
 Me,  then  the  ivorld  will  knovj  that  Thou  didst  send  Me; 
 that  is,  that  I  came  to  succour  the  earth  by  Thy  loving- 
 kindness,  and  to  work  out  the  salvation  of  those  who 
 err  therein.  Besides,  none  the  less,  He  says,  will  they 
 know,  who  have  partaken  of  a  grace  so  acceptable,  that 
 Thou  lovedst  them,  even  as  Thou  lovedst  Me.  For  surely 
 He  that  received  into  union  with  Himself  Him  that 
 is  Man,  even  as  we  are,  that  is,  Christ,  and  deemed 
 Him  worthy  of  so  great  love  (we  are  arguing  here  con- 
 cerning Christ  as  Man),  and  gave  to  us  the  chance  of 
 gaining  this  blessing,  surely  He  would  speak  of  His  love 
 as  dealt  out  to  us  in  equal  measure.  And  let  not  any 
 attentive  hearer  be  perplexed  hereby.  For  it  is  clear 
 beyond  dispute,  that  the  servant  can  never  vie  with  his 
 
556  Christ  accepied  the  gift  for  us. 
 
 Book  11.  master,  and  that  the  Father  will  not  give  as  full  a 
 c.xvii.^  .  jjjgg^gypg  Qf  jjig  Iqyq  to  His  creatures,  as  to  His  own  Son. 
 But  we  must  consider  that  we  are  here  looking  upon 
 Him  That  is  beloved  from  everlasting,  as  commencing  to 
 be  loved  when  He  became  Man.  What,  therefore,  He 
 then,  as  it  were,  took  and  received,  we  shall  find  that  He 
 took  not  for  Himself,  but  for  us.  For  just  as,  when  He 
 lived  again  after  subduing  the  power  of  death.  He  ac- 
 complished not  His  Resurrection  for  Himself,  for  He 
 is  the  Word  and  God,  but  gave  us  this  blessing  through 
 Himself,  and  in  Himself  (for  man's  nature  was  in  Christ 
 in  its  entirety,  fast  bound  by  the  chains  of  death) ;  in 
 like  manner  we  must  suppose  that  He  received  the 
 Father's  love,  not  for  Himself,  because  He  was  con- 
 tinually beloved  of  Him  from  the  beginning,  but  rather 
 He  accepts  it  at  His  Hands  upon  His  Incarnation,  that 
 He  may  call  down  upon  us  the  Father's  love.  Just  as, 
 then,  we  shall  be,  nay,  we  are  even  now,  as  in  Christ 
 first  the  Firstfruits  of  our  race,  made  conformable  to  His 
 Resurrection  and  His  glory,  even  so  are  we,  as  it  were, 
 like  Him ;  beloved,  but  yielding  the  supremacy  in  all 
 things  to  the  Only-begotten,  and  justly  marvelling  at 
 the  incomparable  mercy  of  God,  shown  towards  us  ;  Who 
 showers,  as  it  were,  upon  us  the  things  that  are  His,  and 
 shares  with  His  creatures  what  appertains  to  Himself 
 alone. 
 
 24  Father,  those  tvhom  Thou  hast  given  Me,  I  ivill  that  wJiere  I 
 am,  tliey  also  may  he  with  Me ;  that  they  may  behold  My 
 glory,  lohich  Thou  hast  given  Me  :  for  Thou  lovedst  Me 
 before  the  foundation  of  the  tvorld. 
 
 After  having  prayed  for  His  '  disciples,  or  rather  all 
 those  who  come  to  Him  through  faith,  and  having 
 required  of  the  Father  that  they  may  have  union  with 
 Him,  and  love,  and  sanctification,  He  proceeds  at  once 
 to  add  these  words  ;  showing  that  to  live  with  Him  and 
 to  be  deemed  worthy  to  see  His  glory,  belongeth  only 
 to  those  who  have  been  already  united  to  the  Father 
 
The  blessedness  of  being  ivlth  Christ.  557 
 
 through  Him,  and  have   obtained  His  love,  which  He  Chap.  12. 
 
 must  be  conceived  to  enjoy  from  the  Father.     For  we 
 
 are  loved  as  sons,  according  as  we  are  like  Him  Who 
 
 is  actually  by  Nature  His  Son.     For  though  it  be  not 
 
 dealt  out  to  us  in  equal  measure,  yet  as  it  is  a  complete 
 
 semblance  of  the  love  the  Father  hath  for  the  Son,  and 
 
 is  coincident  therewith,  it  images  forth  the  glory  of  the 
 
 Son.    /  ^uill,  therefore,  He  says,  0  Father,  that  those  who 
 
 are  Mine,  through  their  coming  to  Me  through  faith,  and 
 
 the  light  that  proceedeth  from  Thee,  may  be  with  Me 
 
 and  see  My  glory.     And  what  language  can  reveal  the 
 
 greatness  of  the  blessing  which  is  implied  in  being  with 
 
 Christ  Himself?     For  we  shall  enjoy  ineffable  fruition 
 
 of  soul,  and  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  mind  1  Cor.  ii. 
 
 conceived,  what  God  hath  prepared  for  those  tlicd  love  ^' 
 
 Him.     For  what  thing  that  maketh  for  the  fulness  of 
 
 joy  can  be  lacking  to  those  who  have  allotted  to  them 
 
 the  portion  of  being  with  Christ  Himself,  the  Lord  of 
 
 all  1   Yea,  the  wise  and  holy  Paul  seems  to  have  thought 
 
 it  a  thing  surpassing  conception,  for  he  says,  to  depart  Phil.i.23, 
 
 and  be  luith  Christ  is  far  better.     And  surely  he  that 
 
 preferred    this    great    and    acceptable    reward    to    this 
 
 world's  life,  will  bear  us   true  testimony  that  great  is 
 
 the  blessing  of  converse  with  Him  which  He  confers 
 
 on  His   own ;    He    that    giveth    all   things   to    all    men 
 
 plenteously.     And   the    word    spoken  through  him   to  Cf.  2  Cor. 
 
 us   will    also    help    to    support    our    contention.      For 
 
 having  in   himself  Christ   speaking,  and  revealing   the  Heb.vi.5. 
 
 poxvers    of  the   age   to  come,  he  spoke   also   after  this 
 
 manner:    For   the  dead   shall   rise,  he    says,  and   also  iThess. 
 
 we   that    are    alive,  that    are    left,   shall   together   with  ^^'    '    ' 
 
 them  be  caught  up  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in 
 
 the  air :  and  so  shall  lue  ever  be  ivith  the  Lord.    Further, 
 
 our  Lord  Himself  plainly  promised   us    this    blessing, 
 
 saying  :  /  go  and  luill  prepare  a  'place  for  you.    I  will  Supra 
 
 come   again,  and   will  receive  you  with  Myself ;   that  ^^^' 
 
 where  I  am,  there  ye  may  be  cdso  with  Me. 
 
 For  either,  without  thinking  deeply  on  the  subject, 
 
558  The  inire  will  behold  His  glory. 
 
 Book  11.  WG   shall  readily  conclude  that   our  abiding  home  in 
 C.XV11.24.  i^ga^ygj^  is  meant,  or,  following  another  line  of  thought, 
 we  shall  suppose  that  the  same  place  will  be  allotted 
 to  us  as  to  Christ ;  that  is,  similar  and  analogous  honours, 
 according  to  our  likeness  to  Himself.     For  we  shall  be 
 Phil.  iii.  conformed  to   His  glory,  and   shall  reign  tuith  Hir)i, 
 &  2  Tim   according  to  Holy  Writ ;    and  He  promises  that,  like 
 ii-  12-       as  He  is  wont,  we  shall  also  be  enthroned  in  the  king- 
 dom of  the  heavens. 
 
 Leaving,  then,  for  the  present,  as  beyond  dispute,  any 
 
 further  proof  that  we  shall  be  with  Christ  and  share 
 
 His  glory,  and  be  partakers  in  His  kingdom,  we  proceed 
 
 to  the  other  point,  I  mean  the  words,  that  they   r)%ay 
 
 behold  My  glory.      Not,  therefore,  to    the   profane   and 
 
 sinners,  nor  to  those  who   dishonour  the   law  of  God, 
 
 will  it  be  given  to  gaze  on  the  vision  of  Christ's  glory ; 
 
 but  only  to  the  holy  and  righteous.     This  also  we  may 
 
 Is.  xxvi.  know  by  the  prophet's  words :  Let  the  impious  man  be 
 
 ^  '  taken  away,  that  he  see  not  the  glory  of  the  Lord ;  and 
 
 S.  Matt,  in  the  Gospel  message  of  our  Saviour  Christ :  Blessed 
 
 ^"  ^*        are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shcdl  see  God.    And  who 
 
 can  the  pure  in  heart  be  but  they  who,  by  union  with 
 
 God,  through  the  Son,  in  the  Spirit,  have  rid  themselves 
 
 of  fleshly  lusts,  and  put  far  away  from  them  the  pleasure 
 
 of  the  world,  and  have,  as  it  were,  denied  their  own  lives, 
 
 and  resigned  them  wholly  to  the  Will  of  the  Spirit,  and 
 
 who  are  in  all  purity  and  sincerity  fellow-citizens  with 
 
 Christ ;  such  as  was  Paul,  who  out  of  his  own  exceeding 
 
 Gal.ii.20.  purity  feared   not  to  say :  /  have  been  crucified  xvith 
 
 Christ,  yet  L  live  ;  and  yet  no  longer  I,  but  Christ  liveth 
 
 in  me  ?   I  hear  also  the  voice  of  another  of  the  Saints 
 
 Ps.ii.io-  in  his  song:  3fake  me  a  pure  heart,  0  God,  and  reneiu 
 
 a  right  spirit  within  me.     Cast  me  not  cnvay  from  Thy 
 
 presence,  and  take  not  Thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me,    Give 
 
 me  again  the  comfort  of  Thy  salvation,  and  establish 
 
 me  with  Thy  free   Spirit.     He  calleth  the   Spirit   the 
 
 comfort  of  salvation,  as  giving  men  joy  unceasing  and 
 
 perpetual,  and  affording  them  guidance  through  all  the 
 
Mans  redemption  foreknoivn  by  the  Father.     559 
 
 changes  and  chances  of  the  world ;  for  the  Spirit  be-  Chap.  12. 
 longeth  to  the  only  true  Saviour,  that  is,  Christ.  He  <^-^'^"-2'*' 
 giveth  Him  many  names,  and  adds  a  pure  heart  to 
 his  prayer,  and  straightway  invokes  the  Spirit ;  since 
 they  who  are  not  yet  united  unto  God,  and  made  par- 
 takers of  Christ's  blessing  through  the  Spirit,  have  not 
 a  perfect  heart,  but  rather  one  that  is  fro  ward  and 
 distraught. 
 
 To  sum  it  up,  therefore,  in  brief:  Christ  desired  that 
 to  His  followers  might  be  granted  in  special  the  blessing 
 of  being  with  Him,  and  beholding  His  glory ;  for  He 
 says  that  He  was  loved  even  before  the  foundation  of 
 the  world,  hereby  clearly  showing  how  ancient  was  the 
 great  mystery  of  the  redemption  He  wrought  for  us, 
 and  that  the  way  of  our  salvation,  effected  through  the 
 mediation  of  Christ,  was  foreknown  by  God  the  Father, 
 This  knowledge  was  not,  indeed,  vouchsafed  to  men  upon 
 earth  at"  the  beginning,  but  the  Law  intervened,  which 
 was  our  schoolmaster  to  teach  us  the  Divine  life,  creatine: 
 in  us  a  dim  knowledge  through  types,  God  the  Father 
 keeping  for  the  fitting  time  the  blessing  through  the 
 Saviour.  And  this  knowledge  seems  to  us  of  much 
 avail  to  show  how  groundless  was  the  scorn  and  impious 
 murmuring  of  the  children  of  Israel,  who  chose  con- 
 tinually to  advocate  the  Law,  even  when  at  the  advent 
 of  the  truth,  they  ought  henceforth  to  have  made  of  no 
 account  the  types ;  and  it  seems  very  useful  also  to 
 controvert  the  others  who  think  that  the  counsel  of  the 
 Father,  Which  contrived  the  great  mystery  of  our  re- 
 demption, was  an  afterthought.  Therefore  also  Paul 
 said  concerning  Christ  (destroying  the  contention  of 
 those  who  hold  this  view),  that  He  was  foreknown  before  1  S.  Pet. 
 the  foundation  of  the  world,  but  was  revealed  at  the 
 last  times. 
 
 We  must  observe,  also,  that  He  says  that  the  Father 
 had  given  unto  Him  the  disciples  themselves,  as  well 
 as  Divine  glory  and  universal  dominion ;  not  in  His 
 character  as  by  Nature  God,  the  Lord  of  all,  Who  there- 
 
560      Why  did  Christ  use  the  word  "  rigldeous  ?  " 
 
 Book  11.  fore  has  kingly  dignity  inherent  in  Himself,  but  rather 
 c.xvii.^  .  -j^  g^   £^^  ^g  jjg  manifested  Himself  as   man,  who  has 
 
 all  things  as  gifts  from  God,  and  not  as  his  birthright. 
 For  the  created  world  receives  everything  from  God ; 
 and  nothing  at  all  that  is  in  it  is  its  own,  though  it 
 appear  to  possess  things  that  are  good. 
 
 25      0  righteous  Father,  the  zvorlcl  knew  Thee  not,  hut  I  hnexu 
 Thee  ;  and  these  knew  that  Thou  didst  send  Me. 
 
 He  here  calls  the  Father  righteous,  where  He  might 
 have  used  another  title.  For  He  is  holy,  pure,  undefiled. 
 Maker  and  Creator  of  the  world,  and  whatever  else 
 befits  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe.  It  is  very  desirable, 
 then,  to  inquire  why  Christ  entitled  Him  righteous, 
 when  He  might  have  given  Him  another  name.  It 
 will,  then,  be  productive  to  us  of  much  profit,  if  we  do 
 not  allow  any  passages  of  Holy  Writ  to  escape  us. 
 When,  then,  Christ  desired  us  to  be  sanctified  by  the 
 favour  of  His  Father,  fulfilling  Himself  the  character 
 of  Advocate  and  Mediator,  He  made  His  intercession 
 Supra  for  US  in  the  words :  Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  Thy 
 Ti'  ■^■^'  Truth;  meaning  by  Tridh  nothing  but  His  own  Spirit, 
 by  Whom  He  secureth  our  souls,  sealing  them  in  His 
 Likeness,  and  edifying  them,  as  it  were,  by  His  ineffable 
 power,  so  that  courage  is  undaunted  ;  and  exhorting  us  to 
 manifest  unrestrained  zeal  in  abundant  good  works,  and 
 to  let  nothing  stand  in  our  way,  or  avail  to  call  us  back, 
 that  so  we  may  hasten  eagerly  on  our  course  to  do  God's 
 pleasure,  and  may  set  at  naught  the  manifold  inventions 
 of  the  devil  and  the  pleasures  of  the  world.  For  they 
 who  have  once  been  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  who 
 receive  into  their  minds  the  earnest  of  His  grace,  have 
 S.  Luke  their  hearts  fortified,  as  they  are  girded  with  jjower  from 
 ^^^'  ■  on  high.  Christ,  therefore,  besought  the  Father  that 
 He  would  sanctify  us,  in  order  that  we  might  enjoy 
 blessings  so  acceptable.  Here,  too,  I  think,  He  seems  to 
 have  some  such  idea  in  His  mind.  For  besides  what 
 He  said  about  our  need  of  sanctification  from  the  Father, 
 
Because  He  sent  Christ  into  the  %oorld.        561 
 
 He  also  added  these  words  concerning  us  :  And  the  glory  Chap.  12, 
 ivhich  Thou  hast  given  Me  I  have   given  unto  them ;  ^^''^^^^^' 
 that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  We  are  One ;  for  Thou  w.  22- 
 lovedst   them,  even    as   Thou   lovedst   Me ;    and   again :     * 
 Father,  those  whom   Thou  hast  given  Me,  I  ivill  that 
 where  I  am,  they  also  may  be  luitJi  Me. 
 
 After  thus  speaking,  He  straightway  calls  the  Father 
 righteous,  and  with  reason ;  for  by  His  approval  and 
 consent  the  Son  became  Man,  that  He  might  endow  the 
 nature  of  man,  which  was  created  for  good  works,  with  Eph.  ii. 
 sanctification  through  the  Spirit,  and  union  with  God,  and  ^^' 
 with  an  abiding  place  in  the  mansions  above,  there  to 
 live  and  reign  with  Him.  For  God  did  not  create  man 
 at  the  beginning  to  work  wickedness  ;  but  his  nature  was 
 perverted  into  vice  by  the  impious  wiles  of  the  devil,  and 
 was  led  astray  from  its  guidance  of  old  by  the  hand  of 
 God,  and,  as  it  were,  upheaved  from  its  foundation.  Truly, 
 it  well  beseemed  the  righteous  Father  to  lift  up  again 
 that  human  nature  which  had  been  cast  down  through 
 the  devil's  malice,  and  to  establish  in  its  former  position 
 that  which  had  been  unduly  debased,  and  to  rid  it  of  the 
 foulness  of  sin,  and,  as  it  were,  transform  it  into  its  original 
 image  as  it  had  been  at  first  created,  and  also  to  subject 
 the  adversary  that  assaulted  man  and  impiously  dared 
 to  compass  his  ruin,  that  is,  Satan,  to  the  vengeance  that 
 was  meet;  though  methinks  any  kind  of  chastisement 
 were  slight  for  him  who  exhibited  such  madness  against 
 God.  Therefore  He  saith :  0  righteous  Father — for  Thou  Ps.  cxix. 
 art  righteous  and  good,  and  true  is  Thy  judgment;  for  ^^'' 
 Thou  hast  sent  down  Me,  Who  am  Thine  own  true  Son,  to 
 the  world  to  succour  and  renew  it.  But,  alas  for  the 
 blindness  of  the  world!  He  says :  For  though  Thou  wert 
 such  as  I  have  said,  the  vjorld  knew  Thee  not.  For 
 surely  they  should  straightway  have  seen  the  loving-kind- 
 ness of  Thy  judgment  and  Thy  merciful  Will,  and  should 
 have  hastened  to  welcome  their  Saviour,  and  have  brought 
 Him  willing  service. 
 
 Christ,  then,  held  this  discourse  with  the  Father,  offer- 
 
 VOL.  II.  u  o 
 
562  The  disciples  were  out  of  the  world 
 
 Book  11.  ing  up,  as  it  were,  thanks  on  our  behalf  and  for  our  sake, 
 c.xvii.-  .  ij^Q^gjj2U(j]2  as  He,  in  His  righteousness,  had  vouchsafed 
 salvation  to  those  who  had  suffered  through  the  devil's 
 malice,  and  had  doomed  the   devil   to  perdition.     And 
 the  world.  He  says,  that  is,  they  who  oppose  the  Divine 
 message  of  the  Gospel  through  their  worldly-mindedness, 
 2  Cor.  iv.  have  not  learnt  that  the  Father  is  righteous,  for  the  god 
 of  this  tvorld  hath  blinded  the  miinds  of  the  unbelieving, 
 as  Paul  says,  that  the  light  of  the  Gospel  of  the  glory  of 
 Christ  should  not  dawn  upon  them.     But  He  bore  witness 
 to  His  own  disciples  that  they  knew  and  understood  Him, 
 and  hereby  He  endows  them  once  more  with  a  great  and 
 enviable  dignity.     For  He  shows  them  to  be  far  above 
 all  the  humiliation  and  contumely  of  the  world,  through 
 their  knowledge  of  the  Father,  and  clearly  also  through 
 their  confession  that  Christ  was  the  Son,    When,  there- 
 fore, at  the  same  time  as  the  charge  was  brought  against 
 the  world  that  it  knew  not  the  Father,  that  is,  the  true 
 and  living  God,  He  bore  witness  to  the  disciples  that 
 they  knew  Him,  is  it  not  henceforth  quite  beyond  dispute, 
 that   they  were   not  of  the  world  now  that  they  had 
 become  Christ's,  Who  is  above  the  world,  according  to  the 
 Gal.  vi.    saying  of  Paul :  Through  which   the   world   hath  been 
 Ibid        crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  luorld;  who  saith  again 
 V.  24.       concerning  us :  And  they  that  are  of  Christ  Jesus  have 
 crucified  the  flesh  with  the  passions  and  the  lusts  thereof? 
 When  we  say  that  the  disciples  were  out  of  the  world,  we 
 do  not  mean  that  they  were  absent  so  far  as  their  bodies 
 Phil.  ii.    and  position  in  space  were  concerned,  for  they  appear  as 
 ■^^'  lights  in  the  world,  holding  forth  the  Word  of  Life.  We 
 
 rather  mean  that,  while  they  still  walked  upon  earth,  they 
 were  citizens  of  heaven ;  and  that,  bidding  farewell  to  the 
 lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  lifting  their  minds  high  above  all 
 worldly  desire,  they  had  attained  to  an  exceeding  height 
 Ps. xlvii.  of  virtue,  according  to  the  saying  in  the  Psalms:  The 
 ^'  mighty   m^en  of  God  have  been  exalted  high  above  the 
 
 earth.    For  they  who  have  reached  true  manliness  through 
 God  have  put  aside  the  grovelling  thoughts  of  earth,  and 
 
by  their  knowledge  of  the  Father  and  Son.     563 
 
 turned  their  minds  heavenward ;  for  this,  I  think,  is  the  ^^^T:Vi' 
 meaning  of  the  word  exalted.  The  world  then,  He  says, 
 O  Father,  knew  not  Thee  in  Thy  righteousness.  But  I 
 know  Thee,  for  I  am  Thy  Counsel  and  Wisdom.  I 
 regarded  not  the  glory  and  Divine  dignity  that  is  Mine 
 by  Nature,  but  humbled  Myself,  and  descended  to  human 
 poverty,  that  I  might  save  with  Thine  approval  the  race 
 that  had  fallen  away  from  kinship  with  Us.  Though 
 the  world  knew  not  this,  yet  were  the  disciples  em-iched 
 with  this  knowledge,  and  verily  comprehended  that  Thou 
 hast  sent  Me ;  that  is,  that  I  have  come  to  bring  Thy  pur- 
 pose to  a  glorious  issue,  by  rescuing  the  world  which 
 was  in  peril. 
 
 26  And  I  made  known  unto  them  Thy  Name,  and  will  make 
 it  known;  that  the  love  wherewith  Thou  lovedst  Me  may  he 
 in  them,  and  I  in  them. 
 
 He  says  that  knowledge  of  God  the  Father  was  at 
 once  in  Him  and  in  the  disciples  who  attended  Him. 
 And,  lest  any  man  should  be  beguiled  into  gross  extra- 
 vagances of  opinion,  and  think  that  His  disciples  had 
 this  knowledge  in  an  equal  degree  with  Himself,  Christ 
 at  once  distinguishes  between  them  and  Himself,  and 
 makes  the  difference  very  clear,  showing  that  He  revealed 
 God  unto  them,  while  they,  through  Him,  received  know- 
 ledge. For  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  He  is  the  Word, 
 and  Counsel,  and  Wisdom  of  the  Father,  intuitively  knows 
 what  is  in  Him,  and  concerns  Himself  about  His  Father's 
 most  secret  thoughts;  just  as,  indeed,  the  mind  of  a  man 
 knows  what  is  in  him,  and  as  nothing  that  is  in  our 
 hearts  is  hidden  from  our  human  understanding  The 
 inspired  disciples,  on  the  other  hand,  do  not  enjoy,  as  the 
 fruit  of  their  own  understanding,  the  ability  to  form  any 
 conception  about  God ;  but,  through  the  light  of  the  Spirit, 
 lay  hold  of  the  true  meaning  of  the  mysteries  of  the  Son, 
 and  so  are  enabled  to  know  the  Father.  Very  appropriately, 
 then,  and  to  our  profit, Christ  added  thewords:  Andlmade 
 hnoiun  unto  them  Thy  Nannie,  and  will  make  it  knoivn.  ' 
 
 0  0  2 
 
564      The  miitiial  revelation  of  Father  and  Son 
 
 Book  11.  Observe,  too,  how  Both  Persons,  I  mean  the  Father  and 
 c.xvn,26.  ^^Q  gQj^^  effectually  work  together  to  make  the  Godhead 
 comprehensible  to  men.  For  the  Father  makes  us  wise 
 by  revealing  to  us  His  own  Son,  and  none  the  less  also 
 the  Son  makes  us  wise  by  revealing  to  us  the  Father. 
 To  the  blessed  Peter,  moreover,  He  spake  these  words, 
 s.  Matt,  about  the  parts  of  Ccesarea  called  Philip])i:  Blessed  art 
 j^"  '  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona ;  forjiesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
 it  unto  thee,  hut  My  Father  Which  is  in  heaven.  For  the 
 disciple  confessed  and  maintained  his  belief  that  He  was 
 Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  And  now  He  says,  con- 
 cerning Himself:  I  made  known  unto  them  Thy  Name, 
 and  ivill  make  it  hnotvn.  For  the  Only-begotten  ceaseth 
 not  to  reveal  unto  us  the  meaning  of  the  mystery  concern- 
 ing Himself,  as  He  revealed  it  to  His  first  followers  at  the 
 beginning ;  and  this  He  doeth  continually,  implanting  in 
 each  of  us  the  light  of  the  Spirit,  and  guiding  those  that 
 love  Him  to  knowledge  of  those  things  which  pass  their 
 understanding  and  conception.  What  His  purpose  is, 
 and  what  kind  of  benefit  He  will  confer  on  us  by  His 
 declaration  that  He  had  aheady  revealed  the  Father 
 unto  the  disciples,  and  would  also  make  Him  known  to 
 theii"  successors,  He  pointed  out  to  us,  when  He  said, 
 that  the  love  wherewith  Thou  lovedst  Me  may  be  in  them, 
 and  I  in  them.  For  they  who  have  been  able,  by 
 purity  of  thought,  to  know  God  the  Father,  and  have 
 been  throughly  instructed  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
 mystery  that  is  in  Christ,  will  wholly  gain  and  in- 
 disputably enjoy  the  perfect  love  of  the  Father,  like 
 unto  the  Son.  For  the  Father  loves  His  Son  with  a 
 perfect  love ;  and  Christ  also  Himself  abideth  in  Him, 
 through  the  Holy  Spirit,  uniting,  through  Himself,  into 
 spiritual  fellowship  with  God  the  Father  him  that 
 knows  Him,  and  is  in  travail,  as  it  were,  with  the 
 unperverted  word  of  Divine  Truth.  He  makes  known 
 to  us  the  Name  of  the  Father  by  declaring  to  us  Him- 
 self, Who  is  His  Son.  For  hand  in  hand  with  the 
 knowledge  of  Him  That  was  begotten  will  be  closely 
 
demonstrates  the  Divinity  of  the  Son.         565 
 
 linked  the  knowledge  of  Him  That  begat  Him,  just  Chap.  12. 
 as  the  converse  is  also  true.  And  if  the  saying  is  true,  2".  '  * 
 and  to  be  accepted  without  question,  that  the  conception 
 of  the  Son  is  necessarily  implied  in  that  of  the  Father, 
 and  so  also  the  conception  of  the  Father  in  that  of 
 the  Son,  and  the  knowledge  of  One  is  contained  in 
 the  knowledge  of  the  Other ;  how  can  the  Son  any 
 more  be  a  creature,  as  some  impious  men  say?  For 
 if  a  man  speak  of  the  Son,  he  thereby  instils  the  idea 
 of  a  Father  in  his  hearers ;  while  if  he  were  to  call 
 Him  a  creature,  he  leads  them  on  to  the  conception 
 of  a  maker.  But  as  the  Son  calls  God  Father,  not 
 Maker  or  Creator,  He  is  clearly  conscious  that  He  is 
 Himself  in  fact  a  Son.  Therefore  the  Son  is  deemed, 
 and  is,  a  Son,  and  not  a  creature,  as  they  say,  which 
 would  imply  that  He  That  made  Him  was  His  Creator, 
 and  not  His  Father.  And  the  force  of  the  argument 
 will  be  no  whit  damaged  by  the  fact,  that  the  title 
 of  child  or  son  is  accounted  human.  For  the  attri- 
 butes which  peculiarly  and  especially  belong  to  Him, 
 as  being  by  Nature  the  Son  of  God  His  Father,  these 
 were  brought  down  even  to  us ;  Holy  Writ  often  so 
 applying  them  on  occasion,  and  at  times  investing 
 those  who  are  sons  by  adoption  with  the  attributes 
 of  a  son  by  nature.  And  it  is  no  marvel,  if  we  also 
 have  obtained  the  title  of  son,  and  that  God  has  thus 
 chosen  to  honour  us  in  His  loving-kindness,  as  He 
 has  even  called  those  gods  who  are  avowedly  sprung 
 from  the  earth. 
 
 xviii.  1      When  Jesus  had  spoken  these   words,  He  went  forth 
 
 with  His   disci2)les   over  the    brook   Cedrmi,   where   was   a 
 
 garden,  into  the  which  He  entered.  Himself  and  His  disciples. 
 
 2     IVow  Judas  also,  which  betrayed  Him,  knew  tJie  place :  for 
 
 Jesus  ofttimes  resorted  thitlier  vnth  His  disciples. 
 
 After  having  enlightened  His  disciples,  and  turned 
 them  by  suitable  instruction  to  all  those  things  that 
 make  for  righteousness,  and  after  having  bidden  them 
 
566  Christ  shrank  not  from  suffering. 
 
 Book  11.  choose  the  life  which  is  most  spiritual  and  pleasing 
 ,c.xviii.  .  ^^  God,  and  besides  also  promising  Himself  to  fulfil 
 them  with  spiritual  graces,  and  saying  that  blessings 
 from  the  Father  above  would  be  showered  down  upon 
 them,  Jesus  goes  forth  readily,  not  shrinking  from 
 the  time  of  His  suffering,  nor  yet  fearing  to  die  for 
 all  men.  For  what  likelihood  could  there  be  that 
 He  should  do  this,  Who  was  brought  face  to  face  with 
 suffering,  that,  by  His  own  agony.  He  might  purchase 
 exemption  for  all ;  when,  too,  for  this  purpose  only  He 
 had  come,  that  He  might  by  His  own  Blood  reconcile 
 the  whole  earth  to  God  the  Father?  It  is  true,  that 
 often  when  the  Jews  chose  to  rage  against  Him,  and 
 attempted  in  their  fury  to  stone  Him,  He  escaped  by 
 His  Divine  power,  rendering  Himself  invisible,  and 
 withdrawing  Himself  with  the  greatest  ease  from  the 
 reach  of  those  who  sought  Him ;  for  He  was  not 
 willing  yet  to  suffer,  the  fitting  time  not  yet  calling 
 Him  thereto.  But,  as  the  time  had  now  come,  Christ 
 left  the  house  where  He  had  instructed  His  disciples 
 in  the  mystery,  and  came  to  the  place  whither  He 
 Himself,  the  Saviour  of  all  mankind,  was  wont  often 
 to  resort,  together  with  His  holy  disciples.  He  did  this, 
 too,  from  a  wish  to  make  it  easy  for  the  traitor  to 
 find  Him.  The  place  was  a  garden,  typifying  the  Para- 
 dise of  old.  For  in  it,  as  it  were,  all  places  were 
 summed  up  ;  and  in  it  was  consummated  our  return 
 to  man's  ancient  condition.  For  in  Paradise  the  trou- 
 bles of  mankind  had  their  origin ;  while  in  the  garden 
 began  Christ's  sufFerine;,  which  brought  us  deliverance 
 from  all  evil  that  had  befallen  us  in  time  past. 
 
 3  Judas  then,  having  received  the  band  of  soldiers  and  officers 
 from  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees,  cometh  thither,  with 
 lanterns,  and  torches,  and  %vea2)ons. 
 
 Very  appropriately,  then,  the  inspired  Evangelist  says 
 that  Jesus  was  in  the  garden,  when  no  number  of  men, 
 nor  any  crowd,  were  congregating  together,  or  contem- 
 
The  utter  madness  of  Judas.  567 
 
 plated  coming  to  His  succour ;  and  that  He  was  alone  Chap.  12. 
 with  His  disciples,  that  He  might  display,  in  all  its  •^^"^* 
 nakedness,  the  great  folly  of  the  thoughts  the  traitor 
 harboured  in  his  heart.  For  our  conscience  is  very 
 apt  to  create  alarms  in  us,  and  torment  us  with  the 
 pangs  of  cowardice,  whenever  we  are  bent  on  any  unholy 
 deed.  Such,  I  think,  was  the  state  of  the  traitor's  mind, 
 when  he  brought  in  his  train  the  cohort,  armed  with 
 weapons  of  war,  together  with  the  officers  of  the  Jews, 
 as  though  to  capture  a  notorious  malefactor.  For  in  all 
 likelihood  he  knew  that  he  could  never  take  Him,  unless 
 He  chose  to  suffer,  and  encountered  death  by  His  own 
 Will.  But  he  had  his  understanding  perverted  by  his 
 unholy  enterprise,  and  was,  as  it  were,  intoxicated  by 
 his  own  excessive  audacity ;  and  so  he  did  not  see  whither 
 he  was  tending,  nor  perceive  that  he  was  attempting 
 what  it  was  beyond  his  power  to  perform.  For  he 
 thought,  that  by  the  multitude  erf  his  followers,  and 
 by  the  hand  of  man,  he  could  prevail  over  the 
 Divine  power  of  Christ.  And  be  not  amazed  that  the 
 miserable  man  should  be  afflicted  with  such  madness, 
 and  be  convicted  of  conceiving  so  ridiculous  an  idea. 
 For  when  he  gave  up  the  rudder  of  his  mind  into  another's 
 hand,  and  sold  to  the  devil  the  power  over  his  desires, 
 he  was  wholly  possessed  by  his  madness;  for  the  devil 
 leapt  upon  him  once  for  all,  and  nestled  in  his  bosom 
 like  a  poisonous  snake.  Surely,  one  may  well  wonder 
 at  the  traitor's  fall,  and  find  in  it  cause  for  ceaseless 
 weeping.  He  that  had  just  been  supping  with  Christ, 
 and  shared  His  food,  and  partaken  at  the  Holy  Table, 
 and,  equally  with  the  rest,  had  had  the  benefit  of  His 
 words  exhorting  unto  righteousness,  and  had  heard  Him 
 declare  plainly  that  one  of  you  shall  betray  Me,  so  to  say.  Supra 
 leapt  up  from  his  seat  at  that  very  Table,  and  straightway,  ^"^'  * 
 after  reclining  with  Him  at  the  Board,  hurried  ofi"  to  the 
 Jews  to  earn  the  reward  of  his  treachery.  He  gave  no 
 thought  to  Christ's  inspiring  words,  entertained  not  the 
 desire  of  future  glory,  and  paid  no  heed  to  the  honour 
 
568  TJte  folly  of  the  crotud. 
 
 Book  11.  given  unto  him ;  in  short,  preferred  before  the  perfect 
 
 c.x\  111.4-  blessedness,  which  has  no  end,  a  mean  and  paltry  sum 
 of  money,  and  proved  himself  the  net  and  snare  where- 
 with the  devil  entrapped  Christ,  the  prime  mover  and 
 fellow-worker  with  the  Jews  in  their  iniquity  against 
 God. 
 
 The  following  thought,  too,  moves  my  scorn  in  no  small 
 degree.  The  crowd  that  attended  the  traitor,  when  they 
 made  their  attack  upon  Christ,  carried  lanterns  and 
 torches.  They  would  seem  to  have  guarded  against 
 stumbling  in  the  dark,  and  falling  into  pitfalls  unawares, 
 for  such  accidents  often  happen  in  darkness.  But,  alas 
 for  their  blindness !  The  miserable  men,  in  their  gross 
 ignorance,  did  not  perceive  that  they  were  stumbling  on 
 
 Eom.  ix.  the  stone  concerning  which  God  the  Father  says :  Behold, 
 I  lay  in  Sion  a  Stone  of  stuTixhling  and  a  Rock  of  offence. 
 They  who  were  on  occasion  seized  with  fear  of  a  small 
 pitfall,  saw  not  that 'they  were  rushing  into  the  depths 
 of  the  abyss,  and  the  very  bowels  of  the  earth  ;  and  they, 
 who  were  suspicious  of  the  twilight  of  evening,  took  no 
 account  of  perpetual  and  endless  night.  For  they  who 
 impiously  plotted  against  the  Light  of  God,  that  is,  Christ, 
 
 Is.  lix.  9.  were  doomed  to  ivalk  in  darkness  and  the  dead  of  night, 
 as  the  prophet  says  ;  and  not  only  so,  but  also  to  vanish 
 away  into  outer  darkness,  there  to  give  an  account  of 
 their  impiety  against  Christ,  and  to  be  consigned  to  bitter 
 and  endless  punishment. 
 
 4  Jesus  therefore,  knotting  all  the  things  that  ivere  coming 
 upon  Him,  toent  forth,  and  saith  unto  them,  Whom  seek  ye  f 
 
 5  They  answered  Him,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.     Jesus  saith  unto 
 them,  I  am  He.      And  Judas  also,  which  betrayed  Him, 
 
 6  teas  standing  unth  them.       When  therefore  He  said  unto 
 them,  I  am  He,  they  vient  backward,  and  fell  to  the  ground. 
 
 During  the  night  the  traitor  appeared,  bringing  with 
 him  the  servants  of  the  Jews  together  with  the  band  of 
 soldiers.     For,  as  we  said  just  now,  he  thought  that  he 
 
Christ  manifested  His  Divine  Power.  569 
 
 would  take  Him  even  against  His  will,  trusting  in  the  Chap.  12. 
 number  of  his  followers,  and  believing  that  he  would  q 
 find  Him  lingering  in  the  spot  whither  He  was  wont  to 
 resort,  and  that  day  had  not  yet  dawned  to  allow  of  His 
 going  forth  elsewhere,  but  that  night  would  be  still 
 detaining  the  Lord  in  the  place  of  His  lying  down. 
 Christ,  then,  in  order  to  show  that  Judas,  in  holding 
 either  view,  had  been  regarding  Him  as  a  mere  Man,  and 
 that  his  plans  were  vain,  anticipates  their  attack  and 
 goes  out  readily  to  meet  them ;  showing  thereby  that  He 
 well  knew  what  Judas  presumed  to  attempt,  and  that, 
 though  it  were  easy  for  Him,  through  His  foreknowledge, 
 to  escape  unawares,  He  went  of  His  own  Will  to  meet 
 His  sufferings,  and  was  not,  by  the  malice  of  any  man, 
 involved  in  peril ;  to  the  intent  that  the  scorn  of  philo- 
 sophers among  the  Greeks  might  not  be  moved  thereby, 
 who,  in  their  levity,  make  the  Cross  a  stumblingblock 
 and  a  charge  against  Him,  and  that  Judas,  the  murderer 
 of  his  Lord,  might  not  be  highly  exalted  against  Christ, 
 thinking  that  he  had  prevailed  over  Him  against  His 
 Will.  He  inquires  of  those  who  come  to  capture  Him, 
 Whom  they  have  come  in  search  of,  not  because  He  did 
 not  know  (for  how  could  that  be?),  but  that  He  might 
 thereby  prove,  that  those  who  were  for  that  very  reason 
 come,  and  were  gazing  upon  Him,  were  not  able  so  much 
 as  to  recognise  Him  of  Whom  they  were  in  search,  and 
 so  confirm  us  in  the  true  conviction  that  He  would  never 
 have  been  taken,  if  He  had  not  of  His  own  Will  gone  to 
 those  who  sought  Him.  For  observe,  that  when  He 
 openly  asks.  Whom  seek  ye?  they  did  not  at  once  rejoin.  We 
 are  here  to  take  Thee  Who  thus  speakest ;  but  they  reply, 
 as  though  He  were  not  yet  present  or  before  their  eyes, 
 and  say,  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
 
 Butperhaps  some  may  reply:  The  Roman  soldier  perhaps 
 knew  not  Jesus,  and  the  servants  of  the  Jews  shared 
 their  ignorance.  We  answer  that  any  such  suggestion  is 
 groundless.  For  how  could  they  who  were  selected  to 
 the  priesthood  fail  to  know  Him,  Who  was   in  their 
 
570  How  great  and  ter^'ihle  is  God! 
 
 Book  11.  power  continually  when  He  was  teaching  daily  in  the 
 C.XV111.4- ^g^^^^g^  as  our  Saviour  Himself  says?  But  that  no  one 
 S.  Matt,  should  trust  in  arguments  of  this  sort,  and  miss  appre- 
 XXVI.  55.  Intending  the  truth,  the  inspu*ed  Evangelist,  foreseeing  this, 
 is  impelled  to  add,  that  with  the  soldiers  and  the  servants 
 tuas  standing  Judas  also,  tuhich  betrayed  Him.  Then 
 how  could  the  traitor  fail  to  recognise  the  Lord?  You 
 may  answer  that  it  was  night,  and  dark,  and  therefore 
 not  easy  to  see  Him  of  Whom  they  were  in  search. 
 How  worthy  our  admiration  is  the  writer  of  the  book,  in 
 that  not  even  so  small  a  point  as  this  has  escaped  his 
 notice!  For  he  has  said  that,  when  they  came  into  the 
 garden,  they  had  lanterns  and  torches  in  their  hands.  A 
 solution,  therefore,  is  found  to  this  curious  inquiry,  and 
 the  Divine  dignity  of  Christ  is  seen,  Who  brought  Himself 
 to  those  who  were  seeking  Him,  though  they  could  no 
 longer  of  themselves  recognise  Him.  In  order  to  prove 
 that  they  were  so  blinded  as  not  to  be  able  to  recognise 
 Him,  He  says  plainly,  /  am  He.  And  that  He  might 
 show  the  fruitlessness  of  numbers,  and  the  utter  incapacity 
 of  all  human  power  to  affect  anything  against  the  ineffable 
 power  of  God,  by  merely  addressing  them  in  mild  and 
 courteous  language  He  bows  down  to  the  earth  the 
 multitude  of  those  who  sought  Him,  that  they  might  be 
 taught  how  powerless  to  endure  His  threatenings  is  the 
 nature  of  created  beings,  unable  as  it  is  to  bear  one  word 
 of  God,  and  that  spoken  in  kindness ;  according  to  the 
 Ps.  ixxvi.  word  of  the  Psalmist:  Terrible  art  Thou,  and  who  shall 
 ^'  withstand  Thy  wrath  ?  That  which  happened  to  a  portion, 
 
 and  befell  those  who  came  to  take  Him,  is,  as  it  were, 
 symbolical  of  the  humbling  of  the  entire  race ;  yea,  the 
 Amos  V.  prophet  Jeremiah  laments  for  the  Jews,  saying :  The  house 
 ^'  ^'  of  Israel  is  fallen :  there  is  none  to  raise  it  up.  That 
 which  here  happened  is  a  type  of  what  inevitably  comes 
 to  pass  in  a  similar  case;  for  it  teaches  us,  that  he  is 
 altogether  doomed  to  fall  who  practises  iniquity  against 
 Christ. 
 
 \ 
 
Christ  the  Good  Shepherd.  571 
 
 7  Again,  therefore,  He  asked  them,  Whom  seek  ye  ?     And  they  Chap.  12. 
 
 8  said,  Jesus  of  Nazareth.     Jesus  answered,  I  told  you  that  I  ^-^^"i-'" 
 
 9  am  He  :  if  therefore  ye  seek  Me,  let  these  go  their  way :  that 
 the  word  might  he  fulfilled  which  He  simke,  Of  those  whom 
 Thou  hast  given  Me  I  lost  not  one. 
 
 He  asks  them  again  a  second  time,  of  set  purpose,  that 
 He  might  show  the  extent  of  the  blindness  He  had  put 
 in  their  minds.  For  they  were  robbed  of  their  right 
 judgment,  and  had  their  minds,  as  it  were,  deranged  by 
 their  impiety,  and  knew  not  that  they  were  speaking  to 
 Him  Whom  they  sought.  Christ,  indeed,  proved  by  His 
 actions  the  truth  of  what  He  professed  :  I  am,  He  says.  Supra 
 the  Good  Shepherd :  the  good  shepherd  layeth  down  his  ^' 
 life  for  the  sheep.  Christ,  then,  saves  the  Apostles  as  with 
 a  shield ;  and,  bearing  the  brunt  of  the  danger  Himself, 
 advances  to  those  who  were  come  to  lead  Him  to  death, 
 sent  thereunto,  that  is,  by  the  high  priests  and  Pharisees. 
 When  they  answered,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  to  His  question, 
 Whom  have  ye  come  to  take  and  bind  in  the  bonds  of 
 death?  He  pointed  to  Himself,  and,  well-nigh  accusing 
 them  of  delay,  bade  them  take  Him  away  and  let  the 
 rest  go  free  ;  for  it  was  necessary  that  One  should  die  for 
 all,  Whose  life  was  an  equivalent  for  the  lives  of  all  men, 
 that  He  relight  he  Lord  of  both  the  dead  and  the  living.     Rom.xiv. 
 
 For  other  reasons,  too,  it  were  wholly  impossible  to  ' 
 accept  the  opinion  of  some  that  the  deaths  of  the  holy 
 Apostles  themselves  also  resulted  in  the  overthrow  of 
 death  and  corruption,  when  they  must  themselves  be 
 reckoned  among  those  who  have  been  delivered  from 
 death  and  corruption ;  and  with  great  reason,  for  their 
 nature  is  one  with  ours,  and  over  us  death  had  dominion. 
 It  was  necessary,  then,  that  alone,  and'  first  of  all,  the 
 Son  of  the  living  Father  should  give  over  His  own  Body 
 to  death  as  a  ransom  for  the  lives  of  all  men,  that  by 
 connexion  with  the  Life  of  the  Word,  Which  was  united 
 with  Itself,  It  might  so  prepare  the  way,  that  our  mortal 
 bodies  might  be  enabled  henceforth  also  to  triumph  over 
 
572  Chrid'ti  cure  extends  to  all  believers. 
 
 Book  11.  the  bondage  of  death.    For  the  Lord  is  the  Flrstfruits  of 
 
 c.^xviu.    ^/^g^^^  ^Jf^^^  ^^^,g  aslee]),  and  the  Firstborn  from  the  dead;  and 
 
 1  Cor.  XV.  so,  by  His  own  Resurrection,  makes  smooth  for  those  who 
 
 2^*  come  after  Him  the  way  to  incorruption.     He  therefore 
 
 withdi-aws  the  disciples  from  the  peril  of  the  moment,  as 
 
 well  knowing  that  the  conflict  was  in  special  meet  for 
 
 Himself;  and  showing  thereby  that  our  redemption  was 
 
 the  work  of  none  other,  save  only  that  Nature  Which  is 
 
 supreme  over  the  universe. 
 
 The  wise  Evangelist  turns  to  a  clear  proof  of  the  general 
 and  universal  mercy,  which  will  be  shown  to  all  who 
 come  to  Him  through  faith,  this  partial  and  special  care 
 here  manifested  to  those  who  were  with  Him.  For,  he 
 says,  He  procured  that  His  disciples  should  be  suffered 
 to  go  their  way,  that  the  luord  might  be  fulfilled  luhich 
 He  spake,  Of  those  whom  Thou  gavest  Me  I  lost  not  one. 
 For  how  can  there  be  any  question  that  He  will  show 
 mercy  on  them  that  come  after  the  disciples  ?  For  where 
 care  is  shown  in  small  things,  how  can  there  be  neglect 
 in  greater  ?  And  is  it  likely  that  He,  Who  showed  mercy 
 to  a  mere  handful,  will  pay  no  heed  to  a  multitude  whom 
 no  man  can  number  1  For  the  multitude  of  believers  is 
 exceeding  great.  You  must  receive,  then,  the  partial  as 
 a  type  of  the  universal;  and  you  can  easily  perceive,  by 
 His  refusal  to  put  His  disciples  in  any  danger  at  all,  what 
 and  how  great  will  be  His  wrath  against  His  murderers. 
 For  does  He  not  altogether  hate  whatever  opposes  His 
 Will  ?  Can  there  be  any  further  doubt  that  severe  and 
 endless  punishment  awaits  those  who  do  the  things  which 
 are  hateful  to  Him  ? 
 
 10  Simon  Peter  therefore,  having  a  sv'ord,  dreto  it,  and  struck 
 the  high  j^nest's  servant,  and  cut  off  his  right  ear.  Now  the 
 servant's  name  was  Malchus. 
 
 What  was  it,  someone  may  say,  that  induced  the 
 inspired  Evangelist  to  make  mention  of  this,  and  point 
 out  to  us  the  disciple  using  a  sword,  contrary  to  his  wont, 
 against  those  who  came  to  take  Christ,  and  stirred  to  a 
 
S.  Peter  is  our  luarning  and  examjjle.        573 
 
 hotter  and  more  precipitate  fit  of  wrath  than  was  meet,  Chap.  12. 
 and  Christ  thereupon  rebuking  him  ?  This  narrative  ^•^''^"^• 
 may,  perhaps,  seem  superfluous;  but  it  is  not  so.  For  he 
 has  here  given  us  a  pattern  expressly  for  our  learning ; 
 for  we  shall  know,  from  what  took  place  here,  to  what 
 lengths  our  zeal  in  piety  towards  Christ  may  proceed 
 without  reproach,  and  what  we  may  choose  to  do  in 
 conflicts  such  as  this,  without  stumbling  on  something 
 displeasing  to  God.  For  this  typical  instance  forbids  us 
 to  draw  a  sword,  or  lift  up  stones,  against  any  man,  or  to 
 strike  our  adversaries  with  a  stick,  when,  through  our 
 piety  towards  Christ,  we  are  in  conflict  with  them :  for 
 our  weapons  are  not  of  the  flesh,  as  Paul  saith ;  but  we  2Cor.x.4. 
 ought  rather  to  treat  even  our  murderers  with  kindness 
 when  occasion  precludes  our  escape.  For  it  is  far  better 
 for  other  men  to  be  corrected  for  their  sins  against  us  by 
 Him  That  judgeth  righteously,  than  that  we  ourselves 
 should  make  excuses  for  our  blood-guiltiness,  making- 
 piety  our  plea.  Besides,  we  may  call  it  most  irrational 
 to  honour  by  the  death  of  our  persecutors  Him  Who,  to 
 set  men  free  from  death,  Himself  cheerfully  suffered 
 death.  And  herein  we  must  surely  follow  Christ  Himself; 
 for  if  He  had  been  called  to  die  perforce  and  of  necessity^ 
 as  unable  by  His  own  power  to  repel  the  assault  of  His 
 foes,  who  were  invincible  through  the  number  of  the 
 servants  of  the  Jews,  there  might  perhaps  have  been 
 nothing  unreasonable  in  those  who  chose  to  love  Him 
 succouring  Him  with  all  their  might,  and  showing  the 
 utmost  courage  in  order  to  rescue  Him  from  the  peril, 
 into  which  He  had  been  brought  by  the  impiety  of  His 
 foes,  against  His  Will.  But  since,  being  truly  God,  He 
 was  able  to  destroy  His  adversaries,  root  and  branch,  and 
 at  the  very  outset  of  the  conflict,  so  to  say,  had  given 
 them  such  a  token  of  His  might,  as  by  a  single  word,  and 
 that  spoken  in  courtesy,  to  lay  them  low  on  the  earth, 
 for  they  all  fell  hackivard ;  how  could  it  be  right  for  us,  in  Supra 
 unbridled  and  inordinate  wrath,  to  wilfully  and  reck-  ^®'^'  ' 
 lessly  proceed  to  lengths  that  He  did  not,  though  He 
 
574  Christ  taught  perfect  meekness. 
 
 Book  11.  might  have  done  so  with  the  utmost  ease  1    We  find  also 
 
 c.^xviii.    traces  of  the  same  spirit  elsewhere  recorded  by  the  holy 
 
 Evangelists.     For  our  Saviour  once  came  to  a  village 
 
 bordering  on  Jud?ea,  to  lodge  there.    It  belonged  to  the 
 
 Samaritans ;  and  when  He  was  drawing  nigh  unto  it  they 
 
 roughly  drove  Him  away.     The  disciples  were  enraged 
 
 S.  Luke    thereat,  and  came  to  Him,  and  said :  Lord,  wilt  Thou  that 
 
 ^^'  ^^'      we  hid  fire  to  come  doivn  from  heaven,  and  consume 
 
 them  ?  And  the  Saviour  answered  them :  Let  them  alone  ;  * 
 
 s.  Matt,  know  ye  not  thcd  I  can  beseech  My  Father,  and  He  shall 
 
 XXVI.  53.  ^,y^^  ^^^y  gg^^^^  j^g  tivelve  legions  of  angels  ?     For  He 
 
 came  not  as  God  to  use  His  own  innate  power  against 
 
 those  who  vented  their  fury  upon  Him ;  but  rather  to 
 
 school  us  to  patient  forbearance  under  every  affliction, 
 
 and   to   be   Himself  a  type  of  the   most   perfect   and 
 
 Ibid.  xi.   passionless  tranquillity.    Therefore  also  He  said :  Learn 
 
 ^^'  of  Me ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart. 
 
 The  purpose  of  Peter  in  drawing  his  sword  against  the 
 adversaries  does  not  trespass  outside  the  commandment 
 of  the  Law  ;  for  the  Law  bade  us  requite  unreproved  evil- 
 doers— foot  for  foot,  hand  for  hand,  wound  for  wound, 
 stripe  for  stripe.  For  with  what  other  object  did  they 
 come  armed  with  swords  and  staves,  equipped  with 
 armour,  and  banded  together  in  numbers,  than  to  wage 
 such  a  conflict  as  they  thought  the  disciples  would  wage 
 in  their  extremity?  For  that  they  brought  swords  and 
 staves,  the  Saviour  tells  us  plainly,  when  He  says  else- 
 S.  Matt,  where  to  them :  Are  ye  come  out  as  against  a  robber 
 XXVI.  55.  ^^^/^  swords  and  staves  to  seize  Me  ?  I  sat  daily  in  the 
 temple  teaching,  and  ye  took  Me  not.  The  passion  of 
 Peter,  therefore,  was  lawful,  and  accorded  with  the  old 
 enactments ;  but  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  when  He  came  to 
 give  us  teaching  superior  to  the  Law,  and  to  reform  us  to 
 His  meekness  of  heart,  rebukes  those  passions  which  are 
 in  accordance  with  the  Law,  as  incompatible  with  the 
 perfect  accomplishment  of  true  virtue.  For  perfect  virtue 
 consists  not  in  requital  of  like  for  like,  but  is  rather  seen 
 in  perfect  forbearance. 
 
The  disciples  lived  in  human  fashion.         575 
 
 Someone  may  now,  perhaps,  raise  the  question,  and  ask  Chap.  12. 
 himself,  Why  did  Peter  carry  a  sword  ?  We  reply,  that  jq^^^"^' 
 the  duty  of  repelling  the  assaults  of  evil-doers,  according 
 to  the  Law,  brought  the  need  of  a  sword.  For  if  one  of 
 the  disciples  had  chosen  to  strike  the  innocent  with  a 
 sword,  how  could  the  same  issue  have  been  tried  1  It  is 
 likely,  too,  that  the  holy  disciples,  as  they  were  hurrying 
 at  midnight  from  their  place  of  rest,  and  expected  to 
 find  woods  and  gardens  in  their  way,  were  suspicious  of 
 the  attacks  of  wild  beasts  ;  for  of  these  Judsea  was  very 
 fertile.  Perhaps  you  may  rejoin:  "But  what  need  had 
 the  disciples  of  a  sword "?  Was  not  Christ  sufficient  for 
 them  in  time  of  peril ;  and  could  not  He  scare  away 
 wild  beasts,  and  release  them  from  all  fear  on  that 
 account?"  If  you  say  this,  you  say  well;  for  Christ  can 
 do  all  things.  But  we  shall  find  that,  though  Christ 
 might  have  effected  it  otherwise,  the  disciples  continued 
 to  live  after  the  manner  usual  to  men.  For  must  we 
 not  suppose  that  Christ  was  able  to  turn  stones  into 
 bread,  and  out  of  nothing  to  create  money  sufficient  to 
 defray  their  expenses  ?  Still  they  fetched  loaves  and 
 carried  a  purse,  taking  alms  of  those  who  brought  them. 
 And  when  Christ  wished  to  cross  the  sea  in  their  com- 
 pany, they  entered  into  a  ship,  though  He  might  have 
 walked  over  the  billows,  if  He  had  been  so  minded.  It 
 is  fruitless,  then,  to  cavil  at  the  disciples,  for  following 
 the  ordinary  usages  of  mankind. 
 
 Peter  strikes  off"  the  right  ear  of  the  servant,  and  his 
 action  points,  as  in  a  figure,  to  the  inability  of  the  Jews 
 to  hear  aright.     For  they  would  not  hearken  to  Christ's 
 words.     They  rather,  so  to  say,  honoured  the  left  ear, 
 obeying  simply  the    dictates   of  their  own  misguided 
 prejudice,  deceiving  and   being  deceived,  according   to2Tiin.iii. 
 the    Scripture ;   for    even  when   walking   in    the    Law     " 
 ordained    them   of    old,  they   turned  to   doctrines  the  s.  Matt. 
 precepts  of  men.  ^^'  ' 
 
576         Christ  boived  to  the  Father  s  pleasure. 
 
 Book  11.  11      Jesus  therefore  said  unto  Peter,  Put  uj)  thy  svjord  into  its 
 ,  J        ■  sheath  :  the  cup  which  the  Father  hath  given  Me,  sliall  I  not 
 
 drink  it  1 
 
 Christ's  bidding  is  fraught  with  the  enactment  of  life 
 according   to   the   Gospel,   and   the  spirit,   not   of   the 
 Mosaic  Law  revealed  to  the  men  of  old  time,  but  of 
 Cf.  the  dispensation  of  Christ ;  which  so  dissuades  us  from 
 
 V  39^**  using  the  sword,  or  offering  resistance,  that  if  a  man 
 choose  to  smite  us  on  one  cheek,  and  then  to  demand 
 the  other  to  be  smitten,  we  ought  to  turn  to  him  the 
 other  also  ;  cutting  out,  as  it  were,  by  the  roots  the  human 
 weakness  of  our  hearts.  But,  He  says,  in  effect,  even  if 
 no  law  had  been  laid  down  by  Me  concerning  forbear- 
 ance under  evil,  thy  mind,  Peter,  has  failed  to  reason 
 aright,  and  thou  hast  made  an  attempt  altogether  un- 
 suited  to  the  occasion.  For  when  it  was  the  decree  and 
 pleasure  of  God  the  Father,  that  I  should  drink  this 
 cup,  that  is,  willingly  undergo,  as  it  were,  the  deep  sleep 
 of  death,  in  order  to  overthrow  death  and  coiTuption, 
 how  then  can  I  shrink  from  it,  when  so  great  blessings 
 are  certain  to  result  to  the  race  of  man  through  My 
 di-inking  it  ?  The  foregoing  words  well  explain  the  drift 
 of  the  passage  before  us.  There  is  another  passage  also 
 of  a  similar  purport.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  wishing  to 
 confu-m  the  disciples  in  the  faith,  and  to  remove,  in 
 anticipation,  the  stumblingblock  of  His  precious  Cross, 
 said  once  to  them  in  His  discourse,  as  they  were 
 S.  Matt,  halting  on  the  way :  Behold,  tue  go  up  to  Jerusalem ; 
 &^xxvi  ^^^'-^  ^^'■^  '^^^^  ^/  ■^■^'^^^  ^'s  heti^ayed  unto  the  hands  of 
 45,  sinners:  and  they  shall   crucify  Him,  and  shall  kill 
 
 '  Him,  and  the  third  day  He  shall  he  raised  up.  And 
 the  inspii-ed  Peter,  not  considering  the  benefits  of  His 
 death,  but  only  regarding  the  ignominy  of  the  Cross, 
 Ibid,  xvi,  said :  Be  it  far  from  Thee,  Lord ;  this  shall  never  be  unto 
 Ibid  '>3  Thee.  What  answered  Christ?  Get  thee  behind  Me, 
 Satan ;  thou  art  a  stumblingblock  unto  Me :  for  thou 
 mindest  not  the  thinefs  of  God,  but  the  things  of  men. 
 
Christ  suffered  for  mans  salvation.  577 
 
 For  he  that  savourest  the  things  that  be  of  God,  makes  chap.  12. 
 it  his  end  and  object  to  set  at  naught  worldly  honours,  ^■^^^'"• 
 and  to  account  as  nothing  the  loss  of  reputation  among 
 men,  so  long  as  the  good  of  his  fellow-men  is  achieved 
 thereby;  for  love,  the  Apostle  says,  seeketh  not  its  own.  iCor.xiii. 
 But  he  who  is  absorbed   in   the  contemplation  of  the   ' 
 things  of  men,   deems  the  loss    of  the  paltry  honours 
 of  earth  intolerable,  and  looks  only  to  his  own  advan- 
 tage, and  feels  no  sympathy  with  the  losses  of  others. 
 Just  as,  in  that  passage,  Christ  called  Peter  an  offence 
 unto  Him,  though  he  was  not  wont  so  to  be,  and  though 
 he  spoke  out  of  love,  which  yet  could  not  escape  blame, 
 because  he  looked  only  at  the  death  on  the  Cross,  and 
 not  at  the  benefits  to  result  therefrom  ;  Peter  tried,  so  far 
 as  in  him  lay,  to  prevent  that  which  had  been  resolved 
 and  determined  for  the  salvation  of  all  men.     So  also 
 here  we   see  him  doing   the  same,  by  his  passion  and 
 impetuous  act  with  his  sword.     He  is  once  more  re- 
 buked,  not  merely  by  the  words :    Put  up  thy  sword 
 into  its  sheath;    but,  according  to  another  Evangelist, 
 Christ  added:  For  all   they   that  take  the  sivord,  shall  s.  Ma.ti. 
 l^erish  ivith  the  sword.     And,  to  repeat  once  more  what  ^^^*"  ^^' 
 we  said   before,  seeing  that  His   capture  was   effected 
 by  His  own  Will,  and  did  not  merely  result  from  the 
 malice  of  the  Jews,  how  could  it  be  right  to  repel  or 
 thwart,  in  any  way,  and  with  a  sword,  too,  the  bold 
 attack   of   His    combined    foes   and   the   impious    con- 
 spiracy of  the  Jews  ?    He  says,  that    God  the  Father 
 gave  unto  Him  the  cup,  that  is,  death,  though  it  was 
 prepared  for  Him  by  the  obstinate  hatred  of  the  Jews ; 
 because  it  would  never  have  come  to  pass  if  He  had 
 not  suffered  it  for  our  sakes.     Therefore  also  Christ  said 
 to    boasting    Pilate :     Thou    wouldest   have    no    power  infra 
 against  Me,  except  it  luere  given  thee  from  above.    When  ^^^'  ^^' 
 Christ  says   that  power  was  given  Pilate  from   above, 
 He  refers  to  His  own  willingness  to  suffer   death,  and 
 the  consent  of  His  Father  in  heaven. 
 
 VOL.  II.  p  p 
 
578  The  Jews  hound  Christ 
 
 Book  11.  12  So  the  band,  and  tfie  chief  captain,  and  the  officers  of  the 
 j2_2^  '     13     Jevjs^  seized  Jesus  and  hound  Him,  and  led  Him  away  to 
 
 Annas  first ;  for  he  was  fatlier-in-law  to  Caiajyhas,  which 
 14     was  high  yriest  that  year.     Now  Caiaphas  was  he  which 
 
 gave  counsel  to  the  Jeios,  that  it  ivas  expedient  that  one  man 
 
 shoidd  die  for  the  j^^opl^- 
 
 Now  that  all  obstacles  had  been  overcome,  and  Peter 
 had  put  away  his  sword,  and  Christ  had,  as  it  were, 
 surrendered  Himself  to  the  hand  of  the  Jews,  though  He 
 need  not  have  died,  and  it  was  easier  for  Him  to  escape, 
 the  soldiers  and  servants,  together  with  their  guide,  give 
 way  to  cruel  rage,  and  are  transported  with  the  ardour 
 of  victory.  They  took  the  Lord,  Who  gave  Himself  up 
 wholly  to  their  will,  and  put  fetters  upon  Him,  though 
 He  came  to  us  to  release  us  from  the  bondage  of  the 
 devil,  and  to  loose  us  from  the  chains  of  sin.  And  they 
 bring  Him  to  Annas,  who  was  the  father-in-law  of 
 Caiaphas,  whence  we  may  conclude  that  he  was  the 
 prime  mover  and  contriver  of  the  iniquity  against 
 Christ,  and  that  the  traitor,  when  he  received  his  hire, 
 obtained  from  him  the  band  to  take  Christ.  He  is, 
 therefore,  taken  away  to  him  first  of  all.  For  the  Jews 
 were  bent  on  showing  to  us,  that  that  was  indeed  truly 
 spoken  of  them  which  the  prophet  put  into  their  mouths: 
 Is.  iii.  10.  Let  tis  bind  the  righteous  Man,  for  He  is  useless  unto  us. 
 Christ  was,  indeed,  to  the  Jews  useless,  not  because  of 
 His  own  Nature,  but  because,  as  they  were  prone  to  love 
 sin  and  pleasure,  He  seemed  to  bring  them  no  good 
 thing,  when  He  expounded  to  them  a  righteousness 
 exceeding  the  Law,  and  set  before  them,  without  con- 
 cealment, the  knowledge  of  the  pleasure  of  the  God 
 that  loves  virtue,  when  the  Law  pointed  out  no  such 
 way,  but  rather,  in  the  darkness  of  allegory,  feebly 
 and  indirectly  indicated  what  might  be  of  profit  to 
 its  hearers.  Just  as,  then,  the  sunlight  is  useless  to 
 those  whose  sight  is  injured,  and  brings  them  no 
 profit,   because  the    disease   prevents   it ;    and   just  as, 
 
Who  loosed  us  from  the  chains  of  sin.         579 
 
 to  people  in  bad  health,  healthy  food  sometimes  seems  Chap.  12. 
 the  most  useless,   though  it  used  to  bring  the   health  15,^^"'" 
 so   much   desired ;    so   likewise  to   the  Jews  the   Lord 
 seemed  useless,  though  He  was  the  Prince  of  Salvation. 
 For  they  refused  to  be  saved. 
 
 They  sent  Him  bound  to  Caiaphas,  the  high  priest. 
 Now  Caia2:)has  luas  he  ivhich  gave  counsel  to  the  Jews,  that 
 it  ivas  expedient  that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people. 
 The  sacred  and  holy  Victim,  then,  that  is,  Christ,  was 
 captured  by  the  malice  of  Annas  and  the  services  of  his 
 hirelings ;  and,  ensnared  within  the  net,  was  led  to  him 
 that  compassed  and  instigated  the  slaughter  of  the 
 innocent.  This  was  Caiaphas,  and  he  was  adorned  with 
 the  office  of  the  priesthood.  And  by  his  questions  he 
 seems  to  have  begun  the  shedding  of  blood,  as  he  also  is 
 convicted  of  having  originated  the  impious  enterprise. 
 He  receives  Jesus  bound,  and,  as  the  fruit  of  his  counsel 
 and  impious  designs,  the  miserable  man  committed  the 
 most  impious  act  that  has  ever  been  committed.  For 
 what  can  be  more  grievous  than  impiety  against  Christ  ? 
 
 1 5    And  Simon  Peter  followed  Jesus,  and  so  did  the  other  discijjle. 
 
 While  the  other  disciples,  it  seems,  were  panic-stricken, 
 and  fled  from  the  present  wrath  of  the  murderers,  Peter, 
 who  was  always  moved  thereto  by  more  fervent  passion, 
 clings  to  his  love  for  Christ,  and  follows  Him  at  the  peril 
 of  his  life,  and  watches  the  issue  of  events ;  the  other 
 disciple  accompanying  him,  and,  with  like  courage, 
 sustaining  a  similar  resolution.  This  was  John,  the  truly 
 pious  writer  of  this  Divine  work.  For  he  calls  himself 
 that  other  disciple,  without  giving  himself  a  definite  name, 
 fearing  to  seem  boastful,  and  abhorring  the  appearance  of 
 being  better  than  the  rest.  For  the  crowning  achieve- 
 ments of  virtue,  if  manifested  by  any  of  the  righteous, 
 yet  are  never  blazoned  forth  to  the  world  by  their  own 
 mouth.  For  it  very  ill  beseems  a  man  to  win  praise 
 rather  out  of  his  own  mouth  than  the  conversation  of  ^ 
 other  men.     In  the  Book  of  Proverbs  it  is  written :  Let  xxvii.  2. 
 
 P  p  2 
 
580  S.  John  ivas  an  Eye-ivitness. 
 
 Book  11.  another  man  praise  thee,  and  not  thine  oiun  mouth;  a 
 ib^ie"'    stixinger,  and  not  thine  oiun  lips. 
 
 15  I^ow  tJiat  chsciple  was  knovm  unto  the  high  ^;rzes<,  and 
 
 entered  in  tvith  Jesus  into  the  court  of  the  high  jmest. 
 
 The  Apostle  shows  great  forethought  in  condescending 
 to  mention  this  fact,  and  does  not  scruple  to  enter  into 
 detail  where  it  is  profitable  for  us.  For,  as  he  was  about 
 to  set  down  in  order  in  his  book  what  was  done  and  said 
 in  the  palace  of  the  high  priest,  he  was,  as  it  were, 
 compelled  to  show  us  how  he  was  able  to  enter  there 
 with  Christ;  for,  he  says,  he  was  knoivn  unto  the  high 
 priest.  He  enters,  therefore,  without  hindrance,  his 
 knowledge  of  the  leader  of  the  people — for  he  has  not 
 thought  proper  to  say  friendship — allowing  him  free 
 entrance  within  the  doors.  In  order,  then,  that  he  might 
 convince  us  that  he  did  not  compile  his  account  of  what 
 took  place  in  the  palace  from  information  di^awn  from 
 others,  but  that  he  himself  saw  and  heard  what  passed, 
 he  has  given  us  this  most  useful  explanation  of  his 
 knowledge  of  the  high  priest. 
 
 16  But  Peter  vms  standing  at  the  door  loithout.  So  the  other 
 disci2)le,  which  was  known  unto  the  high  2)riest,  toent  out,  and 
 spake  unto  her  that  kej)t  the  door,  and  brought  in  Peter. 
 
 Peter  did  not  lag  behind  from  any  lack  of  fervour  of 
 heart,  but  only  because  the  vigilance  of  the  damsel  at 
 the  gate  made  entrance  perilous  for  those  with  whom  she 
 had  no  previous  acquaintance.  And  though  it  might  not 
 have  been  difficult  for  a  man  to  push  a  woman  aside,  yet 
 it  might  have  involved  a  charge  of  unruly  behaviour. 
 The  disciple,  therefore,  though  in  great  distress  of  mind, 
 was  compelled  to  stay  without,  till  the  other,  seeing  that 
 he  was  much  grieved  thereat,  brought  him  in  with 
 himself  by  speaking  to  the  maiden  presiding  at  the  door, 
 and  asking  as  a  favour  that  his  companion  in  jealous 
 fervour  might  accompany  him. 
 
>S'.  Peter  s  transgression  originated  in  love.      581 
 
 1 7  The  maid,  therefore,  that  kept  the  door,  saith  unto  Peter,  Art  Chap.  12. 
 thou  also  one  of  this  Man's  disciples  ?  He  saith,  I  am  not.     %^V^' 
 
 As  Christ  had  abeady  foretold  to  Peter  that  he  would 
 thrice  deny  our  Saviour  Christ,  and  that  before  the  cock 
 crew  his  faith  would  fail,  the  inspired  Evangelist  relates 
 in  detail  where,  and  how,  the  prophecy  was  fulfilled.  The 
 maid,  seated  at  the  door,  then,  inquires  of  him  whether 
 he  was  not  one  of  the  number  of  the  disciples  of  Him 
 Who  was  undergoing  the  unjust  trial.  Peter  denies  it, 
 and  parries  the  question  as  though  it  were  a  charge,  saying, 
 "  I  am  not;"  not  fearing  at  all  to  be  taken,  or  shrinking 
 from  proclaiming  the  truth,  but  disregarding  and  making 
 light  of  enduring  any  kind  of  evil  against  his  will  in 
 comparison  with  being  with  Christ.  His  transgression, 
 then,  proceeds  from  love,  and  his  denial  has  its  root  in  the 
 love  of  God ;  not  indeed  proceeding  from  any  just  reasoning, 
 but,  at  any  rate,  testifying  to  the  fervour  of  his  desire  to 
 be  with  Christ. 
 
 1 8  Now  the  servants  and  the  officers  were  standing  there,  having 
 made  a  fire  of  coals  ;  for  it  vms  cold,  and  they  were  warm- 
 ing themselves  :  and  Peter  also  was  with  them,  standing 
 and  warming  himself. 
 
 Peter,  having  passed  inside  the  door,  and  finding 
 himself  encircled  by  the  servants,  affects  to  do  what  they 
 do  (though  bowed  down  with  grief  and  with  an  intoler- 
 able burden  of  agony  at  heart),  that  he  might  not  be 
 convicted  by  his  despondent  and  sorrowful  countenance  of 
 feeling  sympathy  with  the  Man  Who  was  on  trial,  and  be 
 cast  out  from  the  doors  which  contained  all  he  loved.  For 
 it  is  quite  incredible  that  the  disciple  should  have  been 
 so  carnally  minded  as  to  seek  out  a  means  of  appeasing 
 the  chill  of  winter,  when  he  was  thus  heavy  with  grief. 
 For  if  he  might  have  enjoyed  greater  luxuries  than  this, 
 he  could  not  have  borne  to  do  so  while  Christ  was  thus 
 afflicted.  He  intentionally  models  his  behaviour  on  the 
 apathy  of  the  attendants,  and,  as  though  he  had  no 
 inducement  to  despondency,  shakes  off  the  chill  of  winter, 
 
582      Caiai')has  questioned  Christ  out  of  malice. 
 
 Book  11.  in  order  that  he  might  create  the  belief  that  he  was  one 
 jf,^^"*'    of  the  inmates  of  the  house,  and  might  thus  for  the  future 
 
 escape  answering  any  further  questions  with  a  denial. 
 
 But  the  word  of  the  Saviour  could  not  be  falsified  ;  for 
 
 He  foretold  to  the  disciple  what  He,  as  God,  knew  would 
 
 certainly  happen. 
 
 1 9     The  high  jrriest  therefore  asked  Jesus  of  His  disci2)les,  and 
 of  His  teaching. 
 
 A  teacher  of  the  people,  learned  in  the  Law,  one  of  those 
 on  whom  the  Divine  bidding  lays  the  duty,  "  Judge  ye 
 righteous  judgment,"  after  having  taken  the  Lord,  as 
 though  He  had  been  a  notorious  robber,  by  a  band  of 
 armed  soldiers  and  a  number  of  impious  officers,  asks 
 Him  of  His  disciples  and  of  His  doctrine,  showing  thereby 
 that  he  was  in  want  of  charges  to  bring  against  Him. 
 For  the  Man  Who  was  now  on  trial  knew  no  sin.  He 
 asks  Him  about  His  doctrine,  to  elicit  from  Him  whether 
 it  accorded  with  the  Mosaic  Law,  or  coincided  and 
 concurred  with  the  old  dispensation;  and  what  purpose 
 His  disciples  had  implanted  in  their  hearts,  whether  to 
 submit  to  be  guided  by  ancient  customs,  or  to  practise 
 any  strange  and  novel  kind  of  worship.  He  did  this  in 
 malice,  for  he  supposed  that  Christ  would  make  an 
 outspoken  attack  on  the  Law,  and  that,  by  pleading  for 
 the  rejection  of  the  Mosaic  dispemsation.  He  would  excite 
 the  Jews  to  embittered  and  furious  revilings  against 
 Himself,  so  that  He  might  in  the  future  appear  to  be 
 paying  a  just  penalty  for  deliberately  fighting  against 
 God.  For  to  enter  the  lists  against  the  Divine  com- 
 mandments, if  any  mere  human  being  were  convicted  of 
 any  word  or  deed  with  that  intent,  were  to  declare  oneself 
 an  open  enemy  of  God.  And  they  were  treating  Christ 
 as  a  mere  man,  and  thought  that  they  were  doing  well  to 
 chastise  the  Lord  of  the  Law  for  the  transgression  of  the 
 Law,  not  remembering  him  that  said  :  Impious  is  he  that 
 salth  unto  a  king,  Thou  art  a  laiu-hreaker. 
 
Christ  spoke  openly  and  taught  plainly.       583 
 
 20     Jesus  ansi'jered  him,  I  Imve  spoken  oj)enly  to  the  ivorld  ;  /  Chap.  12. 
 
 ever  taught  in  synagogues,  and  in  the  temple,  where  all  the  o'a^^"^' 
 
 Jews  come  together ;  and  in  secret  spake  I  nothing.  Job 
 
 xxxiv.18. 
 
 It  were  fruitless  labour,  Christ  says,  to  search  out  as 
 
 obscure  what  is  universally  known ;  and  how  can  it  be 
 
 seemly,  where  full  knowledge  is  present,  to   set  up  a 
 
 pretence  of  ignorance  ?  This  is  what  Christ  seems  to  us 
 
 to  say,  with  the  object  of  releasing  Himself  from  the 
 
 charges  that  had  been  fabricated  and  maliciously  devised 
 
 against  Him  by  the  malice  of  the  leaders  of  the  people. 
 
 But  I  think,  also,  that  there  is  a  suggestion  of  another 
 
 meaning.     For  He  says  :  /  have  spoken  openly  to  the 
 
 world;  that  is  to  say,  the  utterances  given  to  you  by  the 
 
 mediation  of  Moses  come  in  types  and  shadows,  and  do 
 
 not  teach  expressly  the  Will  of  God,  but  rather  create  a 
 
 vision  of  the  actual  truth  beyond  themselves,  and,  wrapped 
 
 up  in  the  obscurity  of  the  letter,  do  not  completely  reveal 
 
 the  knowledge  of  those  things  which  are  needful  for  us. 
 
 I  have  spoken  openly  to  the  world;  and,  apart  from  riddles, 
 
 and  the  shadow,  as  it  were,  of  the  form  of  that  which  is 
 
 good,  I  set  before  you  the  right,  and  pointed  out  the 
 
 straight  path  of  piety  towards  God  without  any  tortuous 
 
 turnings.     I  spake  to  the  world — not.  He  says,  to  the 
 
 one  nation  of  the  Israelites ;  for  if  the  things  that  are  of 
 
 Me  are  not  yet  known  throughout  the  whole  world,  they 
 
 will  be  so  in  due  season.     /  ever  taugM  in  synagogues. 
 
 We  can  scarcely  fail  to  see  what  He  means  here.     He 
 
 reminds  those  of  the  Jews  who  were  in  His  Presence, 
 
 methinks,  however   reluctant,  of  prophecy  which  thus 
 
 spoke  concerning  Him.    For  what  said  the  Divine  Isaiah, 
 
 putting  the  words  in  Christ's  mouth  ?  /  have  not  spoken  Is.  xlv. 
 
 in  secret,  in  a  dark  place  of  the  earth;  and  again:  I  have  j^jj 
 
 spread  out  My  hands  aU  the  day  unto  a  disobedient  and  ixv.  2. 
 
 rebellious  people.     For  what  else  can  "  not  speaking  in 
 
 secret,  in  a  dark  place  "  mean,  but  giving  discourses  openly, 
 
 and  speaking  in  places  where  there  is  no  small  concourse 
 
 of  hearers  ?    Very  well  and  appropriately  He  brings  to 
 
584         Christ  refers  Caiaijhas  to  the  occasion 
 
 Book  11.  their  recollection  the  saying  of  the  prophet,  that  they 
 c.^xvni.    j^jgij^    learn    that    they    are   judging    impiously   that 
 Messiah,  Who  was   the   due  fulfilment  of  their   hopes, 
 cf.  Rom.  For  to  the  Jews  belonged  the  promise,  as  Paul  says. 
 
 ix.  4. 
 
 21  Why  askest  thou  Me  ?  Ask  tliem  that  have  heard  Me,  ivlmt 
 I  spake  unto  them  :  behold,  these  know  the  things  which  I 
 said. 
 
 He  rebukes  those  learned  in  the  Law,  for  that  they 
 themselves  sinned  against  the  Law  in  which  they  took 
 pride.  For  before  He  had  been  condemned,  they  passed 
 premature  sentence  upon  Him,  and  yet  busied  themselves 
 in  seeking  for  errors  on  His  part.  Why,  then.  He  says, 
 dost  thou  question  Me,  and  call  on  Me  to  answer,  Who 
 have  already  endured  your  attack,  and  had  punishment 
 allotted  Me  before  conviction  1  Or  you  may  put  another 
 construction  on  what  He  said:  Those  who  already  hate 
 Me,  and  receive  with  such  extreme  dishonour  whatever 
 I  tell  them  of  the  things  that  are  Mine,  would  not, 
 perhaps,  shrink  from  proclaiming  what  is  false.  Learn, 
 then,  from  the  lips  of  others.  The  search  for  witnesses 
 would  not  be  at  all  difficult,  for  these  heard  My  words. 
 Someone  may,  perhaps,  imagine  that  He  That  knoweth 
 the  hearts  and  reins  indicated  some  of  the  bystanders  as 
 having  chanced  to  hear  His  words.  But  it  is  not  so. 
 For  He  referred  to  certain  of  the  officers  who  once 
 marvelled  at  His  doctrine ;  and  perhaps,  to  make  our 
 meaning  clear,  we  ought  to  explain  the  time  and 
 occasion  when  this  occurred.  This  same  inspired  Evan- 
 gelist has  told  us,  that  once,  when  our  Saviour  Christ 
 was  preaching,  and  unfolding  the  doctrine  concerning 
 the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  to  the  assembled  Jews,  the 
 teachers  of  the  Jewish  ordinances  were  sore  enraged,  and 
 full  of  bitter  envy  of  Him,  and  strove  to  remove  Him 
 Supra  from  their  midst.  In  the  words  of  the  Evangelist :  And 
 the  ch  ief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  sent  officers  to  tahe  Him. 
 But  as  our  Saviour  was  continuing  His  long  and  full 
 discourse,   those   which    were    sent   by  the   Jews    were 
 
ivhen  His  enemies  had  been  convinced.        585 
 
 convinced    along    with    all    the    rest,   and    were   more  Chap.  12. 
 amazed   than    any    one   else   among  the   multitude   of°.-,^^"^" 
 His  hearers.    Thus  speaks  the  Evangelist:  The  oj^cei-s,  Supra vii. 
 therefore,  came  to  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees;  and  ^^~^'^- 
 they  said  unto  them,  Why  did  ye  not  bring  Him  ?  The 
 officei-s  ansivered,  Never  m,an  so  spake.    The  Pharisees, 
 therefore,  ansivered  them,  Are  ye  also  led  astray  ?  Observe 
 how  distressed  at  heart  the  Pharisees  were,  when  they 
 found  that  the  officers  had  been  at  length  convinced  and 
 sore  amazed.     The  Saviour,  then,  knowing  this,  says : 
 Ask  them  thcd  have  heard  Me:  behold,  these  knoiv  the 
 things  which  I  said.     Either,  then.  He  says,  these  know, 
 looking  at   those  who   were  then   standing  by,  or  else 
 referring  to  the  fact,  that  even  they  who  ministered  to 
 the  impiety  of  the  chief  priests  themselves  marvelled  at 
 the  beauty  of  His  teaching. 
 
 22  And  ivhen  He  had  said  this,  one  of  the  oncers  standing  hy 
 struck  Jesus  with  his  hand,  saying  unto  Him,  Answerest 
 Thou  the  high  priest  so  ? 
 
 It  had  been  foretold,  by  the  mouth  of  the  prophet,  that 
 with  Christ  this  would  come  to  pass :  /  gave  My  back  to  Is.  l.  6. 
 the  scourge,  and  My  cheeks  to  them  that  smite.  "He  was 
 being  led  on  in  truth  to  the  end  long  ago  foretold,  to 
 the  verdict  of  Jewish  presumption,  which  was  also  the 
 abolition  and  determination  of  our  deserved  dishonour, 
 for  that  we  sinned  in  Adam  first,  and  trampled  under 
 foot  the  Divine  commandment.  For  He  was  dis- 
 honoured for  our  sake,  in  that  He  took  our  sins  upon 
 Him,  as  the  prophet  says,  and  was  afflicted  on  our 
 account.  For  as  He  wrought  out  our  deliverance  from 
 death,  giving  up  His  own  Body  to  death,  so  likewise, 
 I  think,  the  blow  with  which  Christ  was  smitten,  in 
 fulfilling  the  dishonour  that  He  bore,  carried  with 
 it  our  deliverance  from  the  dishonour  by  which  we 
 were  burthened  through  the  transgression  and  original 
 sin  of  our  forefather.  For  He,  being  One,  was  yet  a 
 perfect  Ransom  for  all  men,  and  bore  our  dishonour. 
 
586  The  officer  oxted  frcmi  self-interest. 
 
 Book  11.  But  I  think  the  whole  creation  would  have  shuddered, 
 22.      '    had  it  been  suffered  to  be  conscious  of  such  presumption. 
 For  the  Lord  of  glory  was  insulted  by  the  impious  hand 
 of  the  smiter. 
 
 And  I  think  that  it  would  display  a  spirit  of  pious 
 research  to  desire  to  learn  why  this  insolent  and  pre- 
 sumptuous officer  smites  Jesus,  Who  had  made  no  stubborn 
 or  angry  reply  at  all,  but  had  returned  a  very  gentle 
 answer  to  all  the  charges  brought  against  Him.  And  it 
 may  be  observed,  that  the  leader  of  the  Jewish  nation  had 
 not  bidden  him  smite  Jesus,  and  assail  Him  with  such 
 extravagant  impiety.  Some  may,  perhaps,  allege  as  a 
 reason  the  ordinary  and  received  custom  among  the 
 officers,  when  they  brought  to  the  rulers  men  accused  of 
 some  transgression  to  compel  them  to  reply  courteously, 
 even  against  their  will,  and  treat  them  at  times  with 
 contumely  when  they  returned  a  rude  answer.  But  I  do 
 not  think  this  ever  occurred  to  excite  his  passion  against 
 Chi-ist;  and,  if  we  fix  our  attention  on  what  has  already 
 been  said,  we  shall  find  another  reason  for  his  insolence. 
 For  we  said  just  now,  that  certain  of  the  officers,  who 
 were  bidden  to  take  Jesus,  came  into  collision  with  the 
 rulers,  and  retui-ned  so  far  initiated  into  the  mysteries 
 of  Christ,  and  amazed  at  Him,  that  they  openly  declared : 
 Supra  Never  man  so  spake.  Whereat  the  Pharisees  were  greatly 
 Supra '  em-aged,  and  said :  Are  ye  also  led  astray  ?  Hath  any  of 
 47-49.  the  rulers  or  of  the  Pharisees  believed  on  Him?  But 
 this  multitude,  who  know  not  the  Latu,  are  accursed. 
 As,  then,  the  Saviour's  words  reminded  the  rulers  of  the 
 indignation  then  stirred  up  in  them  against  the  officers 
 (for  He  referred  to  them  as  witnesses  of  His  teaching,  say- 
 Supra  ing :  Behold,  these  knoiu  the  things  loJiich  I  said),  the  officer 
 was  charged  before  them  with  having  been  struck  with 
 admiration  of  Christ ;  and,  wishing  to  repel  the  suspicion 
 of  being  well-disposed  towards  Him,  and  to  divert  their 
 thoughts  elsewhere,  smote  Him  on  the  mouth,  not  suffer- 
 ing Him  to  say  anything  that  could  injure  the  reckless 
 band  of  officers. 
 
 ver.  21. 
 
The  enormity  of  the  ojficers  sin.  587 
 
 23     Jesus  answered  him,  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  hear  vntness  0/ Chap.  12. 
 the  evil :  but  if  well,  why  smitest  thou  Me  1  23^^"^ 
 
 He  proves  the  officer  guilty  of  a  gross  wrong,  even  if 
 He  That  was  on  His  trial  had  been  a  man  of  obscure 
 position.  For  he  smote  Him  causelessly,  contrary  to  his 
 express  duty;  not  urged  thereto  by  legal  commands,  but 
 rather  incited  to  brutal  ferocity  of  behaviour  by  his  own 
 inbred  madness.  Call  in  question,  if  it  please  thee,  and 
 refute  My  words,  as  not  spoken  aright ;  but  if  thou  canst 
 not  do  this,  why  smitest  thou  Me,  with  Whose  speech 
 thou  canst  find  no  fault  ? 
 
 This  is,  indeed,  the  ordinary  and  most  usual  interpreta- 
 tion of  the  passage ;  but  I  think  the  meaning  of  the 
 passage  is  different  from  this.  For  it  may  be,  that  He 
 convicts  the  officer  as  guilty  of  the  greater  sin ;  not  because 
 he  smote  Him  merely,  but  because,  after  having  been 
 previously  amazed  at  His  teaching,  and  not  having  now 
 found  Him  in  any  wise  guilty,  he  yet  endured  to  treat 
 Him  with  contumely.  For  if.  He  says,  thou  hadst  not 
 once  been  struck  by  My  words  ;  if  I  had  not  then  seemed 
 to  you  to  teach  most  noble  doctrines,  and  thou  hadst  not 
 been  convinced  that  I  expounded  Holy  Writ  in  a  mar- 
 vellous way  ;  if  thou  hadst  not  thyself  exclaimed  :  Never  Supra 
 man  so  spake,  perhaps  some  plea  might  have  been  found  ^""  ^^' 
 for  giving  mercy  to  thy  inexperience,  and  acquitting  thee 
 of  this  charge ;  but  since  thou  hast  known  and  hast 
 marvelled  at  My  teaching,  and  wouldst  not,  perhaps, 
 Christ  says,  have  borne  witness  against  My  words,  if 
 thou  didst  now  think  it  right  to  bear  in  mind  thine  own 
 words,  how  canst  thou  have  any  cloak  for  thy  sin  ?  You 
 may  understand  the  passage  in  this  way ;  but  also  remark 
 how  the  Saviour  herein  sketches  for  us  the  pattern  of 
 His  great  long-suflfering  towards  us,  in  all  its  incompar- 
 able excellence,  and,  as  in  a  well-defined  portrait,  by  the 
 actions  of  His  life,  gives  us  a  type  of  the  nature  of  His 
 exceeding  great  mercy.  For  He  That,  by  one  single  word, 
 might  have  brought  utter  ruin  on  the  Jews,  endures  to 
 be  smitten  as  a  slave.     He  offers  no  resistance,  and  does 
 
588  Christ  a  Pattern  of  gentleness. 
 
 Book  11.  not  requite  His  persecutors  with  instant  chastisement;  for 
 
 c.  xvin.    jjg    -g   ^^^    subject    to    our   infirmities,   nor   under   the 
 
 dominion  of  passion,  or  resentment,  or  discomposed  by 
 
 their  malicious  insults ;  but  He  gently  puts  His  adversary 
 
 to  shame,  and  tells  him,  that  he  did  not  right  to  strike 
 
 One  Who  answered  courteously,  and  in  the  hour  of  His 
 
 imminent  peril   forgets  not  the  virtues  He  continually 
 
 practised.   For,  by  proper  argument.  He  strives  to  induce 
 
 the  servant  that  ministered  to  the  malice  of  the  Jews  to 
 
 Ps.  XXXV.  abandon  his  fit  of  passion.  Himself  receiving  evil  for 
 
 ^^'  good,  according  to  the  Scripture,  but  requiting  those  who 
 
 were  dishonouring  Him  with  good  instead  of  evil. 
 
 But  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  even  when  He  was  smitten, 
 endured  it  patiently,  though  He  was  truly  God,  the  Lord 
 of  heaven  and   earth ;  and  we  poor  miserable  mortals, 
 Gen.        mean  and  insignificant  as  we  are,  mere  dust  and  ashes, 
 p^"'-..r  •  and  likened  to  the  green  herb :  For,  as  for  man,  his  days 
 15.  are  as  grass;  as  a  flower  of  the  field,  so  he  flour isheth, 
 
 according  to  the   Scripture, — when  one  of  our  brethren 
 happens  to  have  some  words  with  us,  and  lets  fall  some 
 vexatious  expression,  we  think  we  do  right  to  be  enraged 
 with  the  fury  of  dragons,  and  cease  not  to  pelt  him  with 
 a  storm  of  words  in  return  for  one ;  not  granting  for- 
 giveness to  human  littleness,  nor  considering  the  frailty 
 of  our  common  humanity,  nor  burying  in  brotherly  love 
 Heb.  xii.  the  passions  that   thus   arise,   nor  looking   unto   Jesus 
 Himself,  the  Author  and  Peifecter  of  our  faith;  but  eager 
 to  avenge  ourselves,  and  that  to  the  uttermost,  though 
 Prov.  xi.  Holy   Writ   declares   in   one  place :    He  that  pursueth 
 vengeance,  pui^sueth  it  to  his  oiun  death;  and  in  another  : 
 Zech.  vii.  Let   none    of  you   harbour   resentment   in  your  heart 
 ^^'  against  your  brother.     But  let  Christ,  the  Lord  of  all, 
 
 Himself  be  unto  us  a  Pattern  of  gentleness  to  one  another, 
 and  exceeding  great  forbearance;  for  He,  for  this  very 
 reason,  saith  unto  us :  A  disciple  is  not  above  his  master, 
 Qior  a  servant  above  his  lord. 
 
 [end  or  THE  ELEVENTH  BOOK.] 
 
CHAPTER  IN   THE   TWELFTH   BOOK. 
 
 1.  That  the  Son  is  by  Nature  God,  even  though  we  find  Him 
 calling  the  Father  His  God:  on  the  words: — /  go  to  My 
 Father  and  your  Father,  and  My  God  and  your  God. 
 
OUR  FATHER  AMONG  THE  SAINTS, 
 
 CYRIL, 
 
 Archbishop  of  Alexandria, 
 
 ON    THE 
 
 GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  JOHN. 
 
 BOOK  XII. 
 
 Book  12.  xviii.    24     Annas  therefore   sent   Him   hound   unto    Caiaphas, 
 
 c.  xvni.     25     the  high  2>riest.     Now  Simon  Peter  u-as  standing  warming 
 
 himself.     They  said  therefore  unto  him,  Art  thou  also  one  of 
 
 26  His  disciples  ?  He  denied,  and  said,  I  am  not.  One  of  the 
 servants  of  the  high  jmest,  being  a  kinsman  of  him  tvhose 
 ear  Peter  cut  off,  saith,  Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with 
 
 27  Him  ?  Peter  therefore  denied  again  :  and  straightway  the 
 cock  crew. 
 
 The  inspired  Evangelist,  to  our  profit,  checks  the 
 course  of  his  narrative,  like  a  horse  at  full  speed,  and 
 turns  it  back  again.  And  why  ?  Because  he  was  bound, 
 before  narrating  what  next  ensued,  to  point  out  to  us 
 Peter's  third  denial ;  and  this  event  is  best  and  most 
 appropriately  described  as  it  occurred.  He  therefore 
 designedly  refers  to  what  took  place  at  first,  and  says, 
 that  Jesus  was  sent  by  Annas  to  Caiaphas ;  and  shows 
 us  that  Peter  was  questioned  by  the  servants  who  were 
 warming  themselves  with  him  at  the  fire,  and  also  by  a 
 kinsman  of  him  whom  he  had  smitten ;  and  that  this  was 
 the  occasion  of  his  third  denial.  Then  He  mentions  the 
 crowing  of  the  cock,  making  it  plain  to  us  that  no  word 
 of  our  Saviour  ever  falls  to  the  ground  ;  for  He  had  fore- 
 known and  foretold  the  frailty  of  His  own  disciple  in 
 the  midst  of  danger.  Perhaps  the  divinely  taught  com- 
 piler of  this  book  would  have  made  no  mention  at  all  of 
 this  fact,  had  he  not  bethought  himself  of  the  captious 
 
Christ's  prophecy  fulfilled.  591 
 
 spirit  and  ceaseless  babbling  of  the  adversaries  of  God.  c.  xviii. 
 For  some  of  those  who  seek  to  make  bitter  war  on  the  "  ~"  ' 
 glory  of  the  Saviour  would  straightway  have  said :  "  Show 
 us  the  denial  of  Peter,  and  how,  and  where,  that  came  to 
 pass  which  was  foretold  by  Christ,  Who,  you  say,  cannot 
 lie.  For  you  maintain  that  He  is  Truth,  and  that  He 
 proceedeth  from  a  Father  Who  is  true."  It  was  very 
 essential,  therefore,  that  the  inspired  Evangelist  should 
 narrate  to  us  this  occurrence,  and  show  that  Christ  at  all 
 times  said  what  was  true. 
 
 But  perhaps  some  opponent,  abstaining  from  bringing 
 any  such  attack  against  us,  will  bring  a  grievous  charge 
 against  Peter,  and  accuse  the  well-beloved  disciple  of  in- 
 comparable cowardice,  and  say  that  he  was  so  ready  to 
 make  this  verbal  repudiation  of  his  Lord,  as  thrice  to 
 fall  away  and  deny  Him,  when  he  had  not  so  much  as 
 had  any  actual  experience  of  danger,  and  when  peril  was 
 not,  indeed,  nigh  at  hand.  Talk  of  this  sort  may  be  suit- 
 able to  those  who  are  not  yet  initiated  in  the  faith ;  but 
 I  will  at  once  dismiss  it,  and,  bidding  farewell  to  such 
 nonsense,  will  attempt  to  make  some  excuse  for  the  Apo- 
 stle's conduct,  setting  forth  my  argument  for  the  benefit 
 of  those  who  are  already  accustomed  to  reflect  upon  the 
 mysteries  contained  in  the  mysterious  working  of  Divine 
 Providence.  For  it  was  the  bounden  duty  of  the  wise 
 Evangelist  to  make  mention  of  such  things,  that  his 
 hearers  might  know  what  even  the  teachers  of  the  world 
 were  in  themselves  before  Christ's  Resurrection,  and  be- 
 fore the  Holy  Spirit  descended  upon  them ;  and  what 
 they  were  thereafter,  when  they  had  received  the  grace 
 of  the  Spirit,  Which  Christ  called  power  from  on  high.  S.  Luke 
 For  any  one  may  see  how  very  jealous  they  were  in  as-  ^^^^' 
 suming  virtue  ;  how  readily  they  girded  up  their  loins  to 
 follow  Christ,  and  to  overcome  perils  of  every  sort  which 
 they  so  frequently  encountered.  But  when  our  Saviour 
 Christ  had  not  yet  subdued  the  power  of  death,  the  fear 
 thereof  was  still  stubborn,  and  altogether  invincible ;  and 
 they  who  had  not  yet  received  the  Spirit,  nor  had  their 
 
592    GocVs  glory  sJiown  in  the  frailty  of  the  Saints. 
 
 Book  12.  hearts  steeled  by  grace  from  above,  showed  that  their 
 2g^^"^'  minds  were  not  yet  wholly  free  from  human  frailty,  and 
 they  were  not  altogether  unshaken  by  the  terrors  of 
 death.  For  just  as  iron,  though  naturally  strong,  can- 
 not encounter  without  injury  the  harder  kinds  of  stone, 
 if  it  be  not  strengthened  in  the  forge ;  so  the  soul  of  man 
 may  be  buoyed  up  with  unslacking  enthusiasm  for  every 
 thing  that  is  good,  but  can  never  be  triumphant  in  the 
 conflicts  that  so  arise,  except  it  be  first  perfected  by  the 
 grace  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Even  the  disciples,  therefore, 
 themselves  were  frail  at  first ;  but,  when  they  had  received 
 the  Spirit  of  Almighty  God,  cast  aside  their  native  weak- 
 ness, and,  by  communion  with  Him,  attained  to  exceeding 
 boldness. 
 
 It  was  expedient,  then,  that  the  frailty  of  the  Saints 
 should  be  recorded  to  the  praise  and  glory  of  God,  Who 
 changed  their  weakness  into  power,  and  raised  up,  like  a 
 strong  tower,  their  spirits,  which  were  easily  daunted  even 
 by  slight  dangers,  and  at  times  broken  down  by  the 
 mere  apprehension  of  suffering.  And  that  which  befell 
 a  single  one,  or  some  few  of  the  Saints,  may  afford  us 
 at  the  same  time  a  lesson  and  a  consolation.  For  we 
 are  taught  thereby,  not,  through  dwelling  on  our  own 
 infirmities  inconsiderately,  to  slacken  in  God's  service, 
 but  rather  to  trust  in  Him  Who  is  able  to  make  us  all 
 strong,  and  to  boast  ourselves  in  His  miraculous  works 
 and  favour  shown  to  us  beyond  hope. 
 
 28  They  lead  Jesus  therefore  froin  Caiaphas  into  the  palace  : 
 and  it  was  early;  and  they  themselves  entered  not  into  the 
 j)alace,  that  they  might  not  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might 
 eat  the  j^dssover. 
 
 Zech.  vii.      Judge  righteous  judgment,  and  Thou  shalt  not  slay 
 
 Ex  xxiii  ^^^  innocent  and  just  man,  were  the  express  injunctions 
 
 7-  of  the  Law  and  the  Word  of  God.     These  miserable  men 
 
 could  not  help  being  ashamed  of  their  lack  of  charges 
 
 against  Him;  but,  finding  their  fury  against  Christ  to  be 
 
 without  excuse,  and  being  prevented  from  killing  Him 
 
The  inconsistency  of  the  Jetvs.  593 
 
 with  their  own  hands  by  the  approach  of  the  atoning  c.  xviii. 
 sacrifice  (for  they  were  about  to  sacrifice  the  Paschal 
 lamb,  according  to  the  Law,  which  yet  with  them  had 
 lost  its  power),  they  bring  Him  to  Pilate  ;   trusting,  in 
 their  gross  folly,  that  they  would  not  be  quite  implicated 
 in  the  charge  of  shedding  blood  unjustly  if  they  did  not 
 slay  Him  themselves,  but  only  brought  Him  to   suffer 
 death  at  the  hands  of  another ;  though  what  was  in  their 
 hearts  was  altogether  at  variance  with  the  Mosaic  Law. 
 And  we  must  convict  them,  besides,  of  the  greatest  folly 
 in  acting  as  follows.     For,  while  sentencing  the  sinless 
 One  to  the  doom  of  death,  and  bringing  down  upon  their 
 own  heads  the  guilt  of  so  frightful  an  impiety,  they  yet 
 shun  the  threshold  of  the  judgment  hall,  as  though  it 
 would  cause  them  to  be  defiled,  and  anxiously  shrink 
 from  haviner  intercourse  with  men  who  were  still  un- 
 clean.     For  they  believed,  I  suppose,  that  stones,  and 
 the  bodies  of  men  who  were  their  brethren,  could  defile 
 the  soul  of  man  ;  but  deemed  that  the  worst  of  all  crimes, 
 the  most  unjust  shedding  of  blood,  stained  them  not  a 
 whit.     And,  marvel  of  marvels,  the  most   absurd  and 
 irrational   idea   of  all,  they  think    themselves    purified 
 by  the  slaughter  of  a  lamb,  which  typified  for  us   no- 
 thing but  the  shadow  of  the  mystery  that  is  in  Christ ; 
 and,  while  honouring  the  type  of  what  is  coming  to 
 pass,  they  scorji  the  reality  itself.     For  while  they  were 
 performing  that  which  was  but  the   semblance  of  His 
 Atonement,  they  were  defiled  by  the  shedding  of  the 
 Blood  of  Christ.     Christ,  then,  said  well  when  He  called 
 them  whited   seindchres,  outwardly  adorned  with   the  S.  Matt. 
 superficial  embellishments  of  art,  but  imuardly  full  of^^"^"""'' 
 evil  odours  and  detestable  impurity ;  and  when,  in  an- 
 other place,  He  said  that  they  strained  out  the  gnat  and  Ibid.  ver. 
 swallowed  the  camel.     For  while  they  were  often  exact  "  ' 
 about  matters  that  were,  so  to  say,  wholly  unimportant 
 and  insignificant,  or,  rather,  about  a  mere  nothing  (for 
 what  is  the  gnatl),  they  made  of  no  account  the  most 
 weighty  of  all  the  charges  against  themselves,  and  made 
 
 VOL.  II.  Q  q 
 
594  The  rebukes  of  the  Prophets. 
 
 Book  12.  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter,  while  they  re- 
 c.  xvni.  ga^i.(je(j  j2ot  at  all  the  uncleanness  within.  For  see  how, 
 J  er.  iv.  though  the  prophet  Jeremiah  said  plainly :  Wash  thy 
 ^^'  heart  fror)i  tulckedness,  0  Jerusalem,  that  thou  niayest 
 
 be  saved,  they  were  thoroughly  convinced  that  the 
 inward  impiety  of  the  soul  mattered  not  a  whit ; 
 and,  when  they  brought  Christ  to  Pilate,  they  shrank 
 from  places  as  accursed,  and  from  the  bodies  of  uncir- 
 cumcised  men  ;  and  if  they  did  not  commit  the  lawless 
 act  with  their  own  hands,  they  yet  made  Pilate,  as  it 
 were,  minister  to  their  cruelty,  and  in  their  stupidity 
 imagined  that  they  remained  free  from  all  blame.  It 
 may  well  excite  our  wonder  to  find  that  the  holy  pro- 
 phets were  well  aware  even  of  this  impiety  of  theirs  ;  for 
 Is.  iii.  11.  the  blessed  Isaiah  said  concerning  them  :  Woe  unto  the 
 tvicked  !  for  the  reivard  of  his  hands  shall  be  given  him. 
 Obad  And  Ezekiel  also:  As  thou  hast  done,  it  shall  be  done 
 unto  thee:  thy  reward  shall  return  upon  thine  oiun 
 Ps.  head.     Moreover,  the  inspired  Psalmist  exclaims:  i2ew(ier 
 
 xxvu;.    .  ^^  f}^(,yjr^i  their  desert;  give  them  according  to  the  work  of 
 their  hands.     For  as  they  led  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  all, 
 captive  to  the  Roman  officers,  so  they  received  in  their 
 turn  their  reward,  and  were  abandoned  to  the  dominion 
 of  Rome,  and  were  spoiled  by  the  hand  of  their  conquer- 
 ors.   For  so  fearful  was  the  war  that  was  kindled  against 
 them,  and  so  frightful  the  extremities  in  which  they  were 
 involved,  that,  if  it  had  been  possible,  some,  nay  many, 
 among  them  would  rather  have  chosen  to  go  into  the 
 mountains   and  rocks,  and  die  there,  before  they  saw 
 the  war — a  choice  which  Christ  foretold  that  they  would 
 s.  Luke    make,  when  He  said  :  When  ye  see  Jerusalem  cor^ipassed 
 Ibid.       with  armies,  then  shall  ye  say  to  the  mountains,  Cover 
 xxiii.  30.  ,^^g  .  ^^^(-i  Iq  fj^Q  hills,  Fall  on  us. 
 
 29     Pilate  therefore  went  out  unto  them,  and  saith,  WJiat  accusa- 
 tion bring  ye  against  this  Man  .' 
 
 They  shrank  from  the  pollution,  as  they  deemed  it,  of 
 stones  and  walls,  but  Pilate  went  forth  and  inquired  of 
 
Pilate  luas  less  guilty  than  the  Jews.  595 
 
 them  the  reason  of  their  coming  to  him,  and  required  o.  xviii. 
 them  to  tell  him  the  charges  against  the  Captive  they 
 had  brought  unto  him,  judging  the  leaders  of  the  Jews 
 on  the  other  hand.  For,  though  he  was  a  foreigner,  he 
 held  in  respect  the  ordinances  of  the  Jews,  and  treated 
 with  consideration  their  prevailing  customs.  For  he 
 hastened  out  of  the  judgment  hall,  as  was  not  his  habit, 
 expressing  to  the  Jews  by  this  significant  action  that 
 their  Law  ought  to  be  observed.  They,  being  contrariwise 
 minded  to  the  Divine  commandments,  and  paying  very 
 little  heed  to  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  were  bringing 
 about  an  unrighteous  blood-shedding  ;  while  Pilate,  who 
 was  outside  the  pale  of  the  Law,  inquired  the  charges,  and 
 investigated  the  accusations,  they  brought  against  Him, 
 and  pointed  out  to  them,  that  it  was  absurd  to  chastise 
 or  exact  a  penalty  from  a  Man  Who  had  done  no  sin. 
 And  they,  though  they  had  nothing  to  say  against  Him, 
 brought  Him  to  Pilate,  like  a  fierce  robber.  Well,  then, 
 was  it  said  to  the  Synagogue  of  the  Jews  :  Sodomi  has  been  Cf.  Ezek. 
 justified  by  thee ;  and  Christ  Himself  cries  out,  accusing  ^^^'  ^^" 
 the  madness  that  the  children  of  Israel  here  showed  :  Thou  Ezek.  v. 
 hast  not  done  according  to  the  judgments  of  the  nations 
 round  about.  And  the  saying  is  true;  for  the  Greeks 
 would  not  with  defiled  and  unwashed  hands  have  brought 
 the  usual  sacrifices  to  the  stones  and  blocks  of  wood  they 
 conceived  to  be  gods,  nor  would  they  have  destroyed  one, 
 unless  it  was  in  the  most  evil  plight ;  but  the  Jews,  though 
 about  to  sacrifice  the  Passover  to  the  true  God,  had  their 
 souls  stained  with  the  guilt  of  innocent  blood,  and  were 
 hastening  to  put  to  death  unjustly  Him  Who  was  a 
 stranger  to  all  sin. 
 
 30     Thei/  answered  and  said  unto  him,  If  this  Man  were  not  an 
 evil-doer,  we  should  not  have  delivered  Him  up  unto  thee. 
 
 They  were  perplexed  for  a  specious  plea  against  Him, 
 but  cloak  the  baseness  of  their  impiety,  and  their  appa- 
 rent resolution  to  put  Him  to  death  unjustly,  by  the 
 sophistical  reply,  that  they  would  never  have  brought 
 
 Q  q  2 
 
13 
 
 596     Christ  justified  by  the  Law  of  the  Gentiles. 
 
 Book  12.  Jesus  to  suffer  justice,  if  they  had  not  taken  Him  in  a 
 31^32"  criminal  act.  For  they  still  affected  to  observe  the  Law, 
 which  bade  them  execute  righteous  judgment  in  all  things ; 
 and,  marvellous  to  relate,  they  use  their  respect  for  the 
 Law  as  a  weapon  against  the  Lawgiver.  They,  who  did 
 not  shrink  from  bringing  an  accusation  against  the  Law- 
 giver, claimed  credit  as  keepers  of  the  Law.  They 
 declared  that  He  That  had  come  to  take  away  sin  had 
 done  evil,  that  the  truth  of  the  words  that  Christ  spake, 
 by  the  mouth  of  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  might  be  seen  : 
 Hos.  vii.  Woe  unto  them!  for  they  have  fled  from  Me :  their  doovi 
 is  misery,  because  they  have  transgressed  against  Me. 
 Though  I  have  redeemed  them,  yet  they  have  spoken  lies 
 against  Me. 
 
 31     Pilate  thei'efore  said  unto  them,  Take  Him  yourselves,  and 
 judge  Him  according  to  your  Law. 
 
 I  should  not  do  justice,  he  says,  if  I  were  to  subject  to 
 legal  penalties  a  Man  Who  has  been  convicted  of  no 
 wrong,  and  Whose  doom  you  left  undecided ;  but  judge 
 Him,  rather,  according  to  your  Law,  if,  indeed,  he  says,  it 
 has  ordained  that  the  Man  Who  is  wholly  without  guilt 
 deserves  chastisement.  It  is  not  a  little  absurd,  or,  I 
 should  rather  say,  it  is  a  subject  for  perpetual  regret, 
 that,  while  the  Law  of  the  Gentiles  justified  our  Lord,  so 
 that  even  Pilate  shrank  from  punishing  Him  That  was 
 brought  to  him  on  so  vague  a  charge,  they,  who  made  it 
 their  boast  that  they  were  instructed  in  the.  Law  of  God, 
 declared  that  He  ought  to  be  put  to  death. 
 
 31  The  Jews  therefore  said  unto  1dm,  R  is   'not  lawful  for 
 
 32  us  to  2)ut  any  man  to  death:  that  the  word  of  Jesus  might 
 be  fulfilled,  which  He  S2)ake,  signifying  by  what  manner  of 
 death  He  should  die. 
 
 They  answer,  that  their  purification,  accomplished  by 
 the  slaughter  of  the  Paschal  lamb  (if  any  purification  at 
 all  were  possible  for  such  murderers),  stood  in  their  way, 
 and  was,  as  it  were,  an  overpowering  obstacle  to  their 
 
Christ's   Word  fulfilled.  597 
 
 shedding  His  innocent  Blood,     For,  surely,  they  would  c  xviii. 
 have  been  very  ready  to  commit  the  imj^ious  crime,  and 
 would  not  have  needed  the  co-operation  of  any  other^ 
 The  Jewish  mind  was  very  prone  to  work  every  kind 
 of  evil  deed,  and   to  shrink   from  no  atrocity ;    and  to 
 feel  no  shame   at  doing  anything  displeasing  to  God. 
 They  deemed  it  right  for  Pilate  to  lend  them  the  ser- 
 vice  of   his  own    cruelty,  and   to  imitate   the   fury  of 
 the  Jews,  and  to  minister  to  them   on   this   occasion, 
 and  to  be  by  them  overruled,  so  as  to  partake  of  their 
 madness.     And  this  also  they  say,  that  Christ  might  be 
 proved  to   speak  truth,  and  to    have    foreknown  what 
 manner  of  death  He  would  die,  and  to  have  foretold  it 
 to  His  holy  disciples.     For  what  spake  He  unto  them  ? 
 Behold,  tve  go  up  to  Jerusalem;  and  the  Son  of  Man  is  S.  Matt. 
 betrayed   unto   the   hands  of  sinners;   and  they  shall  ^^'^-^^^ 
 crucify  Him,  and  kill  Him,  and  the  third  day  He  shall  &xvii.23. 
 he  raised  up.     It  is  requisite  to  make  mention  of  this. 
 For  it  was  necessary  that   He   should  have  this  fore- 
 knowledge, that  none  might  suppose  that  He,  in  Whose 
 sight  all  things  are  naked  and  laid  open,  encountered  His  Heb.  iv. 
 death  involuntarily  ;  but  that  men  should  believe  that, 
 of  His  own  Will,  He  underwent  the  Cross  on  our  behalf, 
 and  for  our  sakes. 
 
 33     niate  therefore  entered  again  into  the  palace,  and  called 
 Jesus,  and  said  unto  Him.  Art  Thou  the  King  of  the  Jews  ? 
 
 Having  nothing  at  all  to  accuse  Him  of,  and  none  of 
 those  crimes  to  allege  against  Him,  which  seem  to  bring 
 in  their  train  just  punishment  on  the  doers  of  them,  and 
 Pilate  persisting  in  inquiring  why  they  had  brought 
 Him,  they  assert  that  Jesus  had  sinned  against  Caesar, 
 in  assuming  on  Himself  the  dominion  which  Caesar  had 
 acquired  over  the  Jews,  and  in  changing  the  glory  of  his 
 kingdom  to  suit  His  personal  pretensions.  Great  was 
 the  malice  which  suggested  this  device,  and  caused  the 
 false  accusation  to  assume  this  shape ;  for  they  knew 
 that  Pilate,  however  reluctant  he  might  be,  would  take 
 
598  T]ie  crafty  malice  of  the  Jeics. 
 
 Book  12.  thought   for   his   own   safety,    and   would  swiftly  and 
 
 ^.^xMu.  precipitately  punish  the  man  against  whom  any  such 
 outcry  was  raised.  For,  as  the  inhabitants  of  Judaea 
 ever  were  continually  moved  to  tumults  and  civil  strife, 
 and  were  easily  provoked  to  revolt,  Caesar's  officers  were 
 the  more  vigilant  in  this  respect,  and  were  more  careful 
 guardians  of  order,  and  inflicted  the  most  summary 
 penalties  on  men  who  had  this  charge  brought  against 
 them,  sometimes  groundlessly.  The  Jews,  therefore, 
 make  it  a  charge  against  Christ,  that  He  reigned  over 
 Israel.  Therefore  justly  were  they  cast  out,  and  the 
 Gentiles  brought  in,  and  made  subject  to  the  yoke,  and 
 
 Ps.  ii.  8.,  put  into  the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  Ask  of  Me,  He  says, 
 and  I  shall  give  Thee  the  heathen  for  Thine  inheritance, 
 and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession. 
 For  when  the  one  nation  of  the  Jews  provoked  Him  to 
 wrath,  all  the  nations  of  the  world  are  given  to  Christ; 
 and  instead  of  one  country,  I  mean  Judaea,  the  uttermost 
 
 Eom.  xi.  parts  of  the  earth.  For,  as  Paul  saith :  Their  fall  is  the 
 riches  of  the  ivorld,  and  their  loss  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles. 
 Pilate,  then,  speaks  out  plainly  what  he  heard  the  Jews 
 muttering,  and  bids  Jesus  answer  him,  whether  He  was 
 in  truth  the  King  of  the  Jews,  He  was  full  of  anxiety, 
 it  would  appear,  and  thought  Caesar's  rule  was  menaced, 
 and  was,  therefore,  very  desirous  to  learn  the  truth,  in 
 order  to  visit  what  had  been  done  with  appropriate 
 retribution,  and  acquit  of  blame  the  office  entrusted  to 
 him  by  the  Romans. 
 
 34     Jesus  answered,  Say  est  thou  this  of  thyself  or  did  others 
 tell  it  thee  concerning  Me  ? 
 
 As  no  one.  He  says,  has  openly  brought  this  charge 
 against  Me,  whence  proceeds  your  question?  There  can 
 be  no  doubt  that  this  trick  proceeds  from  the  malice  of 
 the  Jews,  and  that  they  devised  this  cruel  stratagem ;  for 
 else  you  would  not  be.  He  says,  at  once  judge  and 
 accuser.  And  Christ  said  this,  wishing  to  bring  it  to 
 the  knowledge  of  Pilate  that  nothing;  that  was  unseen. 
 
 12. 
 
Pilate,  accusing  the  Jews,  is  self-accused.       599 
 
 and  devised,  and  said  in  secret,  could  escape  Him ;  and  c.  xviii. 
 that,  seeing  that  He  was  more  than  man,  he  might  ' 
 be  more  reluctant  to  minister  to  the  cruelty  of  those 
 who  brought  Him ;  and  at  the  same  time  to  teach  him 
 that  he  did  very  wrong  in  forcing  Him,  Who  had  been 
 convicted  of  no  crime,  on  the  mere  word  of  others  to  pay 
 the  penalty. 
 
 35  Pilate  answered,  Am  I  a  Jew  ?  Thine  own  nation  and  the 
 chief  priests  delivered  Thee  unto  me :  What  hast  Thou 
 done  ? 
 
 He  now  exposes  the  villainy  of  the  Jews,  and  almost 
 publishes  the  multitude  of  His  accusers.  It  is  as  though 
 he  said :  "  It  does  not  concern  me  to  know  about  Thee, 
 for  I  am  not  a  Jew ;  but  rather  befits  Thine  own  nation 
 and  kindred,  who,  it  may  be,  have  this  knowledge,  and 
 so  bring  Thee  to  suffer  death."  He  then  accuses  himself. 
 For  to  say.  What  hast  Thou  done,  implies  nothing  else 
 but  this.  The  holy  Evangelist  was  very  zealous  to 
 narrate  every  detail  about  the  trial  of  Christ,  and  among 
 them  he  tells  us  the  fact  that  Pilate  asked  Jesus  the. 
 question :  What  hast  Thou  done  ?  And  hereby  we  may 
 best  observe  the  total  absence  of  charges  against  Him, 
 and  that,  as  none  were  brought  forward,  and  Christ  our 
 Saviour  was  convicted  of  no  crime,  the  sentence  of  death 
 that  went  forth  against  Him  was  impious  and  most 
 unjust. 
 
 36  Jesus  answered,  My  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  :  if  My 
 Kingdom,  were  of  this  world,  then  would  My  servants  fight, 
 that  I  should  not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews  :  but  now  is  My 
 Kingdom  not  from  hence. 
 
 He  dispelled  the  fear  Pilate  felt  as  the  appointed 
 guardian  of  Csesar's  kingdom,  for  he  supposed  that 
 Christ  was  meditating  insurrection  against  temporal 
 rule,  as  the  Jews  had  vainly  talked.  For  they  hinted 
 at  this  when  they  said :  If  this  Man  ivere  not  an  evil-  Supra 
 doer,  ive  should  not  have  delivered  Him  up  unto  thee;^^^'""  ' 
 
600  Christ  dispels  Pilates  suspicion. 
 
 Book  12.  meaning  insurrection  by  the  evil  they  said  He  was 
 c.  xviii.  ^iQ^jjg  YoY  they  affected  to  be  so  well-disposed  to  the 
 Romans,  as  not  even  to  be  able  to  utter  the  word  revolt. 
 For  this  cause,  then,  they  said  they  had  brought  Him  to 
 Pilate,  to  suffer  judgment.  Christ,  in  His  reply,  denied 
 not  that  He  was  a  King,  for  He  could  not  but  speak 
 truth ;  but  He  clearly  proved  that  He  was  no  enemy 
 to  Caesar's  rule,  signifying  that  His  Kingdom  was  not 
 an  earthly  kingdom,  but  that  He  reigned,  as  God,  over 
 heaven  and  earth,  and  yet  greater  things  than  these. 
 
 What  proof,  then,  did  He  give?  and  how  did  He 
 remove  this  suspicion?  He  says,  that  He  had  never 
 employed  any  spearmen  or  warriors,  and  had  never  had 
 with  Him  any  men  at  all  resolved  on  resistance ;  not 
 merely  in  order  to  prevent  His  losing  His  Kingdom,  but 
 not  even,  that  He  might  escape  from  the  imminent  danger 
 cast  upon  Him  by  the  hand  of  the  Jews  ;  for  it  did  not 
 proceed  from  their  ruler  himself,  namely,  Ca?sar.  When, 
 then.  He  had  shown  the  groundlessness  of  this  outcry  by 
 so  clear  a  proof,  Pilate  perceived  that  the  presumptuous 
 attempt  against  Christ  was  without  excuse.  Yet,  with- 
 out any  compulsion,  and  w^hen  there  was  nothing  to 
 incite  him  to  that  consequence,  he  complied  with  the 
 pleasure  of  the  Jews,  to  the  perdition  of  his  own  soul, 
 and  shared  with  them  the  guilt  of  having  put'  Christ  to 
 death.  Christ,  indeed,  when  He  said  that  His  Kingdom 
 was  a  supernatural  kingdom,  not  only  freed  Pilate  from 
 all  alarm,  and  dispelled  his  suspicions  about  an  insur- 
 rection, but  induced  him  also  to  have  an  exalted  opinion 
 of  Him,  and  by  His  reply  in  some  sort  commenced  to 
 instruct  him. 
 
 37      Pilate  therefore  said  unto  Ilim,  Art  Thou  a  king  then  1 
 
 He  makes  use  of  Christ's  truth-speaking  to  charge 
 
 Supra       Him  withal.    When  he  heard  Him  say  :  My  Kingdom  is 
 
 ^^^'  not  from  hence,  he  was  indeed  quit  of  his  fear  of  an 
 
 insurrection ;  but  he  still  compels  Him  to  openly  profess 
 
 this  thing,  and  defines  as  a  charge  His  mere  assertion 
 
Christ  acknoiuledges  the  glory  of  His  Kingdom.  601 
 
 that  He  had  a  kingdom,  thousrh  He  asserted  that  it  was  cxviil. 
 
 •  37   38 
 
 not  of  this  world.     He  drives  Jesus,  as  it  were,  to  make    '' 
 
 this  profession ;    and  says,  Thou  hast  confessed  already 
 
 that  Thou  art  a  King. 
 
 37  Jesus  answered  Mtn,  Thoxi  sayest  that  I  am  a  King.  To 
 this  end  have  I  been  horn,  and  to  this  end  am  I  come  into 
 the  tvorld,  that  I  shoidd  hear  witness  unto  the  truth.     Every 
 
 38  one  that  is  of  the  truth  heareth  My  voice.  Filate  saith  unto 
 Ilim,  What  is  truth  ? 
 
 He  does  not  deny  the  glory  of  His  Kingdom,  nor  leave 
 it  to  the  voice  of  Pilate  only  to  affirm  it,  for  as  God  He 
 is  King,  whether  man  so  will,  or  no ;  but  He  once  more 
 showed  the  power  of  the  truth  which  impelled  Pilate, 
 though  reluctant,  to  declare  the  glory  of  Him  Who  was 
 on  His  trial ;  for.  He  says :  Thou  hast  said,  that  I  am  a 
 King.  For  this  cause  was  I  born,  He  says,  and  came 
 into  this  world  when  I  became  Man,  that  I  shoidd  hear 
 witness  unto  the  truth;  that  is,  that  He  might  take  lying 
 out  of  the  world,  and,  having  subdued  the  devil,  who 
 gained  his  way  by  guile,  He  might  show  truth  trium- 
 phant over  the  universe  ;  truth — that  is,  that  nature  that 
 is  truly  sovereign  by  nature,  which  has  not  by  craft 
 acquired  the  ability  to  hold  rule  and  dominion  over 
 heaven  and  earth,  and,  in  a  word,  everything  that  is 
 brought  into  being  ;  nor  has  this  been  added  unto  it 
 from  without,  but  it  is  seen  to  be  essentially  and 
 naturally  inherent.  In  order,  too,  that  He  might 
 show  that  Pilate's  dulness  of  apprehension  arose  from 
 his  stubborn  heart,  and  his  reluctance  to  admit  the 
 truth,  Christ  fitly  adds  the  word :  Everyone  that  is  of 
 the  truth  heareth  My  voice.  For  the  word  of  truth 
 gains  a  ready  acceptance  from  those  who  have  already 
 learnt  and  love  it ;  but  with  others  it  is  not  so.  Yea, 
 the  Prophet  Isaiah  said  to  some:  If  ye  ivill  not  believe,  is.  vii. 
 neither  shall  ye  understand.  Pilate  showed  at  once  the 
 truth  of  this,  when  he  said:  What  is  truth?  For,  just 
 as  those  whose  sight  is  injured,  and  who  have  wholly 
 
602  Pilate  endeavours  to  release  Christ 
 
 Book  12.  lost  the  use  of  their  eyes,  have  their  sense  of  colour 
 88^39"  entirely  annihilated,  so  as  not  to  note  when  gold  is 
 brought  before  them,  or  a  shining  and  precious  stone 
 shown  them,  nay,  even  the  very  light  of  the  sun's  rays 
 excites  in  them  no  wonder,  as  they  have  no  perception 
 thereof,  and  can  gain  no  profit  from  any  such  thing ; 
 so  to  men  whose  minds  are  warped,  truth  seems  a  foul 
 and  ugly  thing,  although  it  instils  into  the  minds  of 
 those  who  behold  it  its  spiritual  and  Divine  radiancy. 
 
 38  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  ivent  out  again  unto  the 
 
 39  Jews,  and  saith  unto  them,  I  find  no  crime  in  Him.  But 
 ye  have  a  custom,  that  I  shoidd  release  unto  you  one  2)risoner 
 at  the  Passover  :  ivill  ye  therefore  that  I  release  unto  you  tJie 
 King  of  the  Jews  ? 
 
 For  a  condemnation  at  once  of  the  want  of  piety,  and 
 of  the  cruelty  of  the  Jews,  he  excels  them  in  the  know- 
 ledge of  what  was  just  and  right,  though  he  could  not 
 boast  of  Divine  instruction,  but  was  merely  the  guardian 
 of  human  ordinances,  and  reverenced  most  of  all  the 
 enactments  of  those  from  whom  he  had  his  office  as  a 
 gift.  If  the  teachers  of  the  Jewish  Law  had  so  done,  and 
 chosen  to  be  thus  minded,  they  might  very  likely  have 
 escaped  the  net  of  the  devil,  and  shunned  the  most  abo- 
 minable of  all  crimes,  I  mean  the  shedding  of  the  Blood 
 of  Christ.  Pilate,  then,  hesitates  to  condemn  Christ,  Who 
 had  been  taken  in  and  convicted  of  no  criminal  act,  and 
 says  that  He  That  was  far  removed  from  all  guilt  ought 
 not  to  pay  a  penalty,  and  strongly  maintains  that  it  is 
 wholly  at  variance  with  the  laws  he  observed ;  putting  to 
 shame  the  frightful  frenzy  of  the  Jews  in  contradiction 
 to  their  own  Law.  For  he  thought  that,  as  they  professed 
 to  reverence  the  doctrine  of  impartial  justice,  they  ought 
 at  once  to  yield  to  the  statement  of  what  was  just  and 
 right  that  he  put  before  them.  But,  perceiving  that  to 
 acquit  Him  That  they  had  brought  to  him  of  all  blame 
 would  imply  no  small  condemnation  of  the  precipitancy 
 of  the  Jews,  that  they  might  not  on  this  account  insist 
 
hy  appeasing  the  mob.  603 
 
 the  more  vehemently,  and  stir  up  a  strange  commotion,  c.  xviii. 
 he  paved  the  way,  as  it  were,  and  put  the  best  com-  ' 
 plexion  upon  the  matter,  by  saying:  Ye  have  a  custom, 
 that  I  should  release  unto  you  one  prisoner  at  the  Pass- 
 over :  ivill  ye  therefore  that  I  release  unto  you  the  King  of 
 the  Jews  f  When  he  called  Jesus  King  of  the  Jews,  he 
 spoke  in  jest,  and  tried  to  abate  by  ridicule  the  anger  of 
 the  furious  mob,  and  hereby  also  clearly  showed  that  this 
 particular  accusation  was  brought  in  vain ;  for  a  Roman 
 officer  would  never  have  thought  a  man  condemned  of 
 plotting  for  a  kingdom  and  revolution  against  Rome, 
 ^Yorthy  to  be  released.  He  bore  witness,  then,  to  His 
 utter  guiltlessness  by  the  very  reasons  he  gave  for  His 
 release. 
 
 I  think  these  words  explain  the  drift  of  the  passage. 
 And  as  I  was  considering  and  meditating  in  my  mind 
 how  the  custom  arose  for  the  Jews  to  ask  for  one  man 
 to  be  released  to  them  (a  robber,  it  might  be,  or  a  mur- 
 derer), the  idea  occurred  to  me  that  they  no  longer  regu- 
 lated their  actions  altogether  according  to  the  Law,  but, 
 choosing  rather  to  use  their  own  customs,  they  fell  into 
 a  decayed  state  of  manners  not  altogether  in  accordance 
 with  the  Mosaic  dispensation.  But  while  I  was  search- 
 ing the  Divine  Scriptures,  and  hunting  everywhere  for 
 the  origin  of  this  custom,  I  came  upon  one  of  the  Divine 
 dictates,  which  caused  me  to  suspect  that  when  the  Jews 
 sought  the  release  of  a  malefactor,  they  were,  in  fact,  in 
 however  mistaken  a  way,  fulfilling  one  of  the  customs  of 
 the  Law.  At  the  end  of  the  book  called  Numbers  we 
 find  recorded  the  law  concerning  voluntary  and  involun- 
 tary homicide  ;  and  when  the  penalty  in  the  case  of  pre- 
 meditated murder  has  been  clearly  laid  down,  the  book 
 goes  on  to  speak  of  involuntary  homicide,  and,  after 
 other  remarks,  makes  the  following  declaration:  But  if 'Num. 
 he  thrust  him  suddenly  without  enmity,  or  have  cast  25^^' 
 upon  him  anything  luithout  laying  of  ivait,  or  tuith  any 
 stone  ivherewith  a  man  may  die,  seeing  him  not,  and 
 cast  it  upon  him  that  he  die,  and  was  not  his  enemy, 
 
604  The  Jeivs  demand  Barahhas 
 
 Book  12.  neither  sought  his  harm :  then  the  congregation  shall 
 40^^"^  j^'^^9^  hetiueen  the  slayer  and  the  revenger  of  blood,  and 
 the  congregation  shall  restore  him  to  the  city  of  his 
 refxige,  whither  he  vx(s  fled.  Such,  then,  being  the  wi'it- 
 ten  commandment,  when  any,  as  it  chanced,  were  in- 
 volved in  such  a  calamity,  the  Jews,  when  they  were 
 congregated  together,  that  they  might  not  appear  alto- 
 gether to  neglect  this  enactment,  sought  the  release  of 
 one  of  them.  For  the  Law  laid  down  that  it  was  to  be 
 the  act  of  the  entire  assembly.  As,  then,  they  were  per- 
 mitted by  the  Law  to  ask  for  the  release  of  a  prisoner, 
 they  make  this  request  of  Pilate.  For  after  they  had 
 once  accepted  the  Roman  yoke  they  were  henceforth,  for 
 the  most  part,  in  the  administration  of  their  affairs  ruled 
 by  their  laws.  Nay,  further,  though  it  was  lawful  for 
 them  to  put  to  death  any  one  convicted  of  a  crime,  they 
 Supra  brought  Jesus  to  Pilate  as  a  criminal,  saying:  It  is  not 
 ^^^'  '  lawfid  for  us  to  |n?i  any  man  to  death.  For  though 
 they  alleged  as  a  plea  their  purification  by  the  sacrifice 
 of  the  Passover,  yet  they  showed  themselves  flatterers 
 of  Rome,  in  entrusting  to  the  laws  of  the  Romans  the 
 duty  which  the  Divine  commandment  from  heaven  laid 
 upon  themselves. 
 
 40      Thei/  cried  out  therefore  again,  saijing.  Not  this  Man,  hut 
 Barahhas.     Now  Barahhas  was  a  rohher. 
 
 Herein  also  the  Jews  show  themselves  indeed  law- 
 breakers, and  more  inclined  to  give  way  to  their  own 
 inclinations  than  to  honour  their  ancient  command- 
 ments ;  for  though  the  Mosaic  Law  ordered  that  a  man 
 who  had  committed  involuntary  homicide  should  be 
 released,  and  not  a  man  like  Barabbas  (for  how  could 
 such  a  thing  be?),  they  prefer  to  ask  for  a  notorious 
 robber.  And  that  the  man  here  named  was,  in  fact,  a 
 dangerous  and  brutal  criminal,  and  not  free  from  blood- 
 guiltiness,  the  words  of  the  inspired  Peter  to  the  people 
 Acts  iii.  of  the  Jews  will  make  clear  to  us:  But  ye  denied  the 
 ^^'  Holy  and  Righteous  One,  and  ashed  for  a  murderer  to 
 
and  rage  against  Christ.  605 
 
 he  granted  unto  you.  For  they  preferred  a  robber  to  c.  xviil. 
 Him  Who  regarded  not  His  equality  with  God  the 
 Father,  and  took  our  poverty  upon  Him  for  this  very 
 end,  that  He  might  deliver  us  from  the  true  murderer, 
 that  is,  Satan  ;  and  they  were  men  adorned  with  the 
 priesthood  of  the  Law,  and  who  greatly  vaunted  them- 
 selves thereon.  Yet  they  passed  by  and  utterly  rejected 
 the  commandment.  Judge  righteous  judgment,  and  justi-  Zech.  vii. 
 tied  the  murderer,  condemning  Christ,  and  cried  with 
 one  accord :  Not  this  Man,  but  Barahhas.  The  Jews, 
 however,  will  pay  the  penalty  of  their  impious  act ;  but 
 we  may  well  admire  the  Holy  Scripture,  examining  it  in 
 the  light  of  Christ's  Person,  and  this  desperate  outcry  ; 
 for  thus  saith  the  Prophet  Jeremiah :  /  have  forsaken  jer.  xii. 
 mine  house,  I  have  left  mine  heritage,  I  have  given  my  ''  ^' 
 beloved  soul  into  the  hand  of  her  enemies.  Mine  heri- 
 tage is  unto  me  as  a  lion  in  the  forest;  it  crieth  out 
 against  me.  It  may  be  well  to  explain  this  simile  of 
 the  lion  in  the  forest.  He  says  it  is  with  his  heritage 
 as  when  this  great  and  frightful  beast  desires  to  seize 
 some  prey  in  the  forest,  it  goes  up  to  a  high  peak,  and 
 gives  forth  a  great  and  fearful  roar,  and  strikes  such 
 terror  into  those  who  hear,  that  man  or  beast  at  once 
 fall  prostrate,  not  able  to  endure  the  awful  sound  of  his 
 threatening  voice,  and  the  beast,  as  it  were,  makes  them 
 fall  by  the  breath  of  his  mouth.  And  God  confirms  this 
 saying  also  by  the  prophet,  when  he  thus  speaks :  The  Amos  iii. 
 lion  roareth ;  who  luill  not  fear?  The  assembly  of  the  ^' 
 Jews,  therefore,  was  as  a  lion  in  the  forest  to  our  Saviour 
 Christ,  so  far,  at  least,  as  their  presumptuous  clamour 
 against  Him  went ;  for  the  Nature  of  God  endureth  not 
 panic  or  fear  at  all.  For  the  assembly,  by  its  clamour, 
 put  Him  to  death,  though  Pilate  invited  them  to  choose 
 His  release ;  so  that  even  those  who  had  not  yet  learnt 
 the  Divine  Law  might  be  proved  better  than  men  in- 
 structed in  the  Law. 
 
606  Christ  ivas  punished 
 
 Book  12.  xix.  1  Then  Pilate  therefore  took  Jesus,  and  scourged  Ilim. 
 c.xix.l-d.^  2     ^nd  the  soldiers  2)laited  a  croivn  of  thorns,  and  2)ut  it  on 
 
 His  /lead,  and  arrayed  Him  in  a  ][>ur2)le  garment ;  and  they 
 3     came  unto  Him,  and  said.  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews  !     And 
 
 they  struck  Him  luith  their  hands. 
 
 He  scourges  Him  unjustly,  and  suffers  the  crowd  of 
 soldiers  to  insult  Him,  and  put  a  crown  of  thorns  about 
 His  Head,  and  throw  a  purple  robe  upon  Him,  and  buffet 
 Him  with  the  palms  of  their  hands,  and  otherwise  dis- 
 honour Him.  For  he  thought  he  could  easily  put  to 
 shame  the  people  of  the  Jews,  if  they  saw  the  Man  Who 
 was  altogether  free  from  guilt  suffering  this  punishment, 
 only  without  a  cause.  He  was  scourged  unjustly,  that 
 He  might  deliver  us  from  merited  chastisement ;  He  was 
 buffeted  and  smitten,  that  we  might  buffet  Satan,  who 
 had  buffeted  us,  and  that  we  might  escape  from  the  sin 
 that  cleaves  to  us  through  the  original  transgression. 
 For  if  we  think  aright,  we  shall  believe  that  all  Chiist's 
 sufferings  were  for  us  and  on  our  behalf,  and  have  power 
 to  release  and  deliver  us  from  all  those  calamities  we 
 have  deserved  for  our  revolt  from  God.  For  as  Christ, 
 Who  knew  not  death,  when  He  gave  up  His  own  Body 
 for  our  salvation,  was  able  to  loose  the  bonds  of  death 
 for  all  mankind,  for  He,  being  One,  died  for  all ;  so  we 
 must  understand  that  Christ's  suffering  all  these  things 
 for  us  sufficed  also  to  release  us  all  from  scourging  and 
 
 Is.  liii.  5.  dishonour.     Then  in  what  way  hy  His  stripes  are  %ve 
 
 Ibid.  6.  healed,  according  to  the  Scripture  1  Because  we  have  all 
 gone  astray,  every  man  after  his  oivn  tvay,  as  says  the 
 blessed  Prophet  Isaiah ;  and  the  Lord  hath  given  Him- 
 
 Ibid.  4.    self  up  for  our  transgressions,  and  for  us  is  afflicted. 
 
 Ibid.  1.  6.  For  He  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities,  and  has  given 
 His  own  hack  to  the  scourge,  and  His  cheeks  to  the 
 smiters,  as  he  also  says.  The  soldiers  indeed  take  Jesus 
 as  a  pretender  to  the  throne,  and  insult  Him  soldierlike. 
 And  for  this  cause  was  a  crown  of  thorns  brought  and 
 put  upon  His  brow,  being  the  symbol   of  earthly  so- 
 
that  tve  might  go  free.  607 
 
 vereignty  ;  and  the  purple  robe  was,  as  it  were,  an  image  c.  xix.  4. 
 and  type  of  royal  apparel ;  and  ridicule  also  was  thereby 
 heaped  upon  Him,  for  they  came  near  unto  Him,  and 
 cried,  as  the  Evangelist  says  :  Hail,  King  of  the  Jeivs  ! 
 
 And  I  have  heard  some  say,  and  to  some  the  conceit 
 is  well-pleasing,  that  the  crown  of  thorns  further  signi- 
 fies the  multitude  of  idol- worshippers  who  will  be  taken 
 up  by  Christ,  as  it  were,  into  a  diadem,  through  faith  in 
 Him ;  and  they  liken  the  Gentiles  to  barren  and  useless 
 thorns,  through  their  bearing  no  fruit  of  piety,  and  being 
 rather  fit  to  feed  consuming  fire — ^just  like  rubbish  in  the 
 fields,  just  as  wild  thicket,  which  grows  up  without  any 
 cultui-e ;  and  the  royal  apparel,  I  mean  the  purple  robe, 
 they  say,  means  Christ's  Kingdom,  which  will  be  ex- 
 tended over  all  the  world.  We  may  well  receive  any 
 interpretation  which  is  not  alien  to  the  truth,  and  which 
 it  is  not  unprofitable  to  believe  in.  We  need  not  there- 
 fore reject  such  a  construction  of  the  passage,  indicative 
 as  it  is  of  careful  ingenuity. 
 
 4  And  Pilate  went  out  again,  and  saith  unto  them,  Behold, 
 I  bring  Him  out  to  you,  that  ye  rnay  know  that  I  find  no 
 crime  in  Him. 
 
 He  confesses  the  wrong  he  had  done,  and  is  not 
 ashamed.  For  he  admitted  that  he  had  scourged  Him 
 without  a  cause,  and  declares  that  he  will  show  Him 
 unto  them,  supposing  that  he  would  glut  their  savage 
 passion  by  so  pitiable  a  spectacle,  and  well-nigh  accuses 
 them  henceforth,  and  that  publicly,  of  putting  Him  to 
 death  unjustly,  and  of  compelling  him  openly  to  be  a 
 law-breaker,  who,  if  he  transgressed  his  own  laws,  could 
 not  escape  scot  free.  The  saying  was  fulfilled  in  Christ, 
 and  shown  to  be  true,  that  the  prince  of  this  ivorld  com-  Supra 
 eth,  and  he  tuill  find  nothing  in  Me.  For  observe  how  ^^^' 
 Satan,  after  throwing  everything  into  confusion,  finds 
 nothing  at  all  cast  out  from  God,  and  ranked  under  the 
 power  of  sin,  which  he  might,  perhaps,  if  it  had  been 
 referred  to  the  Saviour  Christ,  have  caused  to  be  rightly 
 
608         Christ,  being  guiltless,  freed  humanity. 
 
 Book  12.  condemned  and  implicated  in  his  accusations.  Just  as, 
 c.  XIX.  ,  ^jjgj^^  -j^  Adam  he  subdued  the  whole  human  race,  show- 
 ing it  to  be  subject  unto  sin,  so  now  was  he  vanquished 
 by  Humanity.  For  He  That  was  truly  God,  and  had  no 
 sin  in  Him,  was  yet  Man  ;  and  just  as  the  sentence  of 
 condemnation  for  transgression  went  forth  over  all  man- 
 kind, through  one  man,  the  first  Adam,  so  likewise,  also, 
 the  blessing  of  justification  by  Christ  is  extended  to  all 
 through  One  Man,  the  Second  Adam.  Paul  is  our  wit- 
 Rom.  V.  ness,  who  says  :  As  through  one  the  judgment  came  unto 
 all  men  to  condemnation ;  even  so  through  One  the  free 
 gift  came  unto  cdl  men  to  justification  of  life.  We  there- 
 fore are  diseased  through  the  disobedience  of  the  first 
 Adam  and  its  curse,  but  are  enriched  through  the  obe- 
 dience of  the  Second  and  its  blessing.  For  He  that  was 
 Lord  of  the  Law  as  God  came  among  us,  and  kept  the 
 Cf.  supra  Law  as  Man.  Yea,  we  find  Him  saying  unto  us :  He  that 
 love.th  Me  ivill  keep  My  commandments:  even  as  I  have 
 XV.  10.  kejJt  My  Father's  commandments,  and  abide  in  His  love. 
 Note  how  He,  as  Lawgiver  and  God,  has  enjoined  upon 
 us  the  keeping  of  His  commandments  ;  and  how,  as  keep- 
 ing the  Law  while  a  Man  among  men,  He  declares  that 
 He  Himself  also  kept  the  commandment  of  His  Father, 
 
 5  Jesus  therefore  came  out,  wearing  the  crown  of  thorns,  and 
 the  2'>urj)le  garment.      And  Pilate  saith  unto  them.  Behold 
 
 6  the  Man  !  Wheri  therefore  the  chief  priests  anil  the  officers 
 saw  Him,  they  cried  out,  saying.  Crucify  Him,  Crucify 
 Him. 
 
 He  showed,  then,  the  Lord  of  all  impiously  outraged, 
 and  mocked  by  the  intolerable  insults  of  the  soldiers, 
 trusting  that  the  furious  wrath  of  the  Jews  would  be 
 sated,  and  now,  at  last,  abate,  and  rest  content  with  that 
 most  pitiable  and  dishonourable  spectacle.  But  they 
 were  so  far  from  showing  any  mercy  in  word  or  deed 
 towards  Him,  and  from  entertaining  any  kind  of  good 
 intentions,  as  even  to  surpass  the  ferocity  of  beasts,  and 
 to  hurry  onward  to  greater  evil  still,  and  make  a  still 
 
The  rulers  ivere  foremost  in  the  crime.        609 
 
 more  furious  outcry,  condemning  Him  to  the  worst  of  c.  xix.  5, 
 deaths,  and  compelling  Him  to  undergo  the  extremity  of 
 suffering.  For  what  punishment  can  be  as  severe  as  the 
 Cross  ?  And  it  is  to  the  leaders  of  the  Jews  alone,  it 
 appears,  that  the  wise  Evangelist  ascribed  the  origin  of 
 this  impious  doom.  For  see  how,  as  it  were,  carefully 
 guarding  his  words,  he  says  :  When,  therefore,  the  chief 
 priests  and  the  officers  saiv  Him,  they  cried  out,  saying. 
 Crucify  Him,,  crucify  Hmi.  For,  when  the  multitude  of 
 the  vulgar  were,  it  may  be,  somewhat  ashamed  by  the 
 sight  of  Christ's  sufferings,  for  perhaps  they  called  to 
 mind  the  wonderful  miracles  wrought  by  Him,  the  rulers 
 first  start  the  clamour,  and  kindle  into  strange  fury  the 
 passions  of  the  people  subject  unto  them.  That  which 
 was  said  of  God  in  the  prophets,  concerning  them,  is  true : 
 For  the  pastors  have  become  brutish,  and  have  not  sought  Jer.x.2i. 
 tJie  Lord;  therefore  all  their  fioch perceived  Him  not,  and 
 were  scattered  abroad.  And  the  saying  is  true.  For  as 
 those  in  the  pasture,  that  is,  the  multitude  of  the  vulgar, 
 did  not  enjoy  the  direction  of  their  rulers  to  the  know- 
 ledge of  Christ,  they  perished,  and  relapsed  into  ruinous 
 heedlessness  of  Christ.  For  let  any  man  that  likes  probe 
 the  origin  of  the  impious  crime,  and  he  will  ascribe  it  to 
 the  rulers.  For  it  was  in  the  outset  their  most  unholy 
 design ;  they  it  was  who  induced  the  traitor  to  make  a 
 bargain  with  them,  and  bought  Him  over  with  the  money 
 of  the  Sanctuary;  they  joined  the  band  of  soldiers  to  the 
 officers,  bade  them  bind  Him  like  the  meanest  of  robbers, 
 and  brought  Him  to  Pilate ;  and  now,  when  they  saw 
 Him  scourged,  and  well-nigh  beside  Himself  with  insults 
 from  every  quarter,  are  but  exasperated  the  more,  and 
 utter  the  dictates  of  their  unmeasured  hatred.  For  they 
 purposed  to  put  the  Lord  of  the  Vineyard  to  death,  and 
 thought  they  would  securely  enjoy  His  heritage,  and,  if 
 Christ  were  removed,  that  they  would  again  rule  and 
 enjoy  all  honour.  But,  as  the  Psalmist  says:  He  that 'Pa.  Hi. 
 sitteth  in  the  heavens,  shall  laugh  therti  to  scorn;  the 
 Lo7xl  shall  hold  them  in  derision.  For  nothing  happened 
 VOL.  II.  R  r 
 
610  Pilate  refuses  to  be  resjjonsihle. 
 
 Book  12.  according  to  their  expectation,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the 
 ^'  ^^^"   ■  course  of  events  was  completely  reversed. 
 
 0     Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Take  Him  yourselves,  and  crucify 
 Him  ;  for  I  find  no  crime  in  Him. 
 
 Pilate  is  in  consternation,  that  the  people  of  the  Jews 
 and  the  inhuman  crowd  of  the  chief  priests  should  attain 
 to  such  a  pitch  of  presumption,  as  not  even  to  shrink 
 from  subjecting  Christ  to  so  frightful  a  death,  though  no 
 fault  was  found  in  Him  to  bring  Him  to  such  a  doom. 
 And,  therefore,  he  says,  almost  like  one  annoyed  at  an 
 insult  offered  to  himself:  "Make  you  me  a  judge  of  this 
 unjust  shedding  of  blood?  Am  I,  contrary  to  all  Roman 
 Law,  become  the  murderer  of  the  Innocent  ?  and  shall  I, 
 at  your  beck  and  call,  fling  to  the  winds  all  thought  of 
 myself?  and  shall  I  not,  if  I  minister  at  my  own  peril  to 
 your  requests,  live  in  expectation  of  paying  the  penalty? 
 If  you  do  not  think  that  you  are  doing  an  unholy  deed  ; 
 if  you  think  the  work  presents  no  difficulty ;  do  you 
 yourselves,  he  says — you,  who  boast  of  Divine  instruction, 
 you,  who  vaunt  so  highly  your  knowledge  of  your  Law — 
 do  you  fix  the  cross,  dare  the  murder,  do  of  yourselves 
 the  unholy  deed,  bringing  down  on  your  own  heads  the 
 charge  of  this  great  impiety ;  let  the  presumptuous  act  be 
 the  act  of  Jews,  and  upon  them  let  the  blood-guiltiness 
 rest.  If  you  have  a  Law  that  subjects  the  Sinless  to  so 
 fearful  a  penalty,  that  chastises  the  Guiltless,  execute  it 
 with  your  own  hands  ;  I  will  not  endure  to  be  a  party 
 to  it."  We  may  imagine  this  to  be  what  Pilate  says,  for 
 his  words  are  pregnant  with  some  such  meaning.  And 
 the  shamelessness  of  the  Jews  may  here  also  well  excite 
 our  amazement,  for  they  are  not  even  put  to  shame  by 
 the  just  judgment  of  a  foreigner,  though  the  Divine  Law 
 Mai. ii.7.  said  concerning  this  people:  For  the  priest's  lips  should 
 keep  judgment,  and  they  should  seek  the  Laiu  from  his 
 mouth. 
 
The  law  concerning  blasphemy.  611 
 
 7     The  Jeivs  answered  him,  We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  c-  xix.  7. 
 He  ought  to  die,  because  He  made  Himself  the  Son  of  God. 
 
 When  their  false  accusation  that  they  had  at  first 
 contrived  proved  fruitless,  and  they  established  against 
 Him  no  attempt  at  revolution  or  revolt  against  Csesar's 
 rule  (for  the  Lord  parried  these  charges,  saying ;  My  Supra 
 Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  ;  if  my  Kingdom  were  o/^^"^' 
 this  world,  then  tuould  My  servants  fight,  that  I  should 
 not  be  delivered  to  the  Jews),  and  when  Pilate  thereupon 
 gave  a  just  and  impartial  verdict,  and  did  not  as  yet 
 comply  with  their  will,  but  said  openly  that  He  found 
 no  fault  in  Him,  the  audacious  Jews  completely  changed 
 their  tactics,  and  asserted  that  they  had  a  law,  which 
 condemned  the  Saviour  to  death.  What  law  was  that  ? 
 That  which  fixes  the  punishment  for  blasphemers ;  for 
 in  the  book  called  Leviticus  it  is  recorded,  that  certain 
 men,  who  were  counted  among  Jews,  strove  together, 
 according  to  the  Scripture,  in  the  camp,  and  that  one  of 
 them  made  mention  of  the  Name  of  God,  and  blessed 
 Him,  for  thus  saith  the  Scripture  euphemistically,  mean- 
 ing that  he  cursed  and  blasphemed  Him,  and  was  then 
 doomed  to  die,  and  to  pay  a  bitter  penalty  for  his  impious 
 tongue,  God  plainly  declaring :  Whosoever  curseth  his  God  Lev.xxiv. 
 shall  bear  his  sin,  and  he  that  taketh  the  JVame  of  the  ' 
 Lord  in  vain,  shall  be  put  to  death,  and  all  the  congre- 
 gation of  Israel  shall  stone  him :  as  tvell  the  stranger  as 
 he  that  is  born  in  the  land,  when  he  taketh  the  Name  of 
 the  Lord  in  vain,  shall  be  put  to  death. 
 
 But,  perhaps,  someone  may  be  in  doubt,  and  ask  this 
 question :  "  What,  then,  does  the  Law  say,  and  what  does 
 it  intend  to  signify  hereby  1 "  For  that  a  man  who  is 
 convicted  of  blasphemy  against  God  should  die  is, 
 indeed,  just,  and  he  very  rightly  meets  his  doom.  But 
 suppose  a  man  treat  a  false  god  with  contumely,  is 
 he  then  not  free  from  guilt?  For  the  words  of  the 
 Law  are.  If  any  man  curse  Go  d,  he  shallbear  his  sin. 
 What  do  we  reply?    The  Lawgiver  is  infallible,  for  to 
 
 R  r  2 
 
612       Christ  dedared  Himself  the  Son  of  God. 
 
 Book  12.  love  to  hurl  scorn  upon  false  gods  is,  as  it  were,  a  course 
 
 c.  XIX.  /.  ^£  preparation  which  makes  us  ready  to  utter  blas- 
 phemies   against    the    true    God.      Therefore    also,    in 
 
 Ex.  xxii.  another  passage,  He  dissuades  us  from  it,  saying :  Gods 
 thou  shalt  not  revile;  for  He  thought  it  meet  to  give 
 unto  the  name  of  Godhead,  though  it  be  sometimes 
 misplaced,  the  honour  that  is  its  due.  The  Law, 
 however,  did  not  certainly  bid  us  ascribe  any  honour 
 to  gods  erroneously  so  called,  but  teaches  us  to  regard 
 as  holy  the  name  of  Godhead,  though  it  be  stolen  by 
 some. 
 
 As  the  Law,  then,  orders  that  the  man  who  is  con- 
 victed of  blasphemy  should  be  rewarded  with  death, 
 they  say  that  Christ  is  subject  to  the  penalty,  for  that 
 He  made  Himself  the  Son  of  God.  We  ought  to  bear  in 
 mind  where,  and  in  what  sense,  this  was  said  by  Christ. 
 At  the  pool  that  was  called  after  the  sheep-gate,  He 
 healed  the  impotent  man  of  his  long  and  grievous 
 infirmity  on  the  Sabbath-day.  And  the  Jews,  when 
 they  ought  to  have  marvelled  at  the  wonders  that  He 
 wrought,  were,  on  the  contrary,  ofiended  at  His  breaking 
 the  Sabbath,  and  for  that  reason  only  railed    against 
 
 Supra  Him.  Then  Christ  answered,  and  said :  3Iy  Father 
 tuorketh  even  urdil  noiu,  and  I  work;    and  thereupon 
 
 Supra  says  the  Evangelist :  For  this  cause  therefore  the  Jetvs 
 persecuted  Jesus,  because  He  not  only  brake  the  Sab- 
 bath, but  also  ccdled  God  His  oivn  Father,  making 
 Himself  equal  with  God.  The  Jews,  then,  were  offended 
 when  Christ  called  the  Lord  of  all  His  Father ;  and 
 then  He  made  this  most  mild   reply  to  them,  saying: 
 
 Supra  Jt  is  ivritten  in  your  Law,  I  said,  Ye  are  gods,  and  are 
 all  sons  of  the  Most  High.  If  he  ccdled  themi  gods  unto 
 ivhom  the  Word  of  God  cartie  {and  the  Scripture  cannot 
 be  broken),  say  ye  of  Him  Whom  the  FcUher  sanctified 
 and  sent  into  the  ivorld,  Thou  blasphemest ;  because  I 
 said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God  ?  But  the  people  of  the  Jews, 
 remembering  none  of  these  things,  make  the  truth  a 
 charge  against  the  truth ;  and  because  Christ  said  what 
 
His  tvorks  testified  to  His  Divinity.  613 
 
 was  in  fact  the  truth,  they  assert  that  He  is  worthy  ofc.  xix.  7. 
 death.  Here  I  will  make  use  of  the  Prophet's  words : 
 How  do  ye  say,  We  are  ivise,  and  the  Laiu  of  the  Lord  is  Jer.  viii. 
 witli  us  ?  For  would  it  not  have  been  right,  either  first 
 to  ascertain  by  the  strictest  scrutiny  Who  Christ  was, 
 and  whence  He  came ;  and  if  He  had  been  convicted 
 of  falsehood,  then,  very  justly,  to  pass  sentence  upon 
 Him,  or  if  He  spoke  the  truth,  to  worship  Him  ?  Why, 
 then,  did  you  Jews  give  up  searching  and  satisfying 
 yourselves  by  Holy  Writ,  and  betake  yourselves  to  mak- 
 ing a  mere  outcry  against  Him  ?  and  why  made  you 
 what  was  in  fact  the  truth,  the  ground  for  accusation  1 
 You  ought,  when  you  said  unto  Pilate :  He  rtiade  Him- 
 self the  Son  of  God,  to  have  charged  Him  also  with  the 
 works  of  Godhead,  and  to  have  made  His  mighty  won- 
 der-working power  a  count  in  the  indictment ;  you  ought 
 to  have  cried  out  thereafter,  that  a  man  who  had  been 
 three  days  dead,  rose  again,  and  came  back  to  life  at  the 
 mere  bidding  of  the  Saviour  ;  you  ought  to  have  brought 
 forward  the  only  child  of  the  widow,  and  the  daughter 
 of  the  leader  of  the  synagogue  ;  you  ought  to  have  called 
 to  mind  that  Divine  saying,  spoken  unto  the  son  of  the 
 widow :  Young  man,  I  say  unto  thee,  Arise ;  and  to  S.  Luke 
 the  damsel :  Maiden,  Arise.  You  ought,  besides,  to  j^V^  ^jjj 
 have  told  Pilate,  that  He  gave  sight  to  the  blind,  and  54. 
 cleansed  the  lepers  of  their  leprosy ;  and  also,  that  by 
 a  single  word  of  command  He  calmed  the  storm  of  the 
 angry  sea,  and  the  onslaught  of  the  raging  billows ;  and 
 whatever  else  Christ  did.  All  this,  however,  they  bury 
 in  the  silence  of  ingratitude,  and  passing  over  those 
 miracles  whereby  Christ  was  seen  to  be  God,  in  malice 
 they  proceed  to  basely  state  the  paradox  ;  and,  miserable 
 wretches  that  they  were,  they  cried  out  to  a  foreigner, 
 who  had  no  knowledge  of  the  Divine  Scripture,  and  saw 
 that  Jesus  was  a  Man :  He  made  Hir)iself  the  Son  of 
 God;  though  the  inspired  Scripture  declared  that  the 
 Word  of  God  should  visit  the  world  in  human  form.-     ,, 
 
 S.  Matt 
 
 Behold,  the  Virgin  shall  he  ivith  child,  and  shall  bring  i,  23. 
 
614  Pilate  disijosed  to  believe  Christ. 
 
 Book  12.  forth  a  Son,  and  they  shall  call  His  Name  Eononanuel ; 
 
 '  •  which  is,  being  interpreted,  God  ivith  us.     And  what 
 
 could  that  which  was  born  of  a  virgin  be  but  a  man, 
 
 like  unto   us  in   bodily  appearance  and  nature?     But, 
 
 besides  being  Man,  He  was  also  truly  God, 
 
 8  When  Pilate  tlierefore  heard  this  naying,  he  was  the  more 
 
 9  afraid;  and  he  entered  into  the  ixilace  again,  and  saith 
 unto  Jesus,  Whence  art  Thou  ?  But  Jesus  gave  him  no 
 ansicer. 
 
 The  malicious  design  of  the  Jews  had  a  result  they 
 little  expected.  For  they  wished  to  pile  up  the  indict- 
 ment against  Christ,  by  saying  that  He  had  ventured  to 
 sin  against  the  Person  of  God  Himself.  But  the  weighty 
 character  of  the  accusation  itself  increased  Pilate's  cau- 
 tion, and  he  was  the  more  oppressed  with  alarm,  and 
 more  careful  concerning  Christ  than  before,  and  ques- 
 tioned Him  the  more  particularly,  what  He  was,  and 
 whence  He  came ;  not  disbelieving,  as  I  think,  that 
 though  He  was  a  Man,  He  might  be  also  the  Son  of 
 God.  This  idea  and  belief  of  his,  was  not  derived  from 
 Holy  Writ,  but  the  mistaken  notions  of  the  Greeks  ; 
 for  Greek  fables  call  many  men  demi-gods,  and  sons 
 of  gods.  The  Romans,  too,  who  in  such  matters  were 
 still  more  superstitious,  gave  the  name  of  god  to  the 
 more  distinguished  of  their  own  monarchs,  and  set  up 
 altars  to  them,  and  allotted  them  shrines,  and  put  them 
 on  pedestals.  Therefore  Pilate  was  more  earnest  and 
 anxious  than  before,  in  his  inquiry  Who  Chi'ist  was,  and 
 whence  He  came.  But  He,  the  Scripture  saith,  answered 
 him  not  a  word,  remembering,  I  suppose,  what  He  Him- 
 Supra  self  had  said  unto  him :  Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth, 
 xvin.  3/.  }^QgyQiJi^  j\fy  qjoice.  Aud  how  could  Pilate,  a  worshipper 
 of  idols,  have  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  the  Saviour, 
 when  He  said  that  He  was  Truth,  and  the  Child  of 
 truth?  And  how  could  he  at  all  have  received  and 
 honoured  the  name  of  truth,  who  at  once  ridiculed  it, 
 Ibid.  38.  and  said,    What  is  truth?  because  he  still  worshipped 
 
The  Scri'pture  again  fulfilled.  615 
 
 false   2:ocls,    and  was   buried  in  the  darkness  of  their  «-xix.io, 
 
 11 
 deceitfulness  ? 
 
 10  Pilate  therefore  saith  unto  Him,  Sj)eakest  Thou  not  unto 
 me  ?  Knowest  Thou  not  that  I  have  2J0tver  to  crucify  Thee, 
 and  have  power  to  release  Thee  ? 
 
 Pilate  thought  this  silence  the  silence  of  a  madman. 
 Therefore,  he  stretches  over  Him,  as  it  were,  the  wand 
 of  his  official  power,  and  thought  that  he  could  induce 
 Him  by  fear,  against  His  Will,  to  return  a  fruitless 
 answer.  For  he  says  that  nothing  could  hinder  his 
 inclining  whichever  way  he  chose,  either  to  punish  Him, 
 or  to  take  compassion  upon  Him ;  and  that  there  was 
 nothing  to  turn  him  aside,  to  give  a  verdict  against 
 his  will,  with  whom  alone  rested  the  fate  of  the  accused. 
 He  rebukes  Him,  therefore,  as  though  he  felt  himself 
 insulted  by  untimely  silence,  and,  so  far  as  that  went, 
 his  indignation  were  whetted  against  Him.  For  he  per- 
 ceived not  at  all  the  hidden  meaning  of  Christ's  silence. 
 Observe  here  the  accurate  fulfilment  of  that  which 
 was  foretold  by  the  voice  of  the  Prophet :  He  was  Is.  liii. 
 brought  as  a  lartib  to  the  slaughter ;  and  as  a  sheep  ' 
 before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  He  openeth  not  His 
 mouth.  In  His  humiliation  His  judgment  was  taken 
 away.  Thus  saith  the  blessed  Isaiah,  and  the  Psalmist 
 also,  assuming  the  Person  of  Christ,  saith  in  the  Spirit : 
 /  have  kept  My  movih  with  a  bridle,  wliile  the  ivicked  Ps.xxxix. 
 congregated  themselves  before  Me.  I  tuas  dumb,  and  ' 
 humbled  Myself,  and  kept  silence  from  good  words. 
 By  good  words,  curses  must  be  understood.  For  it  is 
 usual  with  Holy  Scripture  to  speak  euphemistically 
 on  such  occasions,  when  reference  is  made  to  the  Person 
 of  God  Himself. 
 
 1 1  Jesus  answered  him.  Thou  wouldest  have  no  ^lower  against 
 Me,  except  it  were  given  thee  from  above :  therefore  he  that 
 delivereth  Me  unto  thee  hath  greater  sin. 
 
 He  makes  no  clearer  revelation  of  what  He  was,  or 
 
616  Foiver  tvas  given  to  Pilate, 
 
 Book  12.  whence  He  came,  or  Who  was  His  Father.  Nor,  indeed, 
 c.  xix.ii.  ^^gg  He  suffer  us  to  waste  the  word  of  revelation,  by 
 S.  Matt,  giving  it  to  ears  that  are  estranged,  saying:  Give  not 
 ""'■  ^'  that  v:liicJi  is  holy  unto  the  dogs,  neither  cast  your  'pearls 
 before  the  swine.  When,  then,  Pilate  was  parading  be- 
 fore Him  his  official  power,  and,  in  his  folly,  alleging 
 that  he  could  wholly  determine  His  fate  according  to 
 his  mere  will  and  pleasure,  He  very  appropriately 
 meets  him  with  a  declaration  of  His  own  power  and 
 might,  and  stops  him  short,  as  it  were,  as  he  was  vaunt- 
 ing himself  with  vain  and  empty  boasting  against  the 
 glory  of  God.  For,  in  truth,  it  were  no  smaU  calamity 
 that  any  should  suppose  that  Christ  could  be  dragged, 
 against  His  Will,  to  suffer  insult ;  and  that  the  malice  of 
 the  Jews  vanquished  Him,  Who  was  truly  God,  and 
 proclaimed  Sovereign  of  the  universe  by  the  holy  and 
 inspired  writings.  He  has,  therefore,  removed  this 
 stumblingblock  from  our  path,  and  cuts  up,  as  it  were, 
 such  an  error  by  the  roots,  b}'  the  words :  Except  it 
 were  given  thee  from  above.  And  when  He  says,  that 
 power  was  given  to  Pilate  from  above.  He  does  not 
 mean  that  God  the  Father  inflicted  crucifixion  upon 
 His  own  Son,  against  His  Will ;  but  that  the  Only- 
 begotten  Himself  gave  Himself  to  suffer  for  us,  and 
 that  the  Father  suffered  the  fulfilment  of  the  mystery 
 in  Him.  It  is,  then,  plainly  the  consent  and  approval  of 
 the  Father  that  is  here  said  to  have  been  given,  and  the 
 pleasure  of  the  Son  is  also  clearly  signified.  For,  no 
 doubt  the  force  of  numbers  could  never  have  overcome 
 the  power  of  the  Saviour ;  but  we  may  easily  see  this 
 from  the  numerous  plots  they  laid  against  Him,  which 
 resulted  in  nothing  but  their  being  com-icted  of  ha\'ing 
 made  an  insolent  attempt.  They,  indeed,  desired  to  seize 
 Supra  Him,  as  the  Evangelist  says ;  but  He,  going  through  the 
 viii.  59.  ^niclstofthem,  went  His  way,  and  so  passed  by.  He  says,  so 
 passed  by,  meaning,  not  cautiously,  or  with  bated  breath, 
 or  practising  the  manoeuvres  that  men  do  who  wish  to 
 escape  :  but  with  his  usual  step,  free  from  all  alarm.  For 
 
inasmuch  as  Christ  suffered  willingly.         617 
 
 He  hid  Himself  by  His  Divine  and  ineffable  might,  and  c.  xix.  12, 
 then  eluded  the  sight  of  His  would-be  murderers ;  for 
 He  did  not  wish  as  yet  to  die  nor  did  He  suffer  the 
 passions  of  His  persecutors  to  determine,  as  it  were, 
 without  His  consent  the  hour  of  His  peril.  Therefore 
 He  says,  that  by  His  own  command,  and  the  consent  of 
 God  the  Father,  power  was  given  unto  Pilate,  so  that 
 he  was  enabled  to  accomplish  the  deeds  which  he  did, 
 in  fact,  venture  to  perform.  For  the  nature  of  the  Most 
 High  God  is  wholly  invincible,  and  cannot  be  subdued 
 by  anything  that  exists  ;  for  in  Him  the  power  of  uni- 
 versal dominion  of  necessity  exists.  He  accuses  of  the 
 greater  sin — that  is,  of  greater  sin  against  Himself — the 
 traitor  that  brought  Him  to  Pilate ;  and  with  great 
 reason.  For  he  was,  as  it  were,  the  source  from  which 
 the  impious  crime  against  Him  sprang,  and  also  the 
 gate  through  which  it  passed ;  while  the  judge  was  but 
 the  minister  to  the  crimes  of  others,  and  so  showed 
 himself,  by  his  ill-timed  cowardice,  a  partaker  in  the 
 iniquity  of  the  Jews.  Who,  then,  is  the  traitor,  and  to 
 whom  is  the  prime  authorship  of  the  charges  to  be 
 referred  ?  Surely,  to  that  most  venal  disciple,  or  rather 
 traitor  and  destroyer  of  his  own  soul ;  and  besides  him, 
 the  crowd  of  the  rulers  and  the  people  of  the  Jews  ;  and 
 though  Christ  attributes  to  them  the  greater  part  of  the 
 blame.  He  does  not  acquit  Pilate  wholly  of  complicity 
 in  guilt. 
 
 12  Ujycni  this  Pilate  sought  to  release  Him  :  but  tJie  Jews  cried 
 out,  saying,  If  thou  release  this  Man,  thou  art  not  Ccesar's 
 friend  :  everyone  that  maketh  himself  a  king  speaketh  against 
 Ccesar. 
 
 The  exclamation  of  the  Jews  afflicts  Pilate  with  panic, 
 and  sharpens   the  keenness   of  his  caution,  and  makes 
 him   pause    before    putting   Him  to  death.      For  they 
 shouted  out,  that  that  very  prisoner  had  'made  Himself  Supra 
 tJie  Son  of  God,  Whom  Pilate  had   been  most  anxious  ^^^'  ' ' 
 to  release  from  all  danger,  and  to  acquit  of  every  false 
 
ver.  /. 
 
 618  TJte  Jeivs  return  to  their  first  charge. 
 
 BofiK  12.  accusation,  having  this  fear  at   heart.     The   Israelites 
 c.  xix.  12.  g^^    ^]^^g^    ^^^    returned   to    their    original    falsehood, 
 saying,  that  Jesus  had  courted  the  people,  and  trans- 
 gressed against  Caesar's  power,  and,  so  far  as  His  power 
 went,  had  waged  war  against  the  rule  of  Rome,  for  He 
 had    made    Himself  a   king.     See   how   laborious  and 
 passionate  was   the    attempt    of   His    accusers   against 
 Him !   For,  first  of  all,  they  cried  out  with  one  accord, 
 miserable  wretches  that  they  were,   and   asserted  that 
 He  had  ventured  to  assail  Caesar's  power.     But  when 
 they  did  not  meet  with  much  success,  Christ  declaring 
 that  His  Kingdom  was  not  an  earthly  kingdom,  they 
 alleged,  even  unto  Pilate,  who  sat  in  a  Roman  tribunal, 
 Supra       His  offence  against  God    Himself,    saying:    He   made 
 Himself  the    Son   of   God.      For  the  villains   thought 
 that  they  could  thereby  spur  Pilate  to  heedless  wrath, 
 and  lend  him   courage  to  doom  the  Saviour  to  death, 
 making  His  action  a  mark  of  His  piety  towards  God ; 
 but  when  their  malicious   attempt    proved  unavailing, 
 they  once  more  recurred  to  the   charge  they  had  pre- 
 sumed to  make  at  first,  declaring  that  He  had  ventured 
 to  assail  the  rule  of  Caesar,  and  violently  accusing  the 
 judge  of  taking  up  arms  against  Caesar's  majesty,  if  he 
 did   not   consent   to   pass   the  sentence  of  fitting  con- 
 demnation   upon    Him    Who,    as    they    alleged,    had 
 spoken  against  Csesar,  by  daring  to  take  upon  Himself, 
 in   any  shape,   the   title   of  King ;    though   Csesar   did 
 not  claim  an  empire  in  the  heavens,  such  as  that  of 
 which    Christ  was,   indeed,  the  Lord,    but   an   earthly 
 and  inferior   empire,  which   itself   had  its   root  in  the 
 power  of  Christ.     For  through   Him   kings   reign,   ac- 
 cording to  the  Scripture,  and   monarchs  rule  over  the 
 earth.     Therefore  these  most  impious  men  bridled  not 
 their  tongues,  but,  in  their  excessive  enmity  to    God, 
 attacked   the   glory   of    the    Saviour.      Them    did   the 
 Ts.ivii.3,  blessed  Prophet  Isaiah  justly  rebuke,  saying:  But  draiv 
 ^-  near    hither,    ye    sons  of  the   sorceress,  the   seed  of  the 
 
 adulterer  and  the  whore.    Against   Whom  do  ye  siwrt 
 
Pilate  overcome,  against  his  better  judg'inent.     619 
 
 yourselves  f  against  Whom  make  ye  a  wide  mouth,  c.  xix.  13, 
 a7id  d,raw  out  the  tongue?  Are  ye  not  children  of  ' 
 'perdition,  a  laivless  seed  ?  For  it  was  not  against  any- 
 mere  man  that  they  made  their  outcry,  a,nd  spoke  out 
 with  unbridled  tongues,  and  practised  every  sort  of 
 calumny ;  but  against  their  own  Lord  Himself,  Who 
 ruleth  over  all  with  the  Father.  Therefore  rightly  did 
 they  become,  and  are  in  truth,  children  of  perdition, 
 and  a  lawless  seed. 
 
 13  When  Pilate  there/ore  heard  this  saying,  he  brought  Jestis 
 out,  and  sat  doion  on  the  judgment-seat,  at  a  place  called  the 
 
 14  Pavement,  hut  in  Hehretv,  Gahhatha.  Noiv  it  was  the 
 2)rej)aration  of  the  Passover:  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour. 
 And  he  saith  imto  the  Jews,  Behold  your  King  ! 
 
 The  Evangelist,  when  he  thus  speaks,  throws  the  whole 
 burden,  as  it  were,  of  the  charge  of  shedding  Christ's 
 blood  upon  the  Jews.  For  he  now  clearly  says,  that 
 Pilate  was  well-nigh  overcome  against  his  will  by  their 
 opposition,  so  that  he  put  away  the  thought  of  justice, 
 and  paid  little  heed  to  the  consequence;  and,  therefore, 
 he  was  dragged  down  to  do  the  will  of  Christ's  murderers, 
 though  he  had  often  expressly  told  them,  that  Jesus  had 
 been  found  guilty  of  no  fault  at  all,  and  it  is  this  which 
 will  make  Him  subject  to  the  worst  of  penalties.  For, 
 by  preferring  the  pleasure  of  a  mob  to  honouring  the  Just, 
 and  giving  over  a  guiltless  Man  to  the  frenzy  of  the  Jews, 
 he  will  be  convicted  out  of  his  own  mouth  of  impiety. 
 He  ascends,  therefore,  to  his  usual  judgment-seat,  as 
 about  to  pronounce  sentence  of  death  against  Christ. 
 The  inspired  Evangelist  is  induced  to  signify  to  our 
 profit  the  day  and  hour,  because  of  the  resurrection  itself, 
 and  His  three  days'  sojourn  among  the  departed,  that  the 
 truth  of  our  Lord's  saying  to  the  Jews  might  appear  : 
 For  as  Jonah  luas  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  S.  Matt. 
 belly  of  the  luhale,  so  also  shall  the  Son  of  Man  he  three  ''""  ^^' 
 days  and  three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth. 
 The    Roman    ruler    on    his  judgment-seat,  pointing   to 
 
620  The  Jews  reproached  by  Pilate. 
 
 Book  12.  Jesus,  says  :  Behold  your  King!  Either  he  was  jesting 
 c.  XIX.  lo.  .^j^]^  ^jjg  multitude,  and  was  granting,  with  a  scornful 
 smile,  the  innocent  blood  to  those  who  thirsted  for  it 
 without  a  cause,  or,  perhaps,  he  was  casting  in  the  teeth 
 of  the  savage  Jews  the  reproach  that  they  endured  to 
 see  in  such  evil  plight  Him  Whom  they  themselves 
 named  and  asserted  to  be  King  of  Israel. 
 
 15  They  therefore  cried  out,  Away  with  Him,  away  vnth  Him, 
 crucify  Him.  Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Shall  I  crucify  your 
 King  1 
 
 They  reiterate  their  old  cry  with  the  same  fury,  and 
 desisted  not  from  their  lust  for  blood,  and  were  not 
 softened  at  all  by  the  insults  He  had  endured,  nor 
 inclined  to  clemency  by  the  outrages  inflicted  upon  Him ; 
 but  were  rather  goaded  to  a  greater  pitch  of  fury,  and 
 intreat  that  He  Who  had  raised  the  dead  in  their  midst, 
 and  shown  Himself  the  worker  of  such  marvels,  should 
 be  crucified;  at  which  Pilate  was  sore  amazed,  seeing  that 
 they  declared  with  such  vehemence,  that  He,  Who  had 
 acquired  such  eminence  among  them  as  to  be  deemed 
 the  Son  of  God,  and  King,  was  not  merely  worthy  of 
 death,  but  that  He  deserved  so  cruel  a  fate,  for  crucifixion 
 is  the  worst  of  deaths.  The  judge,  therefore,  makes  their 
 outcry  a  charge  and  reproach  against  them,  that  they 
 should  be  desirous  that  He  should  be  crucified.  Who  had 
 excited  so  great  admiration  by  deeds  which  were  so 
 pre-eminent  as  to  transcend  anything  on  earth.  For 
 what  is  there  that  is  equal  to  what  does  not  fall  short  of 
 the  Son  of  God,  and  King  ? 
 
 15     The  chief  priests  answered.  We  have  no  king  but  Ccesar. 
 
 Hereupon  the  well-beloved  Israel  spurned  his  God, 
 
 and  started  aside  from  his  allegiance,  and,  as  Moses  said, 
 
 Deut.       abandoned  the  God  that  was  his  Father,  and  reraem- 
 
 xxxu.  18.  ^g^,g^^  ^^^  f-f^g  Lord  his  helper.     For  see  how  he  turned 
 
 his   eyes   upon   an    harlot,   according   to   the   Scripture, 
 
 3 ev.ui.z.  refused  to  he  ashamed,   disowned  his   own  glory,  and 
 
Israel's  unfaithfulness  to  God.  621 
 
 denied  his  Lord.  Of  this  very  charge  God  accused  Is-  c.  xix.  15. 
 rael  of  old,  speaking  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah :  For  jer.  ii. 
 pass  over  the  isles  of  Chittim,  and  send  unto  Kedar,  and  ^^~^^- 
 see  luhether  the  nations  change  their  gods,  tvho  are  yet  no 
 gods;  hut  My  people  have  changed  their  glory.  And  again : 
 The  heavens  were  astonished  thereat,  and  were  horribly 
 afraid,  saith  the  Lord;  for  My  people  have  committed 
 two  evils :  they  have  forsaken  Me  the  fountain  of  living 
 waters,  and  have  hewed  them  out  cisterns,  broken  cisterns, 
 that  hold  no  water.  For  while  other  nations  throughout 
 the  whole  world  clung  fast  to  the  deceitfulness  of  their 
 idols,  and  steadfastly  adhered  to  the  gods  whom  they  so 
 deemed,  and  did  not  readily  undergo  a  change  of  faith, 
 nor  easily  alter  their  form  of  worship,  the  Israelites  started 
 aside,  and  joined  themselves  to  the  empire  of  Caesar,  and 
 cast  off  the  rule  of  God.  Therefore,  very  justly,  were  they 
 given  over  into  Csesar's  hands,  and,  having  at  first  wel- 
 comed his  rule,  afterwards  brought  themselves  to 
 grievous  ruin,  and  underwent  expulsion  from  their 
 country,  and  the  sufferings  of  war,  and  those  irreme- 
 diable calamities  that  befell  them. 
 
 Observe,  too,  here  the  minuteness  of  the  writer.  For 
 he  does  not  say  that  the  people  started  the  impious  cry, 
 but  rather  their  rulers.  For  he  says  :  the  chief  priests 
 cried  out,  everywhere  pointing  out,  that  it  was  through 
 their  submissively  following  their  leaders  that  the  mul- 
 titude was  carried  down  the  precipice,  and  fell  into  the 
 abyss  of  perdition.  The  chief  priests  incur  the  penalty, 
 not  merely  as  losing  their  own  souls,  but  also  as  having 
 been  leaders  and  responsible  guides  of  the  people  subject 
 unto  them,  in  the  fatal  shedding  of  blood ;  just  as  also 
 the  prophet  rebuked  them,  saying :  Because  ye  have  been  Hos.  v.  i, 
 a  snare  unto  the  watclt-tower,  and  as  a  net  stretched  out  ' 
 uijon  Tabor,  which  they  luho  catch  the  prey  have  sp)read. 
 The  Prophet  here  means  by  the  tuatch-toiver  the  multitude, 
 who  were  subject  unto  them,  who  were  arrayed,  as  it  were, 
 to  observe  the  conduct  of  their  rulers,  and  to  conform  their 
 own  to  it.  And,  therefore,  the  leading  men  of  the  people  are 
 
622         Tlie  exceeding  great  guilt  of  the  rulers. 
 
 Book  12.  called  watchmen  in  Holy  Writ.  The  chief  priests  them- 
 ^'  ^^^'  '  selves,  then,  were  a  snare  and  a  net  unto  the  watch-tower  ; 
 for  they  both  started  this  denial,  and  also  induced  all  the 
 rest  to  cry :  We  have  no  king  but  Ccvsar.  These  miserable 
 men  presumed  so  to  say,  though  God  the  Father,  by  the 
 mouth  of  the  Prophet,  predicted  the  coming  of  the  Saviour, 
 Zech.  ix.  and  cried  out :  Rejoice  greatly,  0  daughter  of  Zion;  shotU, 
 0  dauglder  of  Jerusalem:  behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto 
 thee :  He  is  just,  and  having  salvation ;  lowly,  and  riding 
 upon  an  ass,  and  u])on  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass.  These 
 men,  who  had  once  brought  Jesus  into  Jerusalem  riding 
 upon  an  ass,  and  honoured  Him  as  a  God  with  blind 
 s.  Matt,  praises,  with  one  accord,  for  they  cried :  Blessed  is  He 
 ^^''  ^'  that  cometh  in  the  Name  of  the  Lord  !  now  make  an  outcry 
 against  Him,  accusing  Him  only  of  attacking  the  Roman 
 rule,  and  shaking  off,  as  it  were,  the  yoke  of  the  Kingdom 
 of  God  from  their  necks.  For  this  was  the  plain  meaning 
 of  the  cry:  We  have  no  king  hut  Ccesar.  But  we  shall 
 find  that  then,  too,  it  was  the  people  that  raised  the 
 shout  for  the  Saviour  Christ,  and  that  it  was  the  chief 
 priests  who  presumed  in  their  madness  to  make  this 
 exclamation,  just  as  the  others  had  proceeded  from  them. 
 
 16     Then  therefore  he  delivered  Hwi  unto  them  to  he  crucified. 
 
 Pilate  henceforward  permits  the  Jews,  in  their  un- 
 bridled resentment,  to  run  to  all  lengths  in  lawlessness  ; 
 and,  divesting  himself  of  the  power  due  unto  a  judge, 
 suffers  their  uncontrolled  passions  at  length  to  take 
 their  course  unreproved,  in  allowing  them  to  crucify 
 One  Who  was  wholly  guiltless,  and  Who  received 
 this  monstrous  condemnation  merely  because  He  said 
 Supra  He  ivas  the  Son  of  God.  One  must  lay  the  whole  guilt 
 of  the  impious  crime  at  the  door  of  the  Jews ;  and 
 rightly  and  justly,  I  think,  accuse  them  of  being  the 
 prime  movers  in  the  act,  for  with  them  originated 
 this  impiety  against  Christ.  Yet  we  cannot  acquit 
 Pilate  of  complicity  in  their  iniquity ;  for  he  shared 
 their  responsibility,  inasmuch  as  when  he  might  have 
 
 ver.  I . 
 
Christ  bore  the  curse  for  us.  623 
 
 delivered   and  rescued   Him   from  the  madness  of  His  c.  xix.  16 
 murderers,  he   did   not  merely   refrain   from   releasing  ~    ' 
 Him,  but  even  gave  Him  up  to  them  for  the  very  pur- 
 pose, that  they  might  crucify  Him. 
 
 16,  17  The^/  took  Jesus  therefore.  And  He  went  out,  hearing 
 the  Cross  for  Himself,  unto  the  'place  called  the  place  of  a 
 
 18  skull,  which  is  called  in  Hebrew,  Golgotha :  ivhere  they 
 crucified  Him,  and  with  Him  two  others,  07i  either  side  one, 
 and  Jesus  in  the  midst. 
 
 They  lead  away,  then,  to  death  the  Author  of  Life ; 
 and  for  our  sakes  was  this  done,  for  by  the  power  and 
 incomprehensible  Providence  of  God,  Christ's  death  re- 
 sulted in  an  unexpected  reversal  of  things.  For  His 
 suffering  was  prepared  as  a  snare  for  the  power  of 
 death,  and  the  death  of  the  Lord  was  the  source  of 
 the  renewal  of  mankind  in  incorruption  and  newness 
 of  life.  Bearing  the  Cross  upon  His  shoulders,  on  which 
 He  was  about  to  be  crucified,  He  went  forth;  His  doom 
 was  already  fixed,  and  He  had  undergone,  for  our  sakes, 
 though  innocent,  the  sentence  of  death.  For,  in  His 
 own  Person,  He  bore  the  sentence  righteously  pro- 
 nounced against  sinners  by  the  Law.  For  He  became 
 a  curse  for  us,  according  to  the  Scripture :  For  cursed  Gal.  iii. 
 is  everyone,  it  is  said,  that  hangeth  on  a  tree.  And 
 accursed  are  we  all,  for  we  are  not  able  to  fulfil  the 
 Law  of  God  :  For  in  many  things  lue  all  stumble ;  and  s.  James 
 very  prone  to  sin  is  the  nature  of  man.  And  since,  "^"  ^' 
 too,  the  Law  of  God  says :  Cursed  is  he  which  con-  Gal.  iii. 
 tinueth  not  in  all  things  that  are  written  in  the  book 
 of  this  Law,  to  do  them,  the  curse,  then,  belongeth 
 unto  us,  and  not  to  others.  For  those  against  whom 
 the  transgression  of  the  Law  may  be  charged,  and 
 who  are  very  prone  to  err  from  its  commandments, 
 surely  deserve  chastisement.  Therefore,  He  That  knew 
 no  sin  was  accursed  for  our  sakes,  that  He  might  deliver 
 us  from  the  old  curse.  For  all-sufficient  was  the  God 
 Who  is  above  all,  so  dying  for  all ;  and  by  the  death  of 
 
624       We  "must  hear  the  Cross  that  is  oilv  due. 
 
 Book  12.  His  own  Body,  purchasing  the  redemption  of  all  man- 
 
 "j^f^- 1^  kind. 
 
 The  Cross,  then,  that  Christ  bore,  was  not  for  His 
 own  deserts,  but  was  the  cross  that  awaited  us,  and 
 was  our  due,  through  our  condemnation  by  the  Law. 
 For  as  He  was  numbered  among  the  dead,  not  for 
 Himself,  but  for  our  sakes,  that  we  might  find  in  Him, 
 the  Author  of  everlasting  life,  subduing  of  Himself  the 
 power  of  death  ;  so  also.  He  took  upon  Himself  the 
 Cross  that  was  our  due,  passing  on  Himself  the  con- 
 demnation of  the  Law,  that  the  mouth  of  all  lawlessness 
 might  henceforth  be  stopped,  according  to  the  saying  of 
 the  Psalmist ;  the  Sinless  having  suffered  condemnation 
 for  the  sin  of  all.  And  of  great  profit  will  the  deed 
 which  Christ  performed  be  to  our  souls — I  mean,  as 
 a  type  of  true  manliness  in  God's  service.  For  in  no 
 other  way  can  we  triumphantly  attain  to  perfection 
 in  all  virtue,  and  perfect  union  with  God,  save  by 
 setting  our  love  toward  Him  above  the  earthly  life, 
 and  zealously  waging  battle  for  the  truth,  if  occasion 
 calls   us  so  to  do.      Moreover,   our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
 
 S.  Matt,  says :  Every  man  that  doth  mot  take  his  cross  and 
 follow  after  Me,  is  not  ^vorthy  of  Me.  And  taking  up 
 the  Cross  means,  I  think,  nothing  else  than  bidding 
 farewell  to  the  world  for  God's  sake,  and  preferring, 
 if  the  opportunity  arise,  the  hope  of  future  glory  to 
 life  in  the  body.  But  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  not 
 ashamed  to  bear  the  Cross  that  is  our  due,  and  to 
 suflfer  this  indignity  for  love  towards  us ;  while  we, 
 poor  wi'etches  that  we  are,  whose  mother  is  the  in- 
 sensate earth  beneath  our  feet,  and  who  have  been 
 called  into  being  out  of  nothing,  sometimes  do  not 
 even  dare  to  touch  the  skirt  of  tribulation  in  God's 
 service  ;  but,  if  we  have  anything  to  bear  in  the  service 
 of  Christ,  at  once  account  the  shame  intolerable,  and 
 shrinking  from  the  ridicule  of  our  adversaries,  and 
 those  who  sit  in  the  seat  of  the  scornful,  as  an  accursed 
 thing,  and  preferring  to  God's  pleasure  this  paltry  and 
 
Mans  tendency  to  fall  i)t  the  strife.  625 
 
 ill-timed  craving  for  reputation,  fall  sick  of  the  disease  c.xix.i7, 
 of  disdainful   arrogance,   which   is   the   mother,    so   to 
 say,  of  all  evils,  and  so  make  ourselves  subject  to  the 
 charge.     For  thus  is  the  servant  above  his  lord,  and  cf. 
 the    disciple   above   his   master,   and   thinks   and    acts  ^'  ^'*'"' 
 accordingly.      Alas,  for  this  grievous    infirmity,  vs^hich 
 always  in  some   strange  shape  lies  athwart  our  path, 
 and    leads    us   astray    from    the    pursuit    of    what    is 
 meet! 
 
 Call  to  mind,  too,  how  the  inspired  Peter  could  not 
 endure  Christ's  prophecy,  when  He  foretold  His  suffer- 
 ings upon  the  Cross,  for  He  said :  Behold,  we  go  up  to  S.  Matt. 
 Jerusalem,  and  the  Son   of  Man  is  betrayed  unto  the  ^'^^^{ 
 hands  of  sinners ;    and   they  shall   crucify   Him,  and  45, 
 kill    Him.     The    disciple,   not    yet    understanding   the 
 mysterious  ways  of  God's  providence,  God-loving  and 
 teachable    as   he   was,  was   moved  by  his  scruples  to 
 exclaim :  Be   it  far  from  Thee,  Lord ;  this  shall  never  Ibid. 
 he  unto  Thee.     What  answered  Christ  1  Get  thee  behind  j^j^  "' 
 Me,  Satan ;  thou  art  a  sturtiblinghlock  unto  Me :  for  ^er.  23. 
 thou  mindest  not  the  things  of  God,  but  the  things  of 
 men.     But  we  may  hence  derive  no  small  profit,   for 
 we  shall  know,  that  when  occasion  calls  us  to  exhibit 
 courage    in    God's    service,    and   we    are   compelled   to 
 endure  conflicts  that  ensue  for  virtue's  sake ;  yea,  even 
 if  they  who  honour  and  love  us  best  strive  to  hinder 
 us    from   doing    anything    that    may   tend    to  stablish 
 virtue,  alleging,  it  may  be,  our  consequent  dishonour 
 among   men,  or   from   some  worldly  motive,  we  must 
 not  yield.     For  they,  then,  are  in  nowise  unlike  Satan, 
 who  loves  and  is  ever  wont  to  cast  stumblinffblocks  in 
 our  path  by  divers  deceits,  and  sometimes  by  smooth 
 words,  so  as  to  divert  from  the  pursuit  of  what  is  meet, 
 the  man  who  is  urged  thereto  by  the  spirit  of  piety. 
 And  methinks  Christ  meant  something  like  this,  when 
 He    said :    If,   therefore,  thy   right  eye  causeth   thee   to  Ibid. 
 stumble,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it  from  thee.     For  that  ^'     ' 
 which    does    us    injury    is    no    longer    our    own,   even 
 
 VOL.  II.  s  s 
 
626       The  thieves  a  type  of  Jews  and  Gentiles. 
 
 Book  12.  though   united  to  us  by  the  bond  of  love,  and  though  ' 
 
 ^.^xix.   /,  ^^^  connexion  with  us  be  but  its  natural  desert. 
 
 Two  robbers  were  crucified  together  with  Christ, 
 and  this  was  owing  to  the  malice  of  the  Jews.  For, 
 as  though  to  emphasize  the  dishonour  of  our  Saviour's 
 death,  they  involved  the  just  Man  in  the  same  con- 
 demnation as  the  transgressors  -of  the  Law.  And  we 
 may  take  the  condemned  criminals,  who  hung  by 
 Christ's  side,  as  symbolical  of  the  two  nations  who 
 were  shortly  about  to  be  brought  into  close  contact 
 with  Him,  I  mean  the  children  of  Israel  and  the 
 Gentiles.  And  why  do  we  take  condemned  criminals 
 as  the  type?  Because  the  Jews  were  condemned  by 
 the  Law,  for  they  were  guilty  of  transgressing  it ;  and 
 the  Greeks  by  their  idolatry,  for  they  worshipped  the 
 creature  more  than  the  Creator. 
 
 And  after  another  manner  those  who  are  united  with 
 Christ  are  also  crucified  with  Him  ;  for  enduring,  as  it 
 were,  death  to  their  old  conversation  in  the  flesh,  they 
 are  reformed  into  a  new  life,  according  to  the  Gospel. 
 
 Gal.v.24.  Yea,  Paul  said:  And  they  that  are  of  Clii'ist  Jesus 
 have  crucified  the  flesh,  with  the  passions  and  the  lusts 
 thereof;  and  again,  speaking  of  himself  in  words  appli- 
 
 Ibid.  ii.    cable  to   all  men:    For  I,  through  the  Laiv,  died  unto 
 
 '     '     the   Law,   that  I  might   live   unto    God.     I  have  been 
 
 crucified  with  Christ:    yet  I  live;   and   yet   no  longer 
 
 I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me.     And  he  exhorts   also  the 
 
 Col.  ii.  Colossians:  Wherefore,  if  ye  died  from  the  world,  why 
 do  ye  behave  yourselves  as  though  living  in  the  world? 
 For,  by  becoming  dead  unto  worldly  conversation,  we  are 
 brought  to  the  rudiments  of  conduct  and  life  in  Christ. 
 Therefore  the  crucifixion  of  the  two  robbers,  side  by 
 side  with  Christ,  signifies  in  a  manner  to  us,  through 
 the  medium  of  that  event,  the  juxtaposition  of  the 
 two  nations,  dying  together,  as  it  were,  with  the 
 Saviour  Christ,  by  bidding  farewell  to  worldly  plea- 
 sures, and  refusing  any  longer  to  live  after  the  flesh, 
 and  preferring  to  live   with   their  Lord,  so  far  as  may 
 
The  significance  of  the  inscription.  627 
 
 be,  by  fashioning  their  lives  according  to  Him,  andc.xix.  19. 
 consecrating  them  in  His  service.  And  the  meaning 
 of  the  figure  is  in  no  way  affected  by  the  fact,  that 
 the  men  v^rho  hung  by  His  side  were  malefactors;  /o?' Eph.ii. s. 
 we  tuere  by  nature  children  of  wrath,  before  we  be- 
 lieved in  Christ,  and  were  all  doomed  to  death,  as  we 
 said  before. 
 
 19     And  Pila'e  wrote  a  title  also,  and  2)'ut  it  on  the  Cross.     And 
 there  was  written,  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews. 
 
 This  is,  in  fact,  the  bond  against  us  which,  as  the 
 inspired  Paul  says,  the  Lord  nailed  to  His  Cross,  and 
 in  it  led  in  triumph  the  princijoalities  and  the  powers  Col.  ii. 
 as  vanquished,  and  as  having  revolted  from  His  rule.  '  ^  ' 
 And  if  it  were  not  Christ  Himself  that  fixed  the  title 
 on  the  Cross,  but  the  fellow-worker  and  minister  of 
 the  Jews,  still,  as  He  suffered  it  so  to  be,  it  is  as 
 though  He  were  recorded  as  having  inscribed  it  with 
 His  own  Hand.  And  He  triumphed  over  principalities 
 in  it.  For  it  was  open  to  the  view  of  all  who  chose 
 to  learn,  pointing  to  Him  Who  suffered  for  our  sake, 
 and  Who  was  giving  His  Life  as  a  ransom  for  the  lives 
 of  all.  For  all  men  upon  the  earth,  in  that  they  have 
 fallen  into  the  snare  of  sin  {for  all  have  gone  aside,'Ps.xir.8. 
 and  have  all  together  become  filthy,  according  to  the 
 Scripture),  had  made  themselves  liable  to  the  accu- 
 sation of  the  devil,  and  were  living  a  hateful  and 
 miserable  life.  And  the  title  contained  a  handwriting 
 against  us — the  curse  that,  by  the  Divine  Law,  impends 
 over  the  transgressors,  and  the  sentence  that  went  forth 
 against  all  who  erred  against  those  ancient  ordinances 
 of  the  Law,  like  unto  Adam's  curse,  which  went  forth 
 against  all  mankind,  in  that  all  alike  broke  God's 
 decrees.  For  God's  anger  did  not  cease  with  Adam's 
 fall,  but  He  was  also  provoked  by  those  who  after 
 him  dishonoured  the  Creator's  decree ;  and  the  denun- 
 ciation of  the  Law  against  transgressors  was  extended 
 continuously  over  all.     We  were,   then,  accursed   and 
 
 S  s  2 
 
628  The  three  languages  typify 
 
 Book  12.  condemned,  by  the   sentence  of  God,  through  Adam's 
 
 ^•^^^•"^^- transgression,  and  through  breach  of  the  Law  laid 
 down  after  him ;  but  the  Saviour  wiped  out  the  hand- 
 writing against  us,  by  nailing  the  title  to  His  Cross, 
 which  very  clearly  pointed  to  the  death  upon  the 
 Cross  which  He  underwent  for  the  salvation  of  men, 
 who  lay  under  condemnation.  For  our  sake  He  paid 
 the  penalty  for  our  sins.  For  though  He  was  One  that 
 suffered,  yet  was  He  far  above  any  creature,  as  God, 
 and  more  precious  than  the  life  of  all.     Therefore,  as 
 
 Ps.  cvii.  the  Psalmist  says,  the  mouth  of  all  knvlessness  ivas 
 stojyped,  and  the  tongue  of  sin  was  silenced,  unable 
 any  more  to  speak  against  sinners.    For  we  are  justified, 
 
 l8.  liii.  5.  now  that  Christ  has  paid  the  penalty  for  us  ;  for  by  His 
 stripes  we  are  healed,  according  to  the  Scripture.  And 
 just  as  by  the  Cross  the  sin  of  our  revolt  was  perfected, 
 so  also  by  the  Cross  was  achieved  our  return  to  our 
 original  state,  and  the  acceptable  recovery  of  heavenly 
 blessings  ;  Christ,  as  it  were,  gathering  up  into  Himself, 
 for  us,  the  very  fount  and  origin  of  our  infii-mity. 
 
 20  This  title  therefore  read  many  of  the  Jews :  for  the  2)lace 
 where  Jesus  was  crucified  was  nigh  to  the  city  :  and  it  was 
 written  in  Hehreiv,  and  in  Latin,  and  in  Greek. 
 
 We  may  remark  that  it  was  very  providential,  and  the 
 fruit  of  God's  inexpressible  purpose,  that  the  title  that 
 was  written  embraced  three  inscriptions  —  one  in 
 Hebrew,  another  in  Latin,  and  another  in  Greek.  For 
 it  lay  open  to  the  view,  proclaiming  the  Kingdom  of  our 
 Saviour  Christ  in  three  languages,  the  most  widely 
 known  of  all,  and  bringing  to  the  crucified  One  the  first- 
 fruits,  as  it  were,  of  the  prophecy  that  had  been  spoken 
 
 Dan.  vii.  concerning  Him.  For  the  wise  Daniel  said  that  there 
 was  given  Him  glory  and  a  Kingdom,  and  all  nations 
 and  languages  shall  serve  Him;  and,  to  like  eSect,  the 
 
 Phil.  ii.  holy  Paul  teaches  us,  crying  out  that  every  knee  shall 
 bow  ;  of  things  in  heaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and  things 
 under  the  earth ;   and  every  tongue  shall  confess  that 
 
 14. 
 
 10,  11. 
 
the  universality  of  Christ's  Kingdom.  629 
 
 Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father.  o.xix.2l- 
 Therefore  the  title  proclaiming  Jesus  King  was,  as  it  ^^' 
 were,  the  true  firstfruits  of  the  confession  of  tongues. 
 And,  in  another  sense,  it  accused  the  impiety  of  the  Jews, 
 and  all  but  proclaimed  expressly,  to  those  who  congre- 
 gated to  read  it,  that  they  had  crucified  their  King  and 
 Lord,  purblind  wretches  that  they  were,  without  thought 
 of  love  toward  Him,  and  sunk  in  crass  insensibility. 
 
 2 1  The  chief  priests  of  the  Jews  therefore  said  to  Pilate,  Write 
 not,  The  King  of  the  Jeivs,  but,  that  He  said,  I  am  King 
 
 22  of  the  Jews.  Pilate  answered,  What  I  have  written,  I  have 
 written. 
 
 The  rulers  of  the  Jews  took  ill  the  writing  on  the  title, 
 and,  full  of  bitter  hatred,  once  more  denied  the  Kingship  of 
 Christ,  and  said  in  their  great  folly  that  He  had^never 
 reigned  in  fact,  nor  been  accepted  as  King,  but  had  merely 
 used  this  expression :  not  knowing  that  to  lie  is  con- 
 trary to  the  nature  of  truth,  and  Christ  is  Truth.  He 
 was,  then.  King  of  the  Jews,  if  He  was  proved  to  have 
 given  Himself  this  title,  as  they  themselves  also  con- 
 firmed by  their  own  words.  And  Pilate  rejected  their 
 request  that  he  should  alter  the  inscription,  not  consent- 
 ing in  all  things  to  do  despite  unto  the  glory  of  our 
 Saviour,  doubtless  owing  to  God's  Ineffable  Will.  For 
 the  Kingship  of  Christ  was  fii-mly  rooted,  and  beyond 
 the  reach  of  calumny,  though  the  Jews  might  not  consent 
 thereunto,  and  might  strive  to  deface  the  confession  of 
 His  glory. 
 
 23  The  soldiers  therefore,  when  they  had  crucified  Jesus,  took 
 His  garments,  and  made  four  2)arts,  to  every  soldier  a  part  ; 
 and  also  the  coat.     Now  the  coat  tvas  without  seam,  woven 
 
 24  from  the  top  throughout.  They  said  therefore  one  to  another. 
 Let  us  not  rend  it,  hut  cast  lots  for  it,  ivhose  it  shall  he :  that 
 the  Scrip)ture  might  be  fulfilled,  which  saith,  They  j)arted  My 
 garments  among  them,  and  upon  My  vesture  did  they  cast 
 Jots.     These  things  therefore  the  soldiers  did. 
 
 The  soldiers,  then,  divided    our    Saviour's    garments 
 
630         The  prophecy  and  symbolical  meaning 
 
 Book  12.  among  themselves,  and  this  is  indicative  of  their  brutal 
 c.^xis.--,  £g^.Qg^^y  ^j^^  inhuman  disposition.     For  it  is  the  custom 
 of  executioners  to  be  unmoved  by  the  misery  of  con- 
 demned criminals,  and  to  obey  orders  sometimes  with 
 unnecessary  harshness,  and  to  show  a  masculine  indif- 
 ference to  the  fate  of  the  sufferers,  and  to  divide  their 
 garments  among  themselves,  as  though  the  lot  fell  upon 
 them    by    some    sufficient    and    lawful    reason.      They 
 divided,  then,  the  dissevered  garments  into  four  portions, 
 but  kept  the  one  coat  whole  and  uncut.     For  they  did 
 not  choose  to  tear  it  in  pieces,  and  make  it  altogether 
 useless,  and   so  they  decided  it  by  casting  lots.     For 
 Christ  could  not  lie,  Who  thus  spake  by  the  voice  of  the 
 Ps.  xxii.   Psalmist:  27iey  dividecl  My  raiiinent  among  them,  and 
 ^^'  upon  My  vesture  did  they  cast  lots.      All  these  things 
 
 were  foretold  for  our  profit,  that  we  might  know,  by 
 comparing  the  prophecies  with  the  events,  what  He 
 is  of  Whom  it  was  foretold  that  He  should  come  for  our 
 sake  in  our  likeness,  and  of  Whom  it  was  expected  that 
 He  should  die  for  the  salvation  of  all  men.  For  no  man 
 of  sense  can  suppose  that  the  Saviour  Himself,  like  the 
 S.  Matt,  foolish  Jews,  would  strain  out  the  gnat,  that  is,  foretell  a 
 xxiu.  24.  ^j.j£ij-,g  detail  concerning  His  sufferings,  as  in  this  men- 
 tion of  the  partition  of  His  raiment,  and,  as  it  were, 
 swallow  the  camel,  that  is,  think  of  no  account  the  great 
 lengths  to  which  the  impious  presumption  of  the  Jews 
 carried  them.  Rather,  when  He  foretold  these  details,  He 
 foretold  also  the  great  event  itseK ;  firstly,  in  order  that 
 we  might  know  that,  as  He  was  by  Nature  God,  He  had 
 perfect  knowledge  of  the  future  ;  secondly,  also,  that  we 
 might  believe  that  He  was  in  fact  the  Messiah  of 
 prophecy,  being  led  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  by  the 
 many  and  great  things  fulfilled  in  Him. 
 
 And  if  it  behoves  us  also  to  declare  another  thought 
 which  strikes  us  with  regard  to  the  partition  of  the 
 garments — a  thought  which  can  do  no  harm,  and  may 
 possibly  do  good  to  those  who  hear  it — I  will  speak  as 
 follows :   Their  division  of  the  Saviour's  garments  into 
 
of  the  division  of  garments.  631 
 
 four  parts,  and  retention  of  the  coat  in  its  undivided  c.  xix.  23, 
 state,  is  perhaps  symbolical  of  the  mysterious  providence 
 whereby  the  four  quarters  of  the  world  were  destined  to 
 be  saved.  For  the  four  quarters  of  the  world  divided,  as 
 it  were,  among  themselves  the  garment  of  the  Word,  that 
 is,  His  Body  which  yet  remained  indivisible.  For  though 
 the  Onlj^-begotten  be  cut  into  small  pieces,  so  far  as 
 individual  needs  are  concerned,  and  sanctify  the  soul  of 
 every  man,  together  with  his  body,  by  His  Flesh ;  yet 
 is  He,  being  One,  altogether  subsistent  in  the  whole 
 Church  in  indivisible  entirety  ;  for,  as  Saint  Paul  saith, 
 Christ  cannot  be  divided.  That  such  is  the  meaning  Cf.  i  Cor. 
 of  the  mystery  concerning  Him,  the  Law  dimly  shadows  ^"  ^^' 
 forth.  For  the  Law  represented  the  taking  of  a  lamb  at 
 the  fitting  time,  and  the  taking,  not  of  one  lamb  for  every 
 man,  but  of  one  for  every  house,  according  to  the  number 
 of  the  household ;  for  every  man  (if  his  household  were 
 too  small)  was  to  join  with  his  neighbour  that  was  next 
 unto  his  house.  And  so  the  command  was,  that  many 
 should  have  a  part  in  one  lamb  ;  but,  in  order  that  it 
 might  not  appear,  therefore,  to  be  physically  divided,  by 
 the  flesh  being  dissevered  from  the  bones,  and  taken 
 from  house  to  house,  the  Law  laid  down  the  further 
 injunction:  In  one  house  shall  it  he  eaten:  ye  shall  not  Ex.  xii. 
 carry  forth  ought  of  the  flesh  abroad  out  of  the  house.  ' 
 For  observe  how,  as  I  said  just  now,  the  Law  took  care 
 that  many  who  might  be  in  one  household  should  have  a 
 part  in  one  lamb,  but  most  carefully  also  took  great 
 precautions  that  it  should  not  appear  physically  divided, 
 but  should  be  found  in  its  completeness  and  entirety  as 
 one  in  all  who  partook  of  it,  being,  at  the  same  time, 
 divisible  and  indivisible.  We  must  entertain  some  such 
 view  with  regard  to  Christ's  garments,  for  they  were 
 divided  into  four  portions,  but  the  coat  remained  un- 
 divided. 
 
 And  it  can  do  no  harm  also  to  add,  that  if  any  man 
 choose,  by  way  of  speculation,  to  look  upon  the  coat  that 
 was  woven  from  the  top  throughout,  and  seamless,  as  an 
 
632  The  doubts  and  pavgs 
 
 Book  12.  illustration  of  Christ's  holy  Body,  because  It  came  into 
 ■  ^^^' "  ■  being  without  any  connexion  or  intercourse  of  man  with 
 woman,  but  woven  into  its  proper  shape  by  the  effective 
 working  of  the  Spirit  from  above,  this  view  is  worthy 
 our  acceptance.  For  such  speculations  as  do  no  damage 
 to  the  elements  of  the  faith,  but  are  rather  fertile  of  profit, 
 it  would  surely  be  ill-advised  for  us  to  reject ;  nay,  we 
 ought  rather  to  commend  them,  as  the  fruit  of  an  excellent 
 disposition  of  mind. 
 
 25  But  there  loere  standing  hy  the  Cross  of  Jesus  His  mother, 
 and  His  mothers  sister,  Alary  the  wife  of  Cloims,  and  Mary 
 Magdalene. 
 
 This  also  the  inspired  Evangelist  mentions  to  our  profit, 
 showing  herein  also,  that  none  of  the  words  of  Holy 
 Writ  fall  to  the  ground.  What  do  I  mean  by  this  ? 
 I  will  tell  you.  He  represents,  as  standing  by  the  Cross, 
 His  mother,  and  with  her  the  rest,  clearly  weeping.  For 
 women  are  ever  prone  to  tears,  and  very  much  inclined 
 to  lament,  especially  when  they  have  abundant  occasion 
 for  shedding  tears.  What,  then,  induced  the  blessed 
 Evangelist  to  go  so  much  into  detail,  as  to  make  mention 
 of  the  women  as  staying  beside  the  Cross?  His  object 
 was  to  teach  us  that,  as  was  likely,  the  unexpected  fate 
 of  our  Lord  was  an  offence  unto  His  mother,  and  that 
 His  exceeding  bitter  death  upon  the  Cross  almost 
 banished  from  her  heart  due  reflection ;  and,  besides  the 
 insults  of  the  Jews,  and  the  soldiers  also,  who  probably 
 stayed  by  the  Cross  and  derided  Him  Who  hung  thereon, 
 and  who  presumed,  in  His  mother's  very  sight,  to  divide 
 His  garments  among  themselves,  had  this  effect.  For, 
 doubtless,  some  such  train  of  thought  as  this  passed 
 through  her  mind  :  "  I  conceived  Him  That  is  mocked 
 upon  the  Cross.  He  said,  indeed,  that  He  was  the  true 
 Son  of  Almighty  God,  but  it  may  be  that  He  was 
 Supra  deceived ;  He  may  have  erred  when  He  said :  /  am  the 
 TAfe.  How  did  His  crucifixion  come  to  pass  1  and  how 
 was  He  entangled  in  the  snares  of  His  murderers  ?    How 
 
171  the  mind  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  633 
 
 was  it  that  He  did  not  prevail  over  the  conspiracy  of  c.  xix.  25. 
 His  persecutors  against  Him  ?     And  why  does  He  not 
 come  down  from  the  Cross,  though  He   bade  Lazarus 
 return  to  life,  and  struck  all  Jud?ea  with  amazement  by 
 His  miracles  ?  "    The  woman,  as  is  likely,  not  exactly 
 understanding  the  mystery,  wandered  astray  into  some 
 such  train  of  thought;  for  we  shall  do  well  to  remember, 
 that  the  character  of  these  events  was  such  as  to  awe 
 and  subdue  the  most  sober  mind.      And  no  marvel  if  a 
 woman  fell  into  such  an  error,  when  even  Peter  himself, 
 the  elect  of  the  holy  disciples,  was  once  offended,  when 
 Christ  in  plain  words  instructed  him  that  He  would  be 
 betrayed  unto  the  hands  of  sinners,  and  would  undergo  s.  Matt. 
 crucifixion  and  death,  so  that  he  impetuously  exclaimed :  ^^^^'  ^^" 
 Be  it  far  from  Thee,  Lord  ;  this  shall  never  he  unto  Thee.  Ibid.  xvi. 
 What  wonder,  then,  if  a  woman's  frail  mind  was  also 
 plunged  into  thoughts  which  betrayed  weakness  ■?      And 
 when  we  thus  speak,  we  are  not  shooting  at  a  venture, 
 as  some  may  suppose,  but  are  led  to  suspect  this  by 
 what  is  written  concerning  the  mother   of   our  Lord. 
 For  we  remember  that  the  righteous  Simeon,  when  he 
 received  the  infant   Lord  into  his  arms,  after  having  S.  Luke 
 blessed  Him,  and  said :  Now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant ""     ~    ' 
 depart,  0  Lord,  according  to  Thy  Word,  in  peace ;  for 
 mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  scdvation,  he  also  said  to  the 
 holy  Virgin  herself :   Behold,  this  Child   is   set  for  the  Ibid. 
 fcdling  and  rising  up  of  many  in  Israel ;  and  for  a     ' 
 sign  which  is  spoken  against;  yea,  and  a  siuord  shall 
 pierce  through  thine  own  soul,  that  thoughts  out  of  many 
 hearts  may  be  revecded.    By  a  sword  he  meant  the  keen 
 pang  of  suffering,  which  would  divide  the  mind  of  the 
 woman  into  strange  thoughts ;  for  temptations  prove  the 
 hearts  of  those  who  are  tempted,  and  leave  them  bare  of 
 the  thoughts  that  filled  them. 
 
634  Christ  honoured  the  Law 
 
 Book  12.  26     Wlten  Jesus  therefore  saw  His  mother,  and  tlie  disciple  standing 
 
 2"7_  '  hy,  ichoni  He  loved,  He  saitJt  unto  His  mother,  Woman,  behold 
 
 27     thy  Son  !    Then  sailh  He  to  the  disci^de,  Behold  thy  mother  ! 
 
 And  from  that  hour  the  discijde  took  her  unto  his  own  home. 
 
 He  took  thought  for  His  mother,  paying  no  heed  to 
 His  own  bitter  agony,  for  His  sufferings  affected  Him 
 not.  He  gave  her  into  the  charge  of  the  beloved  disciple 
 (this  was  John,  the  writer  of  this  book),  and  bade  him 
 take  her  home,  and  regard  her  as  a  mother  ;  and  enjoined 
 His  own  mother  to  regard  him  as  none  other  than  her  true 
 son — by  his  tenderness,  that  is, and  affection,  fulfilling  and 
 stepping  into  the  place  of  Him,  Who  was  her  Son  by  nature. 
 But  as  some  misguided  men  have  thought  that  Christ, 
 when  He  thus  spake,  gave  way  to  mere  fleshly  affection 
 — away  with  such  folly  !  to  fall  into  so  stupid  an  error  is 
 only  worthy  of  a  madman — what  good  purpose,  then,  did 
 Christ  hereby  fulfil  ?  First,  we  reply,  that  He  wished  to 
 confirm  the  command  on  which  the  Law  lays  so  much 
 Ex.  XX.     stress.     For  what  saith  the  Mosaic  ordinance  1     Honour 
 
 JO 
 
 thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  it  may  he  well  tvith 
 thee.  His  commandment  unto  us  did  not  cease  with 
 exhorting  us  to  perform  this  duty,  but  threatened  us 
 with  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  Law,  if  we  chose  to  dis- 
 regard it,  and  has  put  sin  against  our  parents  after  the 
 flesh  on  a  par  with  sin  against  God.  For  the  Law  which 
 ordered  that  the  blasphemer  should  undergo  the  sentence 
 
 Lev.xxiv.  of  death,  saying :  Let  him  that  hlasphemeth  the  Nartie  of 
 the  Lord,  he  i^ut  to  death,  also  subjected  to  the  same 
 penalty  the  man  who  employs  his  licentious  and  unruly 
 
 Ex.  xxi.  tongue  against  his  parents  :  He  that  curseth  father  or 
 mother  shall  surely  he  put  to  death.  As,  then,  the 
 Lawgiver  hath  ordained  that  we  should  pay  such  honour 
 to  our  parents,  surely  it  was  right  that  the  command- 
 ment thus  proclaimed  should  be  confirmed  by  the 
 approval  of  the  Saviour ;  and  as  the  perfect  form  of  every 
 excellence  and  virtue  through  Him  first  came  into  the 
 world,  why  should  not  this  virtue  be  put  on  the  same 
 footing  as  the  rest  ?    For,  surely,  honour  to  parents  is  a 
 
hy  His  tenderness  towards  His  Mother.         635 
 
 very  precious  kind  of  virtue.  And  how  could  we  learn  c.  xix.  28, 
 that  we  ought  not  to  lightly  regard  love  toward  them,  ^^* 
 even  when  we  are  overwhelmed  by  a  flood  of  intolerable 
 calamities,  save  by  the  example  of  Christ  first  of  all,  and 
 through  Him  ?  For  best  of  all,  surely,  is  he  who  is 
 mindful  of  the  holy  commandments,  and  is  not  diverted 
 from  the  pursuit  of  duty  in  stormy  and  troublous  times, 
 and  not  in  peace  and  quietness  alone. 
 
 Besides,  also,  was  not  the  Lord,  I  say,  tight  to  take 
 thought  for  His  mother,  when  she  had  fallen  on  a  rock 
 of  offence,  and  when  her  mind  was  in  a  turmoil  of  per- 
 plexity ?  For,  as  He  was  truly  God,  and  looked  into  the 
 motions  of  the  heart,  and  knew  its  secrets,  how  could 
 He  fail  to  know  the  thoughts  about  His  crucifixion, 
 which  were  then  throwing  her  into  sore  distress  1  Know- 
 ing, then,  what  was  passing  in  her  heart,  He  commended 
 her  to  the  disciple,  the  best  of  guides,  who  was  able  to 
 explain  fully  and  adequately  the  profound  mystery. 
 For  wise  and  learned  in  the  things  of  God  was  he 
 who  received  and  took  her  away  gladly,  to  fulfil  all  the 
 Saviour's  Will  concerning  her. 
 
 28  After  this,  Jesus,  hioiving  that  cdl  things  are  now  finished, 
 that  the   Scripture  might   he   accoinplished,  said,  I  thirst. 
 
 29  There  was  set  there  a  vessel  full  of  vinegar  :  so  they  jmt 
 a  sjionge  full  of  the  vinegar  U2)on  hyssoji,  and  brought  it 
 to  His  mouth. 
 
 When  the  iniquity  of  the  Jews  had  fully  wrought  the 
 impious  crime  against  Christ,  and  when  there  was 
 nothing  left  wanting  to  the  perfect  satisfaction  of  their 
 savage  cruelty,  the  flesh,  at  the  last  extremity,  felt  a 
 natural  craving,  for  it  was  parched  by  the  various  acts 
 of  outrage,  and  felt  thirst.  For  pain  is  very  apt  to  pro- 
 voke thirst,  spending  the  natural  moisture  of  the  body 
 in  excessive  inward  heat,  and  burning  the  inward  parts 
 with  the  pangs  of  inflammation.  It  would  have  been  easy 
 for  the  Word,  the  Almighty  God,  to  have  released  His 
 Flesh  from  this  torment ;  but,  just  as  He  willingly 
 underwent    His  other  sufferings,   so   He  bore  this  also 
 
636  A  reconcilkttion  of  the  accounts, 
 
 Book  12.  of  His  own  Will.     Then  He  sought  to  drink  ;  but  so 
 
 c^xix.  28,  pit,iless  and  far    removed   from  the   love  of  God  were 
 
 they,  that,  instead  of  liquid  to  quench  His  thirst,  they 
 
 gave  Him  something  to  aggravate  it,  and,  in  rendering 
 
 the  very  service  of  love,  committed  a  further  act  of 
 
 impiety.     For,  in  acceding  at  all  to  His  request,  were 
 
 they  not   assuming  the  appearance  of  affection  1    But 
 
 it  was  impossible  that  the   inspired  Scripture   should 
 
 ever  lie,  which  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  Saviour  these 
 
 Ps.  ixix.   words  concerning  them :  They  gave  Me  gall  to  eat,  and 
 
 ^■^'  tvhen  I  was  athirst,  they  gave  Me  vinegar  to  drink. 
 
 The  blessed  Evangelist  John  says  that  they  filled  a 
 
 sponge   with   vinegar,  and  put    it   on   hyssop,  and   so 
 
 brought  it.     Luke  makes   no  mention    of  anything  of 
 
 the  kind,  but  merely  declares  that  they  brought  Him 
 
 S.  Luke    vinegar.     Matthew  and  Mark  say  that  the  sponge  was 
 
 S^Matt.  V^'-'-i  on  a  reed.      Some  may  perhaps  think  there  is   a 
 
 xxvii.  48,  discrepancy  in  the  accounts  of  the  holy  Evangelists  ;  but 
 
 &S.Mark  ,       .        .    ,  •      i     n       -n    i  i     i        -nr 
 
 XV.  36.  no  one  who  IS  right-minded  Will  be  so  persuaded.  We 
 must  rather  try  to  search,  and  see  by  every  means  in 
 our  power,  in  what  way  the  act  of  impiety  was  effected. 
 The  inspired  Luke,  then,  disregarding  the  way  in  which 
 the  vinegar  was  brought,  says,  in  brief,  that  vinegar  was 
 brought  to  Him  when  He  was  athirst.  And  there  can 
 be  no  question,  that  the  Evangelists  would  not  have 
 disagreed  with  each  other  in  these  trifling  and  unim- 
 portant details,  when,  in  all  essential  matters,  they  are 
 in  such  perfect  harmony  and  concord.  What,  then,  is 
 the  difference  between  them  ?  and  of  what  treatment  is 
 it  susceptible  ?  There  is  no  doubt,  that  the  ofiicers  who 
 executed  the  impious  crime  against  Christ  were  many 
 in  number,  I  mean  the  soldiers  who  brought  Him  to  the 
 Cross ;  several  also  of  the  Jew^s  shared  in  their  cruelty, 
 some  putting  the  sponge  on  a  reed,  others  on  a  stick  of 
 what  is  called  hyssop — for  the  hyssop  is  a  kind  of  shrub — 
 and  gave  Jesus  todrink  of  it;  doing  this,  purblind  wretches 
 that  they  were,  to  their  own  condemnation.  For,  un- 
 awares, they  were  proving  themselves  utterly  undeserv- 
 
and  the  lesson  to  be  chrnvn.  637 
 
 ing  of  compassion,  when  they  thus  altogether  discarded  c.  xix.  30. 
 mercy  and  humanity,  and  with  unparalleled  audacity 
 vied  with  each  other  in  impiety  alone.  Therefore,  by 
 the  mouth  of  the  Prophet  Ezekiel,  God  thus  spake  unto 
 the  mother  of  the  Jews,  I  mean  Jerusalem :  As  thou  hast  Obad.  15. 
 done,  so  shall  it  be  done  unto  thee:  thy  reiuard  shall 
 return  upon  thine  otun  head;  and  by  the  mouth  of 
 Isaiah,  to  lawless  Israel:  Woe  unto  the  ivicked !  It  shall  is. iii.  n. 
 he  ill  with  him:  for  the  retvard  of  his  hands  shall  be 
 given  him.  This  completed  the  measure  of  all  the  crimes 
 that  had  been  committed  against  Christ ;  but  here,  too, 
 we  may  find  a  lesson  to  our  profit.  For  hereby  we  may 
 know  that  those  who  are  of  a  God-loving  temper,  and  who 
 are  firmly  rooted  in  the  love  of  Christ,  shall  wage,  as  it 
 were,  a  ceaseless  war  with  those  who  are  of  a  different 
 spirit ;  who  will  not,  even  to  their  latest  breath,  desist  from 
 raging  against  them,  preparing  for  them  severe  tempta- 
 tions from  every  quarter,  and  eagerly  devising  every  sort 
 of  thing  that  may  hurt  them.  But,  just  as  the  wicked 
 cease  not  from  troubling  them,  so  also  shall  their 
 courage  be  continually  sustained ;  and  just  as  their 
 trials,  and  the  tribulation  of  temptation,  have  no  abate- 
 ment, so  also  the  blessedness  of  the  Saints  shall  have 
 no  end,  and  the  joy  of  their  state  of  glory  shall  remain 
 for  evermore,  and  world  without  end. 
 
 30    When  Jesus  therefore  had  received  the  vinegar,  He  said,  It  is 
 finished :  and  He  boived  His  Head,  and  gave  uj)  His  Spirit. 
 
 When  this  indignity  had  been  added  to  the  rest,  the 
 Saviour  exclaimed.  It  is  finished ;  meaning  that  the 
 measure  of  the  iniquity  of  the  Jews,  and  of  their  furious 
 rage  against  Him,  was  completed.  For  what  had  the 
 Jews  left  untried,  and  what  extremity  of  atrocity  had 
 they  not  practised  against  Him  ?  For  what  kind  of 
 insult  was  omitted,  and  what  crowning  act  of  outrage 
 do  they  seem  to  have  left  undone  ?  Therefore  rightly 
 did  He  exclaim.  It  is  finished,  the  hour  already  summon- 
 ing   Him    to   preach   to  the    spirits   in  hell.     For    He 
 
638  Christ's  SotiJ  consigned  to  the  Father. 
 
 Book  12.  visited  them,  that  He  might  be  Lord  both  of  the  living 
 °'  ^'^'     ■  and  the  dead  ;  and  for  our  sake  encountered  death  itself, 
 and  underwent  the  common  lot  of  all  humanity,  that  is, 
 according  to  the  flesh,  though  being  as  God  by  Nature  Life, 
 that  He   might   despoil  hell,  and  render  return  to  life 
 1  Cor.  XV.  possible  to  human  nature ;  being  thus  proved  thefirstfruits 
 Col.  i.  18.  of  til  em  that  are  asleep,  and  the  firstborn  from  the  dead, 
 according  to  the  Scriptures.    He  bowed  His  head,  there- 
 fore ;  for  as  this  generally  befalls  the  dying,  through  the 
 slackening  of  the  sinews  of  the  flesh,  when  the  spirit  or 
 soul  that  united  and  sustained  it  is  fled,  the  Evangelist 
 made  use  of  this  expression.     The  expression  also.  He 
 gave   up   His   Spirit,   does    not    differ    from    language 
 usually  employed,  for  the  vulgar  use  it  as  equivalent  to 
 "his    life   was    extinguished,  and   he  died."     But  it  is 
 probable  that  it  was  of  set  purpose,  and  advisedly,  that 
 the  holy  Evangelist,  instead  of  saying  simply,  He  died, 
 said.  He  gave  up  His  Spirit ;  gave  it  up,  that  is,  into  the 
 hands  of  God  the  Father,  according  to  the  saying  that 
 S.Luke    He   spake:    Father,   into   Thy  hands   I  commend  My 
 xxni.  46.  gjj-i^if  .  ajj(j  fQp  ^g^  oigQ^  lYyQ  meaning  of  the  expression 
 
 lays  down  a  beginning  and  foundation  of  firm  hope. 
 For,  I  think,  we  ought  to  believe,  and  for  this  belief 
 there  is  much  ground,  that  the  souls  of  Saints,  when 
 they  quit  their  earthly  bodies,  are,  by  the  bountiful 
 mercy  of  God,  almost,  as  it  were,  consigned  into  the 
 hands  of  a  most  loving  Father,  and  do  not,  as  some 
 infidels  have  pretended,  haunt  their  sepulchres,  waiting 
 for  funeral  libations  ;  nor  yet  are  they,  like  the  souls  of 
 sinful  men,  conveyed  to  the  place  of  endless  torment, 
 that  is,  to  hell.  Rather,  do  they  hasten  into  the  hands 
 of  the  Father  of  all,  by  the  new  way  which  our  Saviour 
 Chiist  has  prepared  for  us  ;  for  He  consigned  His  Soul 
 into  the  hands  of  His  Father,  that  we  also,  making  it 
 our  anchor,  and  being  firmly  rooted  and  grounded  in 
 this  belief,  might  entertain  the  bright  hope  that  when 
 we  undergo  the  death  of  the  body,  we  shall  be  in  God's 
 hands ;    yea,  in   a  far  better  condition  than   when   we 
 
The  signijicance  of  tJie  veil  rent.  639 
 
 were  in  the  flesh.    Therefore,  also,  the  wise  Paul  assures  c.  xix.  30. 
 us  that  it  is  better  to  depart,  and  he  with  Christ.  Phil.i.23. 
 
 And  when  He  gave  up  the  ghost,  the  veil  of  the  temple 
 was  rent  in  twain,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom.  The  veil 
 of  the  temple  was  of  fine  linen,  let  down  to  the  floor  of 
 the  centre  of  the  temple,  and  shrouding  the  inner  portion 
 thereof,  and  allowing  only  the  high  priest  to  enter  into 
 the  innermost  shrine.  For  it  was  not  in  the  power  of 
 any  one  at  will  to  penetrate  into  the  interior  with 
 unwashen  feet,  and  carelessly  to  gaze  upon  the  Holy  of 
 holies.  How  very  necessary  it  was  that  this  curtain 
 should  make  this  division,  Paul  shows  us  by  his  words 
 in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews :  For  there  luas  a  taher-  Heb.  ix, 
 nacle  prepared ;  the  first,  ivhich  is  called  the  Holy  place.  ""  ' 
 And  after  the  second  veil,  the  tahernacle,  ivhich  is  called 
 the  Holy  of  holies,  having  a  golden  censer,  and  the  ark 
 of  the  covenant  overlaid  round  about  tuith  gold,  wherein 
 was  the  golden  pot  holding  the  manna,  and  the  tables  of 
 the  covenant,  and  Aaron  s  rod  that  budded.  But  into  Ibid.  6-8. 
 the  first  tcdjernacle,  he  says,  the  priests  go  in,  accom- 
 plishing the  services;  but  into  the  second,  the  high 
 priest  alone,  once  in  the  year,  not  without  blood,  which 
 he  offereth  for  himself,  and  for  the  errors  of  the  people : 
 the  Holy  Ghost  this  signifying,  that  the  way  into  the 
 Holy  place  hath  not  yet  been  made  manifest,  while  as 
 the  first  tabernacle  is  yet  standing.  For  there  can  be 
 no  question,  that  a  veil  was  let  down  at  the  very 
 entrance  of  the  temple.  And  so  there  came  into  his 
 mind  the  first  tabernacle,  which  he  called  holy ;  for 
 no  one  could  affirm  that  any  part  of  the  temple  was 
 not  holy,  or,  if  he  did  so,  he  would  lie,  for  it  was  all 
 holy.  And  after  the  first  tabernacle  came  the  veil 
 which  was  betwixt,  which  is  the  second  veil,  separating 
 the  innermost  portion,  that  is,  the  Holy  of  holies.  But, 
 as  the  blessed  Paul  said,  the  Spirit  signified,  by  figures 
 and  types,  that  the  more  fitting  way  in  which  the 
 Saints  should  tread  had  not  yet  been  made  manifest ; 
 for  the  people   were  still    kept  at  a  distance,  and  the 
 
640  The  purjMse  of  the  Lcnv. 
 
 Book  12.  first  tabernacle  was  yet  standing.  For  there  had  not, 
 ■  ^'^'  ■  as  yet,  in  fact,  appeared  unto  men  the  manner  of  the 
 life  that  Christ  gave  unto  those  who  were  called  by 
 the  Spirit  unto  sanctification ;  and  not  yet  had  the 
 mystery  concerning  Him  been  made  manifest,  for  the 
 written  commandment  of  the  Law  was  still  in  force. 
 Therefore,  also,  the  Law  placed  the  Jews  in  the  outer 
 court.  For  the  dispensation  of  the  Law  was,  as  it  were, 
 a  porch  and  vestibule  leading  unto  the  teaching  and 
 life  of  the  Gospel.  For  the  one  is  but  a  type,  the  other 
 is  the  truth  itself.  The  first  tabernacle  was,  indeed, 
 Rom.  vii.  holy,  for  the  Law  is  holy,  and  the  co'mmandvient 
 righteous  and  good ;  but  the  innermost  portion  of 
 the  temple  was  the  Holy  of  holies,  for  though  the 
 men  who  partook  of  the  righteousness  of  the  Law 
 were  holy,  they  became  yet  holier  when  they  accepted 
 the  faith  that  is  in  Christ,  and  were  anointed  with  the 
 Holy  Spirit  of  God.  The  righteousness  of  faith,  there- 
 fore, is  greater  than  the  righteousness  of  the  Law ;  and 
 by  faith  we  a.re  far  more  abundantly  sanctified.  There- 
 fore, also,  the  wise  Paul  says,  that  he  gladly  and  readily 
 endured  the  loss  of  the  righteousness  that  is  of  the  Law, 
 Phil.  iii.  that  he  might  gain  Christ,  and  might  he  found  in 
 Cf  Galv  Him,  not  having  a  righteousness  of  mine  own,  even 
 7,&.m.i.  that  tvhich  is  of  the  Latv,  but  that  which  is  through 
 faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  some  fell  backwards,  and, 
 after  running  well  for  a  time,  were  bewitched ;  and  the 
 Galatians  were  of  this  class:  after  pursuing  the  right- 
 eousness which  is  of  faith,  turning  back  to  the  com- 
 mandment of  the  Law,  and  recurring  to  the  state  of 
 life  shadowed  forth  by  types  and  figures ;  and  to  these 
 Gal.  V.  Paul  administered  the  well-merited  reproof:  If  ye  re- 
 ^'  ^'  ceive  circumcision,  Christ  will  profit  you  nothing.  Ye 
 are  severed  from  Christ,  ye  who  would  he  justified  hy 
 the  Lcnu ;  ye  are  fallen  away  from  grace.  But  (to 
 bring  our  explanation  of  the  passage  to  a  good  and 
 proper  conclusion)  we  will  simply  repeat,  that  the  veil 
 of  the   temple  was  rent   in  twain,  from  the  top  to  the 
 
The  Divine  Mysteries  laid  hare.  641 
 
 bottom  ;  to  signify,  as  it  were,  that  God  was  in  the  very  c.  lix.  30. 
 act  of  revealing  the  Holy  of  holier,  and  making  the  way 
 into  the  inmost  shrine  open  henceforth  to  those  who 
 believe  on  Christ.  For  the  knowledge  of  the  Divine 
 mysteries  is  now  laid  bare  before  us ;  no  longer 
 shrouded  in  the  obscurity  of  the  letter  of  the  Law,  as 
 it  were  a  curtain,  nor  hidden  by  any  covering  from 
 our  quest,  nor  defended  against  the  intrusion  of  the 
 eye  of  the  mind  by  types  through  which  we  could 
 see  but  dimly.  Rather  are  these  mysteries  now  seen 
 in  simplicity  of  faith ;  yea,  but  few  words  suffice  to 
 explain  them.  For  the  luord  is  nigh  thee,  says  Paul,  in  Rom.  x. 
 thy  mouth,  and  in  thy  heart ;  that  is,  the  luord  of  faith, 
 tuhich  lue  preach :  because,  if  thou  shalt  say  ivith  thy 
 mouth,  Jesus  is  Lord,  and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart 
 that  God  raised  Him  from '  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be 
 saved:  for  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  right- 
 eousness; and  with  the  mouth  confession  is  made 
 unto  salvation.  Herein  is  seen  in  its  completeness 
 the  mystery  of  piety  towards  God.  But,  while  Christ 
 had  not  as  yet  waged  the  conflict  for  our  salvation, 
 nor  undergone  the  death  of  the  flesh,  the  veil  was  still 
 spread  out,  for  the  power  of  the  commandment  of  the 
 Law  still  prevailed.  But  when  the  iniquitous  Jews, 
 in  their  presumption,  had  wreaked  to  the  utmost 
 their  malice  upon  Christ,  and  He  had  given  up  the 
 ghost  for  our  sake,  and  the  sufferings  of  Emmanuel 
 were  accomplished,  the  time  had  then  come  that 
 the  broad  veil,  that  had  so  long  been  spread  out, 
 should  from  henceforth  be  rent  asunder — that  is,  the 
 protection  of  the  letter  of  the  Law — and  that  the  fair 
 vision  of  the  truth  should  lie  bare  and  open  before 
 those  who  had  been  sanctified  in  Christ  by  faith. 
 The  veil  was  torn  throughout ;  for  what  other  meaning 
 can  be  put  upon  the  words :  From  the  top  to  the  bottom? 
 And  why  was  this?  It  was  because  the  revelation 
 of  the  message  of  salvation  was  not  partial,  but  our 
 enlightenment  concerning  the  Divine  mysteries  was 
 VOL.  II.  T  t 
 
642  Tlie  veil  tvas  rent 
 
 Book  12.  perfected   thereby.     Therefore,  also,  the  Psalmist    said 
 
 c.  xix.  30. 
 Ps.  li.  6. 
 
 ^•^'^'^-     ■  unto  God,  in  the  person  of  His  new  people  :  Tlie  hidden 
 
 secrets  of  Thy  tvisdom  hast  Thou  revealed  unto  me; 
 and,  furthermore,  the  inspired  Paul  thus  addresses 
 1  Cor.  i.  believers  on  Christ :  /  thank  my  God  ahuays  concern- 
 '  '  ing  you,  for  the  grace  which  was  given  you  in  Christ 
 Jesus;  that  in  every  thing  ye  were  enriched  in  Him, 
 in  all  utterance,  and  all  wisdom,  and  all  knowledge. 
 The  rending  of  the  veil,  then,  not  in  part,  but  entirely 
 throughout,  signified  then,  that  the  worshippers  of  the 
 Saviour  were  about  to  be  enriched  in  all  wisdom,  and 
 in  all  knowledge,  and  in  all  utterance,  manifestly  re- 
 ceiving the  knowledge  of  the  mystery  concerning  Him, 
 undefiled  and  unclouded  by  blot  or  shadow.  For  this  is 
 what  is  meant  by  the  words:  From  tlie  top  to  the  bot- 
 tom. We  say,  then,  that  the  most  appropriate  and  fitting- 
 time  for  the  revelation  of  the  Divine  mysteries  was  the 
 occasion  on  which  the  Saviour  laid  down  His  life  for  us, 
 when  Israel  spurned  His  grace,  and  wholly  started  aside 
 from  the  love  of  God,  in  his  frenzy  against  Him,  and  head- 
 strong impiety.  For  any  one  may  see  that  the  measure 
 of  their  iniquities  was  complete,  when  lie  learns  that 
 they  persecuted,  even  unto  death,  the  Giver  of  Life, 
 
 I  think,  therefore,  that  we  have  said  enough  on  this 
 subject,  and  that  our  explanation  of  the  Divine  purpose 
 does  not  fall  short  of  the  mark.  But,  as  we  find  the 
 inspired  Evangelist  is  very  diligent  to  say :  When  He 
 gave  up  the  ghost,  the  veil  of  the  temple  ivas  rent, 
 thereby  almost  signifying  as  essential  for  us  to  know 
 the  occasion  of  that  event,  let  us  supplement  our  re- 
 marks by  a  further  consideration,  which  savours,  I 
 think,  of  the  spirit  of  pious  research.  For  it  is  a 
 thought  which  will  be  found  in  no  way  abhorrent  to 
 those  fundamental  doctrines,  which  are  at  once  a  bless- 
 ing and  a  necessity  to  us.  To  proceed,  then :  the  follow- 
 ing custom  was  in  vogue,  both  among  the  people  and 
 the  rulers  of  the  Jews.  When  they  saw  anything  being 
 done  which   they  thought  would  especially  offend  the 
 
to  condemn  the  mvpiety  of  the  Jews.  643 
 
 Giver  of  the  Law,  or  when  they  heard  any  outrageous  c.  xix.  31. 
 or  blasphemous  utterance,  they  tore  their  garments,  and 
 put  on  the  appearance  of  mourners  ;  thereby,  in  a  manner, 
 taking  up  the  defence  of  God,  and  by  the  intolerance 
 they    displayed   of  such    offences,  passing   sentence    of 
 condemnation  on  the  madness  of  the  transgressors,  and 
 acquitting  themselves  of  complicity  therein.     Moreover, 
 the  disciples  of  the  Saviour,  Barnabas  and  Paul,  when 
 certain   of  those  who  had  not   yet  received  the  faith, 
 thinking  them  to  be  gods  (for  they   called   Barnabas,  Acta  xiv. 
 Ju])iter ;   and  Paul,  Mercury),  brought  sacrifices   and   "' 
 garlands,  in  company  with  the  priests,  and  attempted  to 
 make  sacrifices  in  their   honour,  leapt  down  from  the 
 platform  on  which  they  stood,    because  of  the  outrage 
 that  would  be  inflicted  upon  the  glory  of  God,  if  any 
 sacrifice  were  offered  to  men,  and  rent  their  garments,  as  is  Ibid.  14. 
 recorded,  and  by  fitting  words  prevented  the  ignorant 
 endeavour  of  the  worshippers  of  idols.     Also,  when  our 
 Saviour  Christ  was  on   His  trial  before  the  rulers    of 
 the  Jews,  and  was  required  to  say  Who  He  was,  and 
 whence  He  came,  and  said  plainly  in  reply :   Verily^  I  s.  Matt. 
 say  unto  you,  henceforth  ye  shcdl  see  the  Son  of  Man  ^^'*  ^^' 
 sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  power,  and  coining  on  the 
 clouds  of  heaven,  Caiaphas  leapt  up  out  of  his  seat,  and 
 rent  his  garments,  saying.  He  hath  spoken  blasphemy.  Ibid.  65. 
 The  temple  of  God,  then,  followed,  so  to  say,  the  custom 
 that  prevailed  among  the  Jews,  and  rent  its  veil,  as  it 
 had  been  clothes,  at  the  moment  when  our  Saviour  gave 
 up  the  ghost.      For  it  condemned  the  impiety  of  the 
 Jews  as  an  insult  against  itself.     And  the  accomplish- 
 ment of  this  was  God's  work,  that  He  might  show  unto 
 us  the  temple  itself  bewailing  Israel's  guilt. 
 
 31  The  Jews  tJierefore,  because  it  was  the  preparation,  that  the 
 bodies  should  not  remain  on  the  cross  upon  the  Sabbath  {for 
 the  day  of  that  Sabbath  luas  a  high  day),  asked  of  Pilate  that 
 their  legs  might  be  broken,  and  that  they  might  be  taken  away. 
 
 It  is  not  with  the  motive  of  testifying  to  the  reverence 
 
 T  t  2 
 
644         Tlie  Latv  kept — tlie  Law<jioer  outraged. 
 
 Book  12.  for  holy  days  felt  by  men  inured  to  shed  blood  with 
 c.  X1X.32-  |3rut,al  ferocity,  and  found  guilty  of  so  monstrous  an 
 iniquity,  that  the  blessed  Evangelist  says  this ;  but 
 rather  from  the  wish  to  show  that,  in  their  gross 
 stupidity,  they  committed  that  folly  of  which  Christ 
 s.  Matt,  spoke.  For  they  strained  out  the  gnat  while  they 
 ^^"^"  ■  siuallotved  the  camel ;  for  they  are  found  to  reckon  as  of 
 no  account  at  all  the  most  outrageous  and  awful  of  all 
 crimes  against  God,  while  they  exercised  the  greatest 
 diligence  with  reference  to  the  most  paltry  and  insig- 
 nificant matters,  showing  their  folly  in  either  case.  The 
 proof  of  this  is  not  far  to  seek.  For,  behold,  in  the  very 
 act  of  putting  Christ  to  death,  they  put  great  store  on 
 the  respect  due  to  the  Sabbath  ;  and,  while  they  insulted 
 the  Lawgiver  by  outrages  which  surpass  description, 
 they  parade  their  reverence  of  the  Law ;  and,  as  that 
 Sabbath  was  a  high  day,  they  affect  to  pay  honour 
 to  it — the  very  men  who  destroyed  the  Lord  of  the  high 
 day ;  and  they  ask  a  favour,  which  well  suited  their 
 cruel  spirit.  For  they  besought  Pilate  that  theii"  legs 
 might  be  broken,  wishing  to  embitter,  by  this  last 
 intolerable  outrage,  the  pangs  of  approaching  death, 
 to  those  who  were  ah-eady  in  agony. 
 
 32  The  soldiers  therefore  came,  and  hraJce  the  legs  of  the  first, 
 
 33  and  of  the  other  which  ivas  crucified  with  Him :  hut  when 
 they  came  to  Jesus,  and  saw  that  He  was  dead  already,  they 
 
 34  brake  not  His  Legs  :  howheit,  one  of  the  soldiers  with  a  s^iear 
 2)ierced  His  Side,  and  straightway  there  came  out  blood  and 
 
 35  water.  And  he  that  hath  seen  hath  borne  ivitness,  and  his 
 witness  is  true :  and  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true,  tJiat  ye 
 
 3G  also  7nay  believe.  For  these  things  came  to  pass,  that  the 
 ,Scrij)ture  might  be  fulfilled,  A  bone  of  Him  shall  not  be 
 
 37  broken.  And  again  another  /Scripture  saith,  They  sJiall  look 
 on  Him  Whom  they  pierced. 
 
 In  pursuance  of  the  request  of  the  Jews,  men  afflicted 
 with  a  madness  akin  to  their  cruelty — I  mean  the 
 soldiers  of  Pilate— break  the  legs  of  the  two  robbers, 
 
Prophecy  fidjilled;    the  Sacraments  typified.   645 
 
 as  they  were  still  numbered  among  the  living,  inten- c,xix.38. 
 sifying  the  bitter  pang  of  their  last  agony,  and  finally 
 despatching  them  by  the  most  grievous  act  of  violence. 
 But  when  they  found  Jesus  with  His  Head  bowed  down, 
 and  saw  that  He  had  already  given  up  the  ghost,  they 
 thought  it  lost  labour  to  break  His  Legs ;  but,  as  they 
 still  had  a  faint  suspicion  that  He  might  not  be  actually 
 dead,  they  ivith  a  spear  pierced  His  Side,  which  sent 
 forth  Blood,  mingled  with  Water ;  God  presenting  us 
 thereby  with  a  type,  as  it  were,  and  foreshadowing  of 
 the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist,  and  Holy  Baptism.  For 
 Holy  Baptism  is  of  Christ,  and  Christ's  institution ;  and 
 the  power  of  the  mystery  of  the  Eucharist  grew  up  for 
 us  out  of  His  Holy  Flesh. 
 
 By  his  account  of  what  took  place,  the  wise  Evan- 
 gelist confirms  his  hearers  in  the  belief  that  He  was  the 
 Christ  long  ago  foretold  by  Holy  Writ ;  for  the  events 
 of  His  life  harmonised  with  what  was  written  con- 
 cerning Him.  For  not  a  bone  of  Him  was  broken, 
 and  He  was  pierced  with  the  spear  of  the  soldier, 
 according  to  the  Scripture.  He  says  himself,  that  the 
 disciple  that  bare  record  of  these  things  was  a  spectator 
 and  eye-witness  of  what  took  place,  and  knew,  in  fact, 
 that  his  testimony  was  true ;  and  the  disciple  to  whom 
 he  thus  alludes  is  none  other  than  himself.  For  he 
 shrank  from  speaking  more  openly,  putting  away  from 
 himself  the  assumption  of  love  of  glory,  as  an  unholy 
 thing,  and  as  a  grievous  infirmity. 
 
 Concerning  the  request  for  the  Body  of  the  Lord. 
 
 38  And  after  these  tJiings,  Joseph  of  Arimathcea,  being  a  disciple 
 of  Jesus,  but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews,  asked  of  Pilate 
 tluit  he  might  take  away  the  Body  of  Jesus  :  and  Pilate  gave 
 him  leave.     He  came,  therefore,  and  took  away  His  Body. 
 
 This  saying  is  indeed  fraught  with  a  grievous  charge 
 against  the  Jews,  as  it  shows  that  to  become  a  disciple 
 of  Christ  was  dangerous,  and  exposed  a  man  to  penalties ; 
 for  he  plainly  introduces  this  most  excellent  young  man — 
 
646  Joseph  pids  the  Jeivs  to  shame. 
 
 Book  12.  I  mean  Joseph — to  our  notice,  as  most  especially  anxious 
 C.X1X.39.  ^Q  escape  the  notice  of  the  Jews,  though  he  had  been 
 induced  by  Christ's  teaching  to  choose  that  worship 
 which  was  the  reality  itself,  and  better  and  more 
 pleasing  to  the  God  Who  loves  virtue  than  the  com- 
 mandment of  the  Law,  and  at  the  same  time  gives  us 
 a  proof  necessary  to  confirm  our  faith.  For  it  was 
 necessary  for  us  to  believe  that  Christ  laid  down  His 
 Life  for  us.  And  is  it  not  an  inevitable  consequence  that, 
 when  a  man  is  entombed,  we  must  have  a  firm  convic- 
 tion that  he  also  died  ?  And  we  may  well  condemn, 
 as  guilty  of  gross  brutality,  the  presumption,  hard- 
 heartedness,  and  merciless  temper  of  the  Jews,  who 
 did  not  even  pay  unto  Christ  the  respect  due  to  the 
 dead,  nor  honour  Him  with  burial  rites,  when  they  saw 
 Him  lying  before  them  an  inanimate  corpse ;  though 
 they  knew  that  He  was  the  Christ,  and  had  often  been 
 amazed  by  the  marvellous  works  that  He  did,  even 
 though  their  bitter  hatred  might  never  have  allowed 
 them  to  profit  by  His  miraculous  power.  The  disciple 
 of  Arimathsea,  therefore,  passes  judgment  on  the  inhu- 
 manity of  the  Jews,  and  condemns  the  men  of  Jerusalem, 
 when  he  goes  and  tends  with  fitting  care  the  Body  of 
 Him  Whom  he  did  not  as  yet  honour  by  an  open 
 confession  of  faith,  but  still  believed  on  Him  in  secret, 
 for  fear  of  the  Jeivs,  as  says  the  blessed  Evangelist. 
 
 39  And  tliere  came  also  Nicodemus,  he  who  at  the  first  came  to 
 Him  hy  night,  bringing  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  about 
 a  hundred  2)ound  iveight. 
 
 He  says  that  this  disciple  was  not  alone  in  taking 
 counsel  wisely,  as  well  as  in  fervent  zeal,  to  go  to  dress 
 the  sacred  Body  for  burial,  but  he  makes  mention  of  a 
 second  along  with  the  first.  This  was  Nicodemus,  who 
 completed  the  body  of  testimony  to  the  event  that  is 
 Deut.xix.  respected  by  the  Law.  For,  says  the  Law :  In  the  viouth 
 ^^'  of  two  or  three  tvitnesses  shall  every  ivord  be  established. 
 
 The   men    who   laid    Jesus   in    the  tomb  were  two  in 
 
The  signification  of  the  neiv  tomb.  647 
 
 number,  Joseph  and  Nicodemus ;  men  who  received  c  xix.  40, 
 the  faith  inwardly  in  their  hearts,  but  were  still  scared  " 
 by  a  foolish  fear,  and  did  not  yet  prefer  to  the  honour 
 and  glory  of  the  world  that  which  is  of  God.  For 
 then  they  would  have  dismissed  all  fear  of  the  Jews, 
 and,  paying  slight  heed  to  any  danger  from  that  quarter, 
 would  have  indulged  their  faith  fearlessly  and  freely, 
 and  thus  have  proved  themselves  holy,  and  good  keepers 
 of  the  commandment  of  our  Saviour. 
 
 40  tSo  they  took  the  Body  of  Jesus,  and  bound  it  in  linen  cloths 
 
 41  ivith  the  spices,  as  the  custom  of  the  Jews  is  to  hury.  Noio 
 in  the  ^;7«ce  where  He  was  crucified  tJiere  ivas  a  garden; 
 and  in  the  garden  a  new  tcnnh,  wherein  was  'never  man  yet 
 laid. 
 
 Christ  was  numbered  among  the  dead,  Who  for  our 
 sake  became  dead,  according  to  the  Flesh,  but  Whom 
 we  conceive  to  be,  and  Who  is,  in  fact.  Life,  of  Himself, 
 and  through  His  Father.  And,  that  He  might  fulfil  all 
 righteousness,  that  is,  all  that  was  appropriate  to  the 
 form  of  man,  He  of  His  own  Will  subjected  the  Temple 
 of  His  Body  not  merely  to  death,  but  also  to  what 
 follows  after  death,  that  is,  burial  and  being  laid  in 
 the  tomb.  The  writer  of  the  Gospel  says  that  this 
 sepulchre  in  the  garden  was  a  new  one ;  this  fact 
 signifying  to  us,  as  it  were,  by  a  type  and  figure, 
 that  Christ's  death  is  the  harbinger  and  pioneer  of 
 our  entry  into  Paradise.  For  He  entered  as  a  Fore- Ueh.  vi. 
 runner  for  us.  What  other  signification  than  this  ^*^- 
 can  be  intended  by  the  carrying  over  of  the  Body 
 of  Jesus  in  the  garden  ?  And  by  the  newness  of  the 
 sepulchre  is  meant  the  untrodden  and  strange  pathway 
 whereby  we  return  from  death  unto  life,  and  the  re- 
 newing of  our  souls,  that  Christ  has  invented  for  us, 
 whereby  we  baflie  corruption.  For  henceforth,  by  the 
 death  of  Christ,  death  for  us  has  been  transformed,  in 
 a  manner,  into  sleep,  with  like  power  and  functions. 
 For  we  are  alive  unto  God,  and  shall  live  for  evermore,  ii. 
 
648  TIlc  rrunute  details  of  the  narrative 
 
 Book  12.  according  to  the  Scriptures.     Therefore,  also,  the  blessed 
 
 c.xix.  .  -pQ^i^  jjj  g^  variety  of  places,  calls  those  asleep  who  have 
 died  in  Christ.  For  in  the  times  of  old  the  dread 
 presence  of  death  held  human  nature  in  awe.    For  death 
 
 Eom.  V.  reigned  from  Adam  until  Moses,  even  over  them  that 
 had  not  sinned  after  the  likeness   of  Adam's  trans- 
 
 iCoT.xv.  gression ;  and  we  bore  the  image  of  the  earthy  in  his 
 likeness,  and  underwent  the  death  that  was  inflicted  by 
 the  Divine  curse.  But  when  the  Second  Adam  appeared 
 among  us,  the  Divine  Man  from  heaven,  and,  contending 
 for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  purchased  by  His  death 
 the  life  of  all  men,  and,  destroying  the  power  of  cor- 
 ruption, rose  again  to  life,  we  were  transformed  into 
 His  Image,  and  undergo,  as  it  were,  a  different  kind  of 
 death,  that  does  not  dissolve  us  in  eternal  corruption, 
 but  casts  upon  us  a  slumber  which  is  laden  with  fair 
 hope,  after  the  Likeness  of  Him  Who  has  made  this 
 new  path  for  us,  that  is,  Christ. 
 
 And  if  any  one  choose  to  give  an  additional  meaning 
 to  the  saying  that  the  sepulchre  was  a  new  one,  and 
 that  no  man  had  been  lain  therein,  be  it  so.  He  says, 
 then,  we  may  suppose,  that  the  sepulchre  was  new,  and 
 that  no  one  had  been  ever  laid  therein,  that  no  one 
 might  be  thought  to  have  arisen  from  the  sleep  of  death 
 save  Jesus  only. 
 
 42     T/iere,  then,  because  of  the  Jeivs'  2)reparation  {for  tlie  tomb 
 ivas  nigh  at  hand),  they  laid  Jesus. 
 
 He  not  only  says  plainly  that  Christ's  Body  was 
 dressed  for  burial,  and  that  there  was  a  garden  nigh 
 unto  the  cross,  and  that  there  was  a  new  sepulchre  in  it, 
 but  he  also  explains  that  He  was  laid  therein,  not  leaving 
 the  least  of  the  things  which  were  done  untold.  For  most 
 essential  truly  to  any  creed  or  system  of  the  mystery  of 
 our  faith  is  the  confession  and  the  knowledge  that  Christ 
 died.  Therefore,  also,  the  wise  Paul,  defining  our  rule  of 
 Eom.  X.  faith,  speaks  as  follows :  The  word  is  nigh  thee,  in  thy 
 mouth,  and  in  thy  heart ;  that  is,  the  ivord  of  faith,  ivhich 
 
conjirm  belief  in  Christ's  death.  649 
 
 ive  preach:  because,  if  thou  shalt  say  with  thy  mouth,  c.xx.l-9. 
 Jesus  is  Lord,  and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that  God 
 raised  Hi^n  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved:  for 
 with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto  righteousness;  and 
 with  the  mouth   confession   is    made  unto   salvation. 
 And  in  another  passage  also :    For  I  delivered  unto  you  l  Cor.  xv. 
 first  of  all  that  which  also  I  received,  how  that  Christ   ' 
 died  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  Scriptures ;  and  that 
 He  was  buried;  and  that  He  hath  been  raised  on  the 
 third  day,  according  to  the  Scriptures.     Very  essential, 
 then,  for  us  is  the    narrative  which  the  writer  of  the 
 book  gives  us  on  these  points.     For  it  was  our  bounden 
 duty  to  believe  that  He  died  and  was  buried ;  after  that 
 will  easily  follow  the  true  belief,  that  He  burst  asunder 
 the  bonds  of  death,  and  returned  as  God  to  the  life  that 
 was  His  own.     For  it  ivas  not  possible  that  He  should  Acts  ii. 
 be  holden  of  death.    For,  being  by  Nature  Life,  how  could  ^^' 
 He  have  undergone  corruption  ?     And  how  could  He  in 
 Whom  lue  live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being,  have  ibid.xvii, 
 been  subjected  to  the  laws  to  which  our  human  nature  ^^• 
 is  subject?     Could  He  not  rather,  as  God,  have  easily 
 quickened  that  which  lacked  life  ? 
 
 XX.  1    Now  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  cometh  Mary  Magdalene 
 early,  while  it  was  yet  dark,  unto  the  tomb,  and  seeth  the 
 
 2  sto7ie  taken  away  from  the  tomb.  She  runneth,  tlierefore, 
 and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and  to  the  other  disci2)le,  whom 
 Jesus  loved,  and  saith  unto  them..  They  have  taken  away  the 
 Lord  out  of  the  tomb,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid 
 
 3  Him.   Peter  therefore  went  forth,  and  the  other  disciple,  and 
 
 4  tliey  iveyit  toward  the  tomb.  And  tJiey  ran  both  together :  and 
 the  other  disciple  outran  Peter,  and  came  first  to  the  tomb; 
 
 5  and  stooping  and  looking  in,  he  seeth  the  linen  cloths  lying  ; 
 
 6  2/e<  entered  he  not  in.  Simon  Peter  therefore  cometh,  folloiv- 
 ing  him,  and  entered  into  the  tomb;  and  he  beholdeth  the 
 
 7  linen  cloths  lying,  and  the  napkin,  that  was  upon  His  Head, 
 not  lying  ivith  the  linen  cloths,  but  rolled  up  in  a  pilace  by 
 
 8  itself.      Then   entered   in  therefore  the  other  discipile  also, 
 
 9  which  came  first  to  the  tomb,  and  he  satv  and  believed.     For 
 
650  Tlie  loving  spirit  of  Mary. 
 
 Book  12.  as  yet  they  knew  not  tlie  Scripture,  tliat  He  must  rise  ayain 
 
 c.  XX.  1-9.  from  the  dead. 
 
 This  excellent  and  pious  woman  would  never  have 
 endured  to  remain  at  home  and  leave  the  sepulchre,  had 
 not  her  fear  of  the  law  for  the  Sabbath,  and  the  penalty 
 which  impended  upon  those  who  transgi'essed  it,  curbed 
 the  vehemence  of  her  zeal,  and  had  she  not,  allowing 
 ancient  custom  to  prevail,  thought  she  ought  to  with- 
 draw her  thoughts  from  the  object  of  her  most  earnest 
 longings.     But,  when   the    Sabbath   was   already  past, 
 and   the   dawn   of  the   next   day   was   appearing,   she 
 hurried  back  to  the  spot,  and  then,  when  she  saw  the 
 stone  rolled  away  from  the  mouth  of  the  tomb,  well- 
 grounded   suspicions    seized  her  mind,  and,  calling   to 
 mind  the  ceaseless  hatred  of  the  Jews,  she  thought  that 
 Jesus  had  been   carried   away,  accusing   them    of  this 
 crime  in  addition  to  their  other  misdeeds.     While  she 
 was    thus    engaged,   and    revolving   in    her    mind    the 
 j)robabilities  of  the  case,  the  woman  returned  to  the  men 
 who  loved  the  Lord,  anxious  to  obtain  the  co-operation 
 of  the  most  intimate  of  His  disciples  in  her  quest.     And 
 so  deep-rooted  and  impregnable  was  her  faith  that  she 
 was  not  induced  to  esteem  Christ  less  highly  because  of 
 His  death  upon  the  cross,  but  even  when  He  was  dead 
 called  Him  Lord,  as  she  had  been  wont  to  do,  thereby 
 showing  a  truly  God-loving  spirit.     When  these  men  (I 
 mean  Peter,  and  John  the  writer  of  this  book,  for  he 
 gives  himself  the  name  of  the  other  disciple)  heard  these 
 tidings  from  the  woman's  mouth,  they  ran  with  all  the 
 speed  they  could,  and  came  to  the  sepulchre  in  haste, 
 and  saw  the  marvel  with  their  own  eyes,  being  in  them- 
 Of.  Deut.  selves  competent  to  testify  to  the  event,  for  they  were 
 xix.  15.    ^^^  -^^  number,  as  the  Law  enjoined.     As  yet  they  did 
 not   meet    Christ   risen   from   the  dead,   but  infer  His 
 Resurrection  from  the  bundle  of  linen  clothes,  and  hence- 
 forth believed  that  He  had  burst  asunder  the  bonds  of 
 death,  as  Holy  Writ  had  long  ago  proclaimed  that  He 
 would  do.     When,  therefore,  they  looked  at  the  issues  of 
 
TJte  time  of  tlie  Resurrection.  651 
 
 events  in  the  light  of  the  prophecies  which  turned  out  c.  xx.  lo, 
 true,  their  faith  was  henceforth  rooted  on  a  firm  basis. 
 
 Observe  that  the  blessed  Evangelist,  John,  when  he 
 tells  us  the  time  of  the  Resurrection,  says:  On  the  Jirst 
 day  of  the  week  early,  while  it  was  yet  dark,  cometk 
 Mary  Magdalene  unto  the  tomb  ;  while  Matthew,  also, 
 wishing  to  indicate  the  time  to  us,  says  that  the  Resur- 
 rection took  place  when  the  night  was  far  spent.  No 
 one,  I  suppose,  will  imagine  that  the  inspired  writers 
 are  at  variance,  or  that  they  fix  the  time  of  the  Resur- 
 rection differently.  For  any  one  that  chooses  to  investi- 
 gate the  meaning  of  the  indications  they  give  of  the 
 time,  will  find  that  their  accounts  tally.  For  early 
 dawn  and  late  night  fix  the  same  point  of  time,  that  is, 
 the  very  dead  of  night,  so  to  say.  There  is,  therefore, 
 no  discrepancy  between  them  ;  for  the  one,  taking  as  his 
 starting-point  the  end  of  night,  and  the  other  the  be- 
 ginning, both  reach  the  middle  watch,  and  meet  at  the 
 same  point,  that  is,  as  I  just  now  said,  the  dead  of 
 night. 
 
 10  So  the  disciples  went  away  again  unto  their  ovm  home. 
 
 1 1  But  Mary  was  standing  without  at  the  tomb  weeping. 
 
 The  wise  disciples,  after  having  gathered  sufficiently 
 satisfactory  evidence  of  the  Resurrection  of  our  Saviour, 
 being  in  travail,  as  it  were,  with  their  confirmed  and 
 unshaken  faith,  and  by  comparison  of  events  as  they 
 had  actually  occurred  with  the  prophetic  utterances  of 
 Holy  Scripture,  went  back  home,  and  hastened,  as  is 
 likely,  to  see  their  fellow-workers,  to  recount  to  them  the 
 miracle,  and  afterwards  to  consider  the  course  to  be 
 pursued.  And  we  shall  not  err  if  we  think  that  they 
 had  another  object  in  so  acting.  For  wliile  the  passion 
 of  the  Jews  was  at  its  height,  and  the  rulers  were  thirsting 
 eagerly  for  the  blood  of  every  man  who  marvelled  at  the 
 teaching  of  the  Saviour,  and  admitted  His  Divine  and 
 ineffable  power  and  glory,  but  most  of  all  for  the  blood 
 of  the  holy  disciples  themselves,  they  had  good  reason 
 
652  Tlie  disciples  act  cautiously. 
 
 Book  12.  for    shrinking    from    encounterinsr   them,   and   left   the 
 11^       '  sepulchre  before  it  was  quite  light,  as  they  could  not 
 have  done  so  without  risk,  if  seen  in  the  daytime,  the 
 sun's  rays  revealing  them  to  all  beholders.     We  are  far 
 from  saying  that  unmanly  cowardice  was  the  motive  of 
 their  cautious  flight.    Rather  should  we  suppose  that  the 
 knowledge  of  what  was  expedient  for  them  was  instilled 
 in  the  minds  of  the  Saints  by  Christ,  Who  did  not  permit 
 Cf.  Phil,  these  who  were  destined  to  be  lights  and  teachers  of  the 
 "■  world  to  run  untimely  risks.     For  it  was  necessary  that 
 
 the  truth  of  His  saying  should  be  seen,  which  He  spake 
 Supra  concerning  them  to  the  Father  in  heaven.  Holy  Father, 
 j2"'  '  keep  therti,  He  says,  in  Thy  Name  which  Thou  hast 
 given  Me,  that  they  "may  he  one,  even  as  We  are  One. 
 While  I  was  with  them,  I  kept  them  in  Thy  Name 
 ivhich  Thou  hast  given  Me:  and  I  guarded  them,  and 
 not  one  of  them  perished,  but  the  son  of  perdition. 
 The  disciples  therefore  retired,  thinking  they  ought  to 
 await  the  time  when  they  should  speak  openly.  And 
 Acts  i.  4,  this  they  did  in  obedience  to  the  Saviour's  words.  For 
 He  charged  them  not  to  depart  from  Jerusalem,  as  it  is 
 written,  but  to  luait  for  the  p)romise  of  the  Father,  which 
 they  had  heard  of  Him :  for  John  indeed  baptised  with 
 water,  but  they  shall  be  baptised  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
 not  many  days  hence;  an  event  which  we  find  actually 
 came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  the  Holy  Pentecost,  when 
 Ibid.  ii. 3.  there  ajjpeared  unto  them  tongues  p)arting  asunder,  like 
 as  of  fire  j  and  it  sat  upon  each  one  of  them.  For  then 
 were  they  invested  with  a  spirit  of  the  greatest  courage 
 and  endurance,  and,  high  exalted  above  the  frailty  of  their 
 fellow  men,  boldly  encountered  the  madness  of  the  Jews, 
 and  thought  their  plotting  against  them  worthy  of  no 
 account.  The  wise  disciples,  then,  concealed  themselves 
 from  the  motive  of  expediency,  as  I  said  just  now,  while 
 Mary,  in  her  love  of  Christ  free  from  all  fear  and  not 
 much  suspecting  the  wrath  of  the  Jews,  sat  on  the  watch 
 persistently,  and,  affected  after  the  manner  of  women, 
 wept  abundantly,  and  continually  wiped  away  the  tears 
 
Marys  reward.  653 
 
 that   kept   falling  from  her  eyes,  mourning   not    only  c.  xx.  11- 
 because  the  Lord  was  dead,  but  also  because  she  thought  ^^' 
 He  had  been  taken  away  from  the  sepulchre. 
 
 1 1  So,  as  she  v^ept,  she  stooped  and  looked  into   the   tomb ; 
 
 12  and  sJie  beholdeth  two  angels  in  white  sitting,  one  at  the 
 head,  and  one  at  the  feet,  where  the  Body  of  Jesus  had  lain. 
 
 13  And  they  say  unto  her,  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ? 
 
 Observe  that  the  tears  let  fall  for  Christ  do  not  lose 
 their  reward,  nor  is  it  long  before  love  for  Him  bears 
 fruit ;  rather  will  His  grace  and  rich  requital  follow 
 closely  in  the  wake  of  pain.  For,  behold,  as  Mary  was 
 sitting  there,  her  cheeks  bedewed  with  mourning  for  her 
 beloved  Lord  Whom  she  had  lost,  the  Saviour  vouch- 
 safed unto  her  the  knowledge  of  the  mystery  concerning 
 Him,  by  the  mouth  of  holy  angels.  For  she  saw  angels 
 in  bright  apparel,  the  garments  wherewith  they  were 
 clad  signifying  to  her  the  perfect  beauty  of  angelic 
 purity,  who  interrupted  her  lamentations,  and  said 
 unto  her.  Woman,  luhy  iveepest  thou?  It  was  not, 
 indeed,  that  they  desired  to  learn  the  reason  why  her 
 tears  were  falling,  for  they  would  have  known  it  even 
 had  the  woman  not  told  it  them,  and  the  very  circum- 
 stances themselves  were  sufficient  to  indicate  it.  Rather 
 do  they  bid  her  cease  from  weeping,  as  there  was  no 
 occasion  for  tears,  and  as  she  had  made  what  was  a 
 subject  for  rejoicing  a  cause  of  grief.  Why,  indeed,  say 
 they,  when  death  has  been  subdued,  and  corruption 
 lost  its  power,  and  our  Saviour  Christ  has  therefore 
 risen  again,  and  made  a  new  pathway  for  the  dead  back 
 to  incorruption  and  to  life,  why  dost  thou,  0  woman, 
 mistake  the  time,  and  why  art  thou  so  distraught  by 
 bitter  pangs  of  woe,  when  the  issue  of  events  rather  calls 
 you  to  rejoice?  For,  in  truth,  thou  should  est  be  glad, 
 and  of  good  cheer.  Why,  then,  iveepest  thou,  and  thus 
 in  some  sort  detractest  from  the  honour  due  unto  a 
 festival  ? 
 '    The  angels  appeared  sitting  at  the  head  and  at  the 
 
654  Tlie  reason  of  the  revelation  to  Mary. 
 
 Book  \i.  feet  ivhere  the  Body  of  Jesus  had  lain;  thereby,  as  it 
 14^'  '  were,  signifying  to  the  woman,  who  thought  that  the 
 Lord  had  been  taken  away,  that  no  one  could  have 
 done  despite  unto  the  holy  Body  while  angels  kept 
 watoh  and  holy  powers  encompassed  the  Temple  of 
 God,  for  they  knew  their  Lord.  One  may  raise  the 
 question,  not  unreasonably,  how  it  was  that  the  blessed 
 angels  said  nothing  to  the  holy  disciples,  and  did  not 
 even  appear  unto  them,  but  were  both  seen  by  the 
 woman  and  also  spake  unto  her.  We  reply,  then,  that 
 it  was  the  object  of  the  Saviour  Christ  to  instil  into  the 
 minds  of  those  who  loved  Him  the  perfect  knowledge  of 
 the  mystery  concerning  Him ;  but  that  this  perfect 
 knowledge  was  in  different  ways  given  unto  them, 
 and  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  those  who  stood 
 in  need  of  it.  The  course  of  events  itself,  as  compared 
 with  the  expectations  raised  in  Holy  Writ,  sufficed  to 
 give  the  holy  disciples  adequate  knowledge,  and  begat 
 in  them  a  confidence  that  did  not  admit  of  doubt.  For 
 they  went  home  trusting  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  it 
 would  have  been  superfluous  for  those,  whose  faith  was 
 thus  firmly  grounded,  to  be  taught  by  the  mouth  of  the 
 holy  angels ;  but  it  was  very  necessary  to  the  woman, 
 who  knew  not  the  Holy  and  Divine  Scripture,  and  by 
 no  other  means  could  apprehend  the  deep  mystery  of 
 the  Resurrection. 
 
 13  She  saith   unto  them,  Because   they  have  taken  away  my 
 
 14  Lord,  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid  Him.  When 
 she  had  thus  said,  she  turned  herself  back,  and  beholdeth 
 Jesus  standing,  and  knew  not  that  it  tvas  Jesus. 
 
 The  woman,  or  rather  all  womankind,  is  slow  of 
 understanding.  For  she  does  not  understand  the 
 hidden  meaning  of  what  met  her  gaze,  but  rather 
 announces  it  as  the  cause  of  her  grief.  But  as  she 
 ceased  not  to  call  Christ  Lord,  and  thereby  signified 
 her  love  towards  Him,  she  is  justly  permitted  to  enjoy 
 the  sight  of  the  object  of  her  desire.     For  she  beholds 
 
Mary's  'misconception.  655 
 
 Jesus,  though  she  did  not  think  Him  to  be  at  her  side ;  c.  xx.  15. 
 and   why  1    Either  her  ignorance  was    caused   by  our 
 Saviour  Christ  still  concealing  Himself  by  His  Divine 
 power,   and    not   allowing   Himself  very   easily  to   be 
 recognised  by  the  eye  of  the  beholder ;    or,  as  it  was 
 still   early  in  the  morning,  she   could  not  readily  dis- 
 tinguish what  was  before  her  eyes,  as  night   somehow 
 prevented   her    from   so    doing,   and   scarcely   revealed 
 the  Figure  of  Him  Who  was  drawing  nigh.     Therefore, 
 also,  our  Lord  Jesus   Christ  Himself,  in  the   Song  of 
 Songs,  makes  mention  of  His  walk  on  this  night,  and 
 the  moisture  of  the  morning  dew,  in  the  words  :  For  My  Song  of 
 Head  is  filled  ivith  detu,  and  My  Locks  ivith  the  drops  of'^'^'' 
 the  night. 
 
 1 5  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Woman,  why  v>eepest  thou  ?  Whom 
 seekest  thou  ?  She,  supposing  Him  to  be  the  gardener,  saith 
 unto  Him,  Sir,  if  thou  hast  borne  Him  hence,  tell  me  where 
 thou  hast  laid  Him,  and  I  will  take  Him  away. 
 
 As  it  was  still  dark,  and  the  night  had  not  yet  wholly 
 passed  away,  she  sees  Jesus,  Who  stood  near  her,  but 
 dimly,  and  knows  not  Who  He  is,  being  unable  to  dis- 
 tinguish the  Form  of  His  Body  or  His  Features,  but 
 hears  Him  say.  Woman,  why  iveepest  thou?  The 
 Saviour's  words  are  indeed  words  of  courtesy,  still 
 such  as  to  arouse  in  her  the  suspicion  that  they  were 
 most  like  the  words  of  one  of  the  gardeners.  It  follows, 
 too,  that  the  Lord,  when  He  thus  spake,  was  not  in 
 point  of  fact  asking  her  the  reason  for  her  weeping, 
 nor  desirous  to  learn  of  whom  she  was  in  search  ;  but 
 was  rather  anxious  to  stop  her  lamentations,  just  as, 
 indeed,  were  the  two  blessed  angels,  for  it  was  in  their 
 company  that  He  spake.  Why,  then,  rveep)est  thou,  0 
 woman  ?  He  says  ;  Whom  seekest  thou  ?  That  is  to  say, 
 wipe  away  thy  tears,  as  thou  hast  the  object  of  thy 
 search.  I,  He  says,  am  He  Who  is  the  occasion  of  thy 
 mourning,  as  having  been  dead,  and  as  having  suffered 
 a  dreadful  fate,  and  as  having  also  been  taken  away  out 
 
656   Woonankind  comforted,  as  in  Mary  the  firstfrwits. 
 
 EooK  12.  of  the  tomb.     But,  as  I  am  alive  and  am  here,  give  up 
 
 c.  XX.    o.  ^j^y  lamentations,  and  contrariwise  be   of  good  cheer. 
 
 He  asked  the  question,  then,  wishing  to  end  her  sorrow. 
 
 For  it  was  meet  that  the  Lord  should  be  our  restorer  in 
 
 this  way  also.     For  by  Adam's  transgression,  as  in  the 
 
 firstfruits  of  the  race,  the  sentence  went  forth  to  the 
 
 Gen.  iii.   wholc  world :   Dust  thou  art,  and  to  dust  thou  shalt 
 
 Ibid  16    ''6^'W*^/  3Jid  to  the  woman  in  special:  I71  sorroiv  thou 
 
 shalt  bring  forth  children.     To  be  rich  in  sorrow,  then, 
 
 as  by  way  of  a  penalty,  was  the  fate  of  woman.     It  was, 
 
 therefore,  necessary  that  by  the  mouth  of  Him  That  had 
 
 passed   sentence  of  condemnation,  the  burden  of  that 
 
 ancient  curse  should  be  removed,  our   Saviour  Christ 
 
 now  wiping  away  the  tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  woman, 
 
 or  rather  of  all  womankind,  as  in  Mary  the  fii'stfruits. 
 
 For  she,  first  of  women,  being  offended  at  the  death  of 
 
 the  Saviour,  and  grieving  thereat,  was  thought  worthy  to 
 
 hear  the  voice  that  cut  short  her  weeping ;  the  power  of 
 
 the  word,  in  fact,  extending  also  to  the  whole  race  of 
 
 women,  if  indeed  they  be  pained  by  the  outrages  against 
 
 Christ,  and  honour  faith  in   Him,  and  almost  fall  to 
 
 Ps.  quoting  that  saying  in  the  Psalms:  Do  not  I  hate  them, 
 
 21  22.     ^  Lord,  that  hate  Theet    And  am  1  not  grieved  with 
 
 those  that  rise  up  against  Tltee?    I  hate  them  with  a 
 
 23erfect  hatred :  I  count  them  mine  enemies. 
 
 While,  however,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  says  this  to 
 put  a  stop  to  her  weeping,  she,  supposing  the  speaker  to 
 be  one  of  the  gardeners,  undertook  very  readily  to 
 transfer  the  remains  to  another  place,  if  only  it  were 
 shown  her  where  he  had  laid  Him.  For,  not  yet 
 apprehending  the  great  mystery  of  the  Resurrection, 
 she  was  disturbed  by  suspicions  of  this  kind.  For  the 
 feminine  mind  is  slow-witted  and  ill-prepared  to  readily 
 comprehend  even  what  is  not  very  difficult,  far  less 
 miracles  which  baffle  description. 
 
Tlie  myderij  of  Chrisfs  command.  657 
 
 1 6  Jesus  saith  unto  her,  Mary.     She  turneth  Jierself,  and  saith  c.  xx.  16, 
 unto  Him  in  Hebrew,  Rabhoni ;  vihich  is  to  say,  Master, 
 
 and  ran  forward  to  touch  Him. 
 
 He  invites  the  recognition  of  the  woman,  whose  mind 
 had  already  been  enlightened,  and,  allowing  her  to  gaze 
 upon  Him  without  let  or  hindrance  (for  indeed  she  loved 
 Him  ardently),  He  almost  rebukes  her  for  having  been  so 
 slow  to  perceive  that  He  was  Christ,  for  there  is  some 
 such  implied  meaning  in  His  calling  her  by  name.  She 
 understood  at  once,  and  at  the  sight  of  Him  casts  aside 
 the  suspicions  she  felt  at  first,  and  offers  Him  the  usual 
 tribute  of  respect,  calling  Him  Rahhoni,  that  is  to  say, 
 Master ;  and,  with  her  mind  full  of  a  heavenly  joy,  ran 
 eagerly  to  touch  the  holy  Body,  and  to  gain  blessing 
 therefrom. 
 
 1 7  Jesus  saith  to  her.  Touch  Me  not  ;  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended 
 
 unto  My  Father. 
 
 The  meaning  of  this  saying  is  not  easily  understood 
 by  the  vulgar,  for  a  mystery  underlies  it ;  but  we  must 
 probe  it  for  our  advantage.  For  the  Lord  will  vouchsafe 
 unto  us  the  knowledge  of  His  own  Words.  For  He 
 repulses  the  woman  as  she  was  running  up  to  Him, 
 and  though  she  longed  to  embrace  His  Feet,  He  suffered 
 her  not ;  and,  in  explanation  of  His  reason  for  so  doing, 
 said:  For  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto  My  Father.  We 
 must  inquire  into  the  meaning  of  this  saying.  For  what 
 if  He  were  not  yet  ascended  to  His  Father  1  How  could 
 this  reason  suffice  to  render  it  improper  for  those  that 
 loved  Him  to  touch  His  holy  Body  ?  W^ould  it  not  be 
 blameworthy  for  any  one  to  imagine  that  the  Lord 
 shrank  from  the  pollution  of  the  touch,  and  thus  spake 
 that  He  might  be  pure  when  He  ascended  to  the  Father 
 in  heaven?  Would  not  such  a  man  stand  convicted  of 
 great  folly  and  madness  ?  For  the  Nature  of  God  can 
 never  be  polluted.  For  just  as  the  light  of  the  sun's 
 ray,   when    it   strikes   upon   a   dunghill    or   any   other 
 
 VOL.  II.  U  u 
 
C58     CJtrist  came  to  call  sinners  to  repentance. 
 
 Book  12.  earthly  impurities,  suffers  no  stain — for  it  remains  as  it 
 c.  XX.  17.  -g^  ^i^g^^  -g  undefiled,  and  partakes  in  no  degree  of  the 
 ill  odour  of  the  objects  that  it  encounters — even  so  the 
 all-holy  Nature  of  God  can  never  admit  of  the  blemish 
 of  defilement.  What,  then,  is  the  reason  wh}^  Mary  was 
 prevented  from  touching  Him,  when  she  drew  near  and 
 yearned  so  to  do  1  What  can  the  Lord  mean  when  He 
 says  :  For  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto  My  Father?  We 
 must  investigate  this  according  to  the  best  of  our 
 ability.  We  say,  therefore,  that  the  reasons  for  our 
 Saviour's  sojourn  amongst  us  were  manifold  and  diverse, 
 but  this  one  the  principal  of  all,  which  is  indicated  in 
 s.  Matt.  His  own  words  :  For  I  came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but 
 sinners  to  repentance. 
 
 Therefore,  before  the  saving  Cross  and  the  Resurrec- 
 tion from  the  dead,  while  as  yet  His  providential  scheme 
 had  not  received  its  appropriate  fulfilment,  He  mingled 
 both  with  the  just  and  the  unjust,  and  ate  with  publicans 
 and  sinners,  and  allowed  any  that  so  willed  to  come  to 
 Him  and  touch  His  holy  Body,  that  He  might  sanc- 
 tify all  men  and  call  them  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
 and  might  brins;  back  to  health  those  who  were  diseased 
 and  enfeebled  by  the  constant  practice  of  sin.     Therefore 
 S.  Luke    also,  in  another  place,  He  said  unto  them :   They  that  are 
 ^"  ^^'       u'hole  have  no  need  of  a  physician ;  hut  they  that  are 
 sick.     Therefore,  before  His  Resurrection  from  the  dead, 
 He  had  intercourse  indiscriminately  with  the  righteous 
 and  with  sinners,  and  never  frightened  away  any  that 
 came  unto  Him.     Moreover,  when  He  was  once  reclining 
 at  the  house  of  a  Pharisee,  a  woman  came  in  unto  Him 
 Ibid.  vii.  weeping,  who  was  a  sinner  in  the  city,  as  is  written,  and 
 ^''-  let  down  her  wanton  locks,  scarcely  released  from  the 
 
 service  of  her  past  sins,  and  wiped  His  Feet  therewith  ; 
 and  we  see  that  He  did  not  stop  her.  Again,  when  He 
 was  on  His  way  to  bring  back  to  life  the  daughter  of 
 the  leader  of  the  Synagogue,  once  more  a  woman  came 
 Ibid.  viii.  near  unto  Him,  who  had  an  issue  of  blood,  and  touched 
 the  border  of  His  garment ;  and  we  find  that  He  was  in 
 
 43,  44. 
 
hut  Mary  was  not  yet  purified  by  the  Spirit.     659 
 
 nowise  offended,  but   rather   vouchsafed   unto   her  the  c.  xx.  17. 
 comforting  assurance:   BaugJder,   thy  faith  hath   made  S.Jjuke 
 thee  whole;  go  in  p>eace.    But  at  that  time,  by  His  Provi-  ^"^"  ^^' 
 dence,   men    who   were    still    unclean,    and   who    were 
 polluted  both  in  mind  and  body,  were  suffered  without 
 let  or  hindrance  to  touch  the  holy  Flesh  Itself  of  our 
 Saviour  Christ,  and  to  gain  every  blessing  thereby  ;  but 
 when,  after  having  completed  the  scheme  of  our  redemp- 
 tion. He  had  both  suflered  the  Cross  itself,  and  death  there- 
 on, and  had  risen  again  to  life,  and  shown  that  His  Nature 
 was  superior  to  death,  henceforward,  instead  of  granting 
 them  a  ready  permission.  He  hinders  those  who  come  to 
 Him  from  touching  the  very  Flesh  of  His  holy  Body; 
 thereby  giving  us  a  type  of  the  holy  Churches,  and  the 
 mystery  concerning  Himself,  just  as  also  the  Law  given 
 by  the  all-wise  Moses  itself  did,  when  it  represented  the 
 slaughter  of  the  lamb  as  a  figure  of  Christ ;  for  no  uncir-  Ex.  xii. 
 cuvicised  person,  said  the  Law,  shall  eat  thereof,  meaning  ^^' 
 by  uncircumcised  impure— and  humanity  may  justly  be 
 deemed  impure  in  its  own  nature.     For  what  is  the  nature 
 of  man,  as  compared  with  God's  inherent  purity  1  We  may 
 not,  therefore,  while  we  remain  uncircumcised,  that  is, 
 impure,  touch  the  holy  Body,  but  only  when  we  have 
 been  made  pure  by  the  true  circumcision  of  the  Spirit. 
 For  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the  Spirit,  as  Rom.  ii. 
 Paul  saith.     And  we  cannot  be  spiritually  circumcised  "  ' 
 if  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  not  taken  up  His  abode  in  us  by 
 faith  and  Holy  Baptism.     Surely,  therefore,  it  was  meet 
 that  Mary  should  for  a  while  be  restrained  from  touch- 
 ing His  sacred  Body,  as  she  had  not  yet  received  the 
 Spirit.       For  even   though  Christ   was   risen   from  the 
 dead,  still  the  Spirit  had  not  yet  been  given  to  humanity 
 by  the  Father  through  Him.     For  when  He  ascended  to 
 God  the  Father,  He  sent  the  Spirit  down  to  us ;  wherefore 
 also  He  said:  It  is  expedierd  for  you  that  I  go  away :  Suyra. 
 for  if  I  go  not  aiuay,  the  Conforter  cannot  come  unto^^^'  '' 
 you  ;  hut  if  I  depart,  I  tuill  send  Him  unto  you.     As, 
 therefore,  the  Holy  Spirit  had  not  yet  been  sent  down 
 
 U  u  2 
 
660        TJie  Eucharist  (/eaied  to  tlw   tmhujitisecL 
 
 Book  12.  unto  US,  for  He  had  not  yet  ascended  to  the  Father,  He 
 c.  XX.  7. 1'epulses  Mary  as  not  yet  having  received  the  Spirit, 
 saying:  Touch  Me  not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto 
 the  Father;  that  is  to  say,  I  have  not  yet  sent  down  unto 
 you  the  Holy  Spirit.  Hence  the  type  is  applicable  to 
 the  Churches.  Therefore,  also,  we  drive  away  from  the 
 Holy  Table  those  who  are  indeed  convinced  of  the  God- 
 head of  Christ,  and  have  already  made  profession  of 
 faith,  that  is,  those  who  are  already  catechumens,  when 
 they  have  not  as  yet  been  enriched  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 For  He  does  not  dwell  in  those  who  have  not  received 
 Baptism.  Eut  when  they  have  been  made  partakers  of 
 the  Holy  Spirit,  then  indeed  there  is  nothiug  to  hinder 
 them  from  touching  Our  Saviour  Christ.  Therefore, 
 also,  to  those  who  wish  to  partake  of  the  blessed  Eu- 
 charist, the  ministers  of  Divine  mysteries  say,  "  Holy 
 things  to  the  holy;"  teaching  that  participation  in  holy 
 things  is  the  due  reward  of  those  who  are  sanctified  in 
 the  Spirit. 
 
CHAPTER    I. 
 
 That  the   Son    is   by  Nature  God,  even   though  we  find   Him 
 calling-  the  Father  His  God. 
 
 XX.  17.     But  go  unto  My  brethren,  and  say  to  them,  I  ascend  Chap.  1. 
 unto 
 God. 
 
 unto  My  Father  and  your  Father,  and  My  God  and  your 
 
 For  reasons  which  we  have  given,  Christ  suffers  not 
 Mary  to  touch  Him,  though,  in  her  love  of  God,  she 
 greatl}^  yearned  for  this  boon ;  but  still  rewards  her  for 
 her  watchful  care,  and  doubly  requites  her  for  her 
 passionate  faith  and  love  for  Him,  showing  that  those 
 who  are  diligent  in  His  service  meet  with  a  recompence. 
 And,  what  was  even  yet  more  glorious,  she  achieved  the 
 deliverance  of  woman  from  the  frailties  of  old  ;  for  in  her 
 first — I  mean  in  Mary — all  womankind,  so  to  speak,  are 
 crowned  with  a  double  honour.  For  though  at  first 
 she  thus  lamented,  and  made  Christ  an  occasion  for 
 weeping,  she  turned  her  mourning  into  joy  when  she 
 was  told  to  forbear  from  tears  by  Him,  Who,  by  His  own 
 sentence  of  old,  had  made  woman  easy  to  be  overcome 
 by  the  attacks  of  sorrow.  For  God  had  said  to  the 
 woman:  In  sorroiu  shalt  thou  bring  forth  cJtildren;  but  Gen.  iii. 
 just  as  He  once  made  her  subject  unto  sorrow  in  Paradise, 
 when  she  hearkened  to  the  voice  of  the  serpent,  and 
 ministered  to  the  devil's  wiles,  so  now  again  in  a  garden 
 He  bids  her  refrain  from  weeping.  Releasing  her  from 
 that  curse  which  bound  her  unto  sorrow,  He  bids  her  be 
 the  first  messenger  of  tidings  of  great  joy,  and  proclaim 
 
662  Mary  contrasted  ivith  Eve. 
 
 Book  12.  to  the  disciplcs  His  journey  heavenward  ;  that  as  the 
 c.  XX.  17.  gj,g^  woman,  the  mother  of  all  mankind,  was  condemned 
 for  listening  to  the  devil's  voice,  and  through  her  the 
 whole  race  of  women,  so  also  this  woman,  in  that  she 
 had  hearkened  to  our  Saviour's  words,  and  announced 
 tidings  fraught  with  life  eternal,  might  deliver  the  entire 
 race  of  women  from  the  charge  of  old.  The  Lord,  there- 
 fore, grants  unto  Mary  that,  besides  being  delivered  from 
 tears,  and  from  a  heart  ever  prone  to  sorrow,  her  feet 
 also  should  be  beautiful.  For,  as  the  Prophet  exclaims : 
 Rom.  X.  Hoiv  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that  bring  glad 
 is.'iii.  7.  tidings  of  good  things!  while  the  feet  of  that  woman  of 
 old  time  were  not  beautiftd,  for  no  good  tidings  did  she 
 bring  when  she  enticed  our  forefather  to  transgress  the 
 Divine  command.  That  Mary  is  worthy  our  admiration 
 we  may  infer,  from  the  fact  that  she  was  deemed  worthy 
 of  mention  in  prophecy.  For  what  said  the  Prophet 
 concerning  her,  and  the  women  with  her,  who  announced 
 unto  the  holy  disciples  the  Resurrection  of  the  Saviour  ? 
 Is. xxvii.  Ye  women,  tvho  come  from  the  sight,  come  hither;  for  it 
 is  a  loeople  that  hcdh  not  understanding.  For  this 
 Divine  prophecy  bids  these  women,  true  lovers  of  Christ, 
 come,  as  it  were,  with  quickened  steps,  that  they  may 
 tell  what  they  themselves  have  seen,  and  condemns  the 
 insensibility  of  the  Jews  in  that  they  laughed  to  scorn 
 the  words  of  our  Saviour  Christ  Himself  concerning  the 
 Resurrection. 
 
 And  though  there  were  also  other  women  there  (for  this 
 the  other  Evangelists  are  pleased  to  record),  and  the  wise 
 John  made  mention  only  of  Mary,  we  shall  yet  find  no 
 discrepancy  in  the  accounts  of  these  holy  men.  For  it 
 is  probable  that  John  made  mention  only  of  Mary 
 Magdalene,  because  her  love  for  Christ  was  more  impas- 
 sioned, and  she  outran  the  others,  so  that  she  first  saw 
 the  tomb,  and  was  in  the  garden,  and  visited  every  place 
 that  was  nigh  unto  the  sepulchre,  to  search  for  the 
 Body  ;  for  she  thought,  in  fact,  that  the  Lord  had  been 
 taken  away.     For  results  are  always  ascribed  to  those 
 
 11 
 
Hoiv  Christ  says  "  My  "  God.  663 
 
 who  take  the  lead  in  counsel  and  action,  though  there  Chap.  i. 
 may  be  others  who  co-operate  in  both. 
 
 Therefore,  to  her  honour  and  glory  and  perpetual 
 renown,  the  Saviour  vouchsafed  unto  Mary  the  duty  of 
 proclaiming  to  the  brethren  the  tidings  contained  in  His 
 words :  /  ascend  unto  My  Father  and  your  Father,  and 
 My  God  and  your  God;  and  do  thou  for  thy  part 
 accept  this  great  and  profound  mystery,  not  suffering 
 thine  heart  to  vault  over  the  measure  of  the  truth  of 
 the  Divine  doctrines.  Observe  how  the  Only-begotten 
 Word  of  God  came  among  us,  that  we  also  might  be  even 
 as  He  is,  so  far  as  is  possible  for  our  nature  to  attain 
 thereto,  and  so  far  as  relates  unto  our  new  creation  by 
 grace.  For  He  humbled  Himself  that  He  might  exalt 
 that  which  was  by  nature  lowly  to  His  own  high 
 station  ;  and  wore  the  form  of  a  servant,  though  He  was 
 by  Nature  Lord  and  Son  of  God,  that  He  might  uplift 
 that  which  was  by  nature  enslaved  to  the  dignity  of 
 Sonship,  in  conformity  with  His  own  Likeness,  and  in  His 
 Image.  How,  and  in  what  sense,  then.  He,  becoming  one 
 of  us  as  Man,  in  order  that  we  also  might  be  like  Him, 
 that  is,  Gods  and  Sons,  receives  our  attributes  into  Him- 
 self, and  gives  back  unto  us  His  own,  you  may  well  be 
 anxious  to  inquire.  I  will  explain,  then,  as  far  as  I  am 
 able :  In  the  first  place,  then,  though  we  are  servants 
 by  rank  and  nature  (for  creatures  are  subject  to  their 
 Creator),  He  calls  us  His  brethren,  and  designates  God 
 the  common  Father  of  Himself  and  us  ;  and,  making 
 humanity  His  own,  by  taking  our  likeness  upon  Him, 
 He  calls  our  God  His  God,  though  He  is  His  Son  by 
 Nature ;  that,  as  we  mount  up  to  His  exceeding  great 
 dignity  of  station  by  likeness  to  Him  (for  it  is  not 
 because  we  are  by  nature  sons  of  God  that  we  are  so 
 called,  for  He  cries  in  our  hearts  by  His  own  Spirit, 
 Ahha,  Father),  so  also  He,  since  He  took  our  form — for  Rom.viii. 
 He  became  Man/according  to  the  Scriptures — might  have 
 God  for  His  God,  though  He  was  truly  God  by  Nature, 
 and  proceeded  from  Him.     Be  not,  therefore,  offended, 
 
664  God  was  Chrld's  Father  by  Nature, 
 
 Book  12.  though  you  hear  Him  calling  God  His  God,  but  rather 
 ^■^^-  '■  contemplate  His  words  in  a  teachable  spirit,  and  atten- 
 tively consider  their  true  meaning.  For  He  says  that 
 God  is  both  His  Father  and  our  God ;  and  both  sajdngs 
 are  true.  For,  in  very  truth,  the  God  of  the  universe  is 
 Christ's  Father,  but  not  ours  by  nature ;  but  rather  our 
 God  as  our  Creator  and  Sovereign  Lord.  But  the  Son, 
 as  it  were,  blending  Himself  with  us,  vouchsafes  to  our 
 nature  the  dignity  that  is  in  a  special  and  peculiar 
 sense  His  own,  calling  Him  That  begat  Him  the  common 
 Father  of  us  all ;  while,  on  the  other  hand.  He  receives 
 into  Himself,  by  taking  upon  Him  our  likeness,  that 
 which  belonged  to  our  nature.  For  He  calls  His 
 Father  His  God,  being  unwilling,  through  His  inherent 
 love  and  mercy  toward  mankind,  to  dishonour  our 
 likeness  that  He  had  taken  upon  Himself.  If,  then,  you 
 choose  in  ignorance  to  cavil  at  this  saying,  and  it  seem 
 intolerable  to  you  that  the  Lord  should  say  that  God  the 
 Father  was  His  God,  you  will  then,  in  your  perversity, 
 be  bringing  a  charge  against  the  scheme  for  your  own 
 redemption ;  and  when  you  ought  to  be  offering  up 
 thanksgiving  you  will  be  dishonouring  your  Benefactor, 
 and  be  foolishly  objecting  to  the  manner  in  which  He 
 manifested  His  love  towards  you.  For  if  He  humbled 
 Heb.  xii.  Himself,  despising  shame,  and  became  a  Man  for  your 
 sake,  on  your  head  is  the  charge  of  humiliation,  and 
 to  Him  Who  chose  to  undergo  this  for  your  sake,  exceed- 
 ing great  is  the  honour  due.  And  I  am  amazed  that 
 you  have  ears  merely  for  the  eclipse  of  glor}^  (for  He 
 humbled  Himself  for  our  sake),  and  consider  not  its 
 restoration,  and,  regarding  only  the  degradation,  reflect 
 not  upon  the  exaltation.  For  how  was  He  humiliated, 
 if  you  do  not  regard  Him  as  perfect,  as  being  Godl 
 And  in  what  sense  was  He  degraded,  if  you  do  not  take 
 into  account  the  lofty  attributes  of  His  ineffable  Nature  ? 
 Therefore,  when  He  was  perfect  and  all-sufficient  as 
 God,  He  humbled  Himself  for  your  sake,  transforming 
 Himself  to  your  likeness ;   and   though    He   was   high 
 
and  His  God  by  His  Incarnation.  665 
 
 exalted  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  of  the  very  Essence  Chap.  l. 
 of  the  Father,  He  degraded  Himself,  being  mulcted  of  2o^'^' 
 the  attributes  of  Divine  glory,  so  far  as  His  Nature 
 admitted.  As  therefore,  now,  He  is  at  the  same  time 
 God  and  Man,  being  high  exalted  because  of  His 
 parentage  (for  He  is  God  of  God  and  truly  Begotten  of 
 His  Father),  and  also  made  lowly  for  our  sake  (for  He 
 became  Man  for  us) ;  be  of  a  tranquil  mind  when  you 
 hear  Him  saying :  /  ascend  unto  My  Father  and  your 
 Father,  and  My  God  and  your  God.  For  it  was  very 
 meet  and  right  that,  as  being  by  Nature  God  and  Son 
 of  God,  He  should  call  Him  That  begat  Him  His  Father  ; 
 and  that,  as  being  Man,  even  as  we  are  men,  He  should 
 call  God  His  God. 
 
 18  Mary  Magdalene  cometh  and  telleth  the  discijyles  that  she 
 had  seen  the  Lord ;  and  how  that  He  had  said  these  things 
 unto  her. 
 
 That  race  which  is  specially  subject  to  weakness — I 
 mean  the  race  of  women — is  restored  by  the  loving-kind- 
 ness of  our  Saviour,  Who,  in  a  manner,  rolled  up  in  one 
 the  source  and  origin  of  our  infirmities,  and  ameliorated 
 them  for  the  future.  For  Mary  announced  that  she  had 
 seen  the  Lord,  Who  had  escaped  from  the  bonds  of  death, 
 and  had  heard  His  Voice,  and  brought  to  the  disciples  the 
 words  of  life,  and  the  firstfruits  of  the  Divine  Gospel. 
 
 1 9  When  therefore  it  was  evening,  on  that  day,  the  first  day  of 
 the  week,  and  when  the  doors  were  shut  where  the  disciqyles 
 were  assembled,  for  fear  of  tlie  Jeivs,  Jesus  came  and  stood 
 
 20  in  the  midst,  and  saith  unto  them.  Peace  he  unto  you.  Aoul 
 when  He  had  said  this.  He  shoived  unto  them  His  Hands  and 
 His  Side. 
 
 On  the  selfsame  day  on  which  He  had  appeared  unto 
 Mary,  and  discoursed  with  her.  He  also  showed  Himself 
 to  the  holy  disciples,  who  dreaded  the  intolerable  attacks 
 of  the  impious  Jews,  and  were,  on  that  account,  collected 
 together  in  a  certain  house.     For  it  was  not  likely  that 
 
666  Cltrid  ivorhed  by  miraculous  power. 
 
 Book  12.  they  who  had  been  so  instructed,  and  had  often  been 
 gf'^^'  '  bidden  to  make  haste  to  escape  from  the  wrath  of  their 
 would-be  murderers,  would  be  found  lacking  in  proper 
 prudence.  Christ  miraculously  appears  unto  them. 
 For  while  the  doors  were  shut,  as  the  Apostle  says, 
 Christ  unexpectedly  stood  in  the  midst,  by  His  ineffable 
 Divine  power  rising  superior  to  the  chain  of  cause  and 
 effect,  and  showing  Himself  able  to  dispense  with  the 
 design  and  method  appropriate  to  His  action.  For  let 
 no  man  say,  "  How  did  the  Lord,  Whose  Body  was  of 
 solid  Flesh,  enter  without  let  or  hindrance,  though  the 
 doors  were  shut  ? "  but  rather  let  him  reflect  that  the 
 Evangelist  is  not  here  speaking  of  one  of  ourselves,  but 
 rather  of  Him  Who  is  enthroned  by  the  side  of  God 
 the  Father,  and  Who  easily  doth  whatsoever  He  will. 
 For  He  that  was  by  Nature  the  true  God,  was  of 
 necessity  not  subject  unto  the  sequences  of  cause  and 
 effect,  as  are  the  creatures  that  owe  their  being  to  Him ; 
 but  rather  does  He  exercise  Lordship  over  necessity 
 itself,  and  due  and  appropriate  methods  of  performance. 
 For  how  did  He  make  the  sea  afford  a  footing  unto 
 His  Feet,  and  walk  thereon  as  upon  dry  land,  though  we 
 are  not  so  framed  that  we  can  tread  upon  the  paths  of 
 the  sea?  And  how  did  He  perform  the  rest  of  His 
 marvellous  works  with  God-like  power?  All  these 
 things,  you  will  say,  surpass  man's  understanding. 
 Put  this  miracle  of  Christ  side  by  side  with  the  rest, 
 and  do  not,  following  the  opinion  of  certain  men,  who,  in 
 the  folly  of  their  hearts,  have  been  led  astray  to  judge 
 falsely,  imagine  on  account  of  this  very  occurrence  that 
 Christ  rose  again  without  His  human  Body,  wholly 
 bereft  thereof,  and  severed  from  the  Temple  that  He  had 
 taken  on  Himself.  For  if  thou  canst  not  understand 
 the  working  of  God's  ineffable  Nature,  why  dost  thou 
 not  rather  cry  out  against  the  infirmity  of  man's  reason 
 — for  that  would  be  the  wiser  course — and  then  silently 
 acquiesce  in  the  limit  prescribed  to  you  by  the  Creator  1 
 For  in  rejecting  the  conclusion  of  wisdom,  thou  doest 
 
Christ  raised  the  Temple  of  His  Body.         667 
 
 wrong    to  the    great  mystery  of  the    Resurrection,   on  Chap.]. 
 which    all    our    reliance   is   fixed.     For   remember   the  ^^^^'  ^^' 
 exclamation  of  Paul:  If  the  dead  are  not  raised,  neither  icor. xv. 
 hath  Christ  been  raised:   and  if  Christ  hath  not  heen^^'^^' 
 raised,  your  faith  is  vain,  and  ye  are  yet  in  your  sins. 
 And  again :   Yea,  and  we  are  found  false  vAtnesses  of  Ibid.  15. 
 God;   because  we  witnessed  of  God  that  He  raised  up 
 Christ :   Whom  He  raised  not  up,  if  so  be  that  the  dead 
 are  not  raised.     For  what  can  be  raised  up  save  that 
 which  is  fallen  ?  or  what  restored  to  life,  save  that  which 
 is  bowed  down  in  death  1    And  how  shall  we  expect  to 
 rise  again,  if  so  be  that  Christ  raised  not  up  His  own 
 Temple,  making  Himself,  for  us,  the  Firstfruits  of  them 
 which  are  asleep,  and  the  Firstborn  from  the  dead  1     Or 
 how  shall  this  mortal  ])'^t  on  immortality,  if,  as  some  Ibid.  53. 
 think,  it  be  lost  in  total  annihilation  *?     For  how  shall  it 
 escape  this  fate  if  it  have  no  hope  of  a  new  life  1     Do 
 not,  then,  swerve  from  orthodoxy  in  the  faith,  because  a 
 miracle  was  accomplished ;  but  rather  be  wise,  and  add 
 this  to  the  other  marvellous  works  that  Christ  did. 
 
 For  observe  how,  by  unexpectedly  entering  when  the 
 doors  were  shut,  Christ  showed,  once  more,  that  He  was 
 by  Nature  God,  and  no  other  than  He  Who  had 
 erewhile  dwelt  among  them  ;  and  also,  by  laying  bare 
 the  wounded  Side  of  His  Body,  and  by  showing  the 
 print  of  the  nails.  He  gave  us  complete  satisfaction  that 
 He  had  raised  that  Temple  of  His  Body  which  had 
 hung  upon  the  Cross,  and  had  restored  to  life  that  Body 
 which  He  had  worn,  thereby  subduing  death,  which  is 
 due  to  all  flesh,  inasmuch  as  He  was  by  Nature  Life  and 
 God.  What  need,  then,  was  there  for  Him  to  show  them 
 His  Hands  and  Side,  if,  as  some  perversely  think.  He  did 
 not  rise  again  with  His  Body  ?  And,  if  He  wished  His 
 disciples  not  to  entertain  this  idea  concerning  Him,  why 
 did  He  not  rather  appear  in  another  form,  and,  disdaining 
 the  likeness  of  flesh,  conjure  up  other  thoughts  in  their 
 minds'?  But,  as  it  is,  He  thought  it  of  so  great  im- 
 portance that  they  should  be  convinced  of  the  Resur- 
 
668  Christ   raised  His  former  Body. 
 
 Book  12.  rection  of  His  Body,  that,  when  the  time  even  seemed  to 
 20^^'  '  call  Him  to  change  His  Body  into  some  form  of  ineffable 
 and  surpassing  Majesty,  He  resolved  in  His  Providence 
 to  appear  once  more  as  He  had  been  of  old,  that  He 
 might  not  be  thought  to  be  wearing  any  other  form 
 than  that  in  which  also  He  had  suffered  crucifixion. 
 For  that  our  eyes  could  not  have  endured  the  glory  of 
 the  holy  Body,  if  Christ  had  chosen  to  reveal  it  unto 
 the  disciples  before  He  ascended  to  the  Father,  is  easil}'^ 
 to  be  inferred,  when  we  reflect  upon  His  transfiguration 
 on  the  Mount  before  the  holy  disciples.  For  the  blessed 
 s.  Matt.  Matthew  the  Evangelist  wi'ites,  that  Jesus  took  Peter, 
 ^^^'  '  'and  James,  and  John,  and  tvent  up  into  the  onountain, 
 and  ivas  transfigured  before  them:  and  His  Face  did 
 shine  as  lightning,  and  His  garTnents  became  luhite  as 
 snoiv,  and  they  could  not  endure  the  sight,  but  fell  on 
 their  faces.  Very  appropriately,  then,  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ,  as  He  had  not  yet  transformed  the  Temple  of  His 
 Body  into  its  due  and  proper  majesty,  still  appeared  in 
 His  original  shape,  not  wishing  the  belief  in  the  Resur- 
 rection to  be  transferred  to  another  form  or  body  than 
 that  which  He  had  received  from  the  Holy  Virgin,  in 
 w^hich  also  He  was  crucified,  and  died,  according  to  the 
 Scripture,  the  power  of  death  extending  only  over  Flesh, 
 from  which  also  it  was  driven  forth.  For  if  His  Body, 
 after  death,  did  not  rise  again,  what  sort  of  death  was 
 vanquished,  and  in  what  way  was  the  power  of  corruption 
 weakened  ?  For  it  could  not  be  by  the  death  of  a  single 
 rational  being,  or  soul,  or  angel,  or  even  the  very  Word 
 of  God.  When,  then,  the  power  of  death  has  reference 
 only  to  that  which  is  doomed  by  nature  to  corruption, 
 with  this  it  is  that  the  power  of  the  Resurrection  is  con- 
 cerned, and  with  this  alone,  in  order  that  the  dominion 
 of  the  lord  of  this  world  might  be  taken  away.  The 
 entry  of  our  Lord  through  the  closed  doors  must  be 
 classed,  by  men  of  wisdom,  with  the  other  miracles  that 
 He  wrought.  He  then  greeted  His  holy  disciples. 
 Peace  be  imto  you,  He  says ;  meaning  by  peace,  Him- 
 
Tlie  joy  of  the  disciples.  G69 
 
 self.     For  while  Christ  is  present  among  men  it  follows  Chap.  i. 
 that  the  tranquillity  of  their  minds  is  assured  unto  them.  *^"  ^^'  ^^' 
 Paul  also  declared  that  this  boon  is  granted  to  those 
 who  believe  on  Him,  when  he  says :  The  peace  of  Christ,  Phil.iv.7. 
 tvhich   passeth    all    understanding,   shcdl   gxiard   your 
 hearts  and   your  thoughts;  meaning  by  the   peace  of 
 Christ  which  passeth    all   understanding   nothing   else 
 than  His  Spirit,  of  Which  if  any  man  partake  he  shall 
 be  filled  with  everything  that  is  good. 
 
 20     Tlte  disci2yles,  therefore,  were  glad  ivhen  they  saio  the  Lord. 
 
 Hereby,  also,  the  blessed  Evangelist  testifies  to  the 
 truth  of  our  Saviour's  Words,  when  he  says  that  the 
 disciples  were  full  of  peace  and  joy  of  heart  when  they 
 saw  Jesus.  For  we  remember  the  mysterious  utterance 
 that  He  spake  unto  them  concerning  His  precious  Cross 
 and  Resurrection  from  the  dead,  saying :  A  little  tvh  He,  Supra 
 and  ye  behold  Me  no  more ;  and  again  a  little  while,  and  ^^J,^  ' 
 ye  shcdl  see  Me  j  and  your  heart  shcdl  7'ejoice,  and  your 
 joy  no  one  taketh  away  from  you.  The  Jews,  indeed, 
 whose  minds  were  transported  by  a  frenzy  of  fury, 
 rejoiced  when  they  saw  Jesus  nailed  to  the  Cross,  while 
 the  heart  of  the  holy  disciples  was  heavy  laden  with  an 
 intolerable  burthen  of  sorrow.  But  as  He  is  by  Nature 
 Life,  He  overcame  the  power  of  death,  and  rose  again, 
 and  the  joy  of  the  Jews  was  extinguished,  while  the 
 heaviness  of  the  holy  disciples  was  turned  into  joy,  and 
 nothing  could  rob  or  deprive  them  of  their  souls  delight. 
 Christ,  having  died  once  for  all  to  put  atvay  sin,  dieth  Heb.  ix. 
 no  more,  as  is  written.  For  He  is  alive  for  evermore,  ^^' 
 and  of  a  surety  He  will  preserve  those  whose  hope  is  in 
 Him,  in  joy  without  ceasing.  He  once  more  greets 
 them  with  the  oft-repeated  assurance:  Peace  he  unto  you;  Supra  19. 
 laying  down,  as  it  were,  this  law  for  the  children  of  the 
 Church.  Therefore,  also,  more  especially  in  the  assembling 
 and  gathering  ot"  ourselves  together  in  holy  places,  at 
 the  very  commencement  of  the  blessed  mystery  of  the 
 Eucharist,  we  repeat   this  saying  to  one  another.     For 
 
670  Chrld  our  Peace. 
 
 Book  12.  our  beiDg  at  peace  with  each  other  and  with  God  must 
 c.  XX.  -1.  ^g  accounted  a  fountain  and  source  of  all  good.     There- 
 fore, also,  Paul,  when  he  prays  that  those  who  are  called 
 Eom. i. 7.  may  enjoy  the  highest  of  all  blessings,  says:    Grace  to 
 you  and  peace,  from.    God  our   Father  and  the  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ ;  and  also,  when  he  invites  those  who  have 
 not  yet  believed  to  make  their  peace  with  God,  he  says : 
 2  Cor.  V.    We  are  ambassadors  on  behalf  of  CLrist,  as  though  God 
 ^'  were  entreating  by  us:    we   beseech  you  on   behalf  of 
 
 Christ,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God.  None  the  less,  also,  the 
 Is.  xxvii.  Prophet  Isaiah  exhorts  us,  crying  out :  Let  us  make 
 ^'  ^'  peace  with  Him,  let  us  inake  peace  who  come.  The 
 meaning  of  the  saying  well  befits  the  Dispenser  of  Peace, 
 or  rather  the  Peace  of  all  men ;  that  is^  Christ,  for  He 
 is  our  peace,  according  to  the  Scripture. 
 
 2 1      Then  said  He  to  them  again,  Peace  be  unto  you  :  as  the 
 living  Father  sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you. 
 
 Hereby  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ordained  the  disciples 
 to  be  guides  and  teachers  of  the  world,  and  to  be  minis- 
 ters of  His  Divine  mysteries,  and  also  bade  them,  for 
 the  time  was  now  come,  like  lights  to  illuminate  and 
 enlighten,  not  merely  the  country  of  Jud?ea,  according 
 to  the  limit  of  the  commandment  of  the   Law,  which 
 2  Kings    extended  from  Dan  even  unto  Beersheba,  according  to 
 xvii.  11.    ^j^g  Scripture,  but  rather  also  all   under   the   sun,   and 
 men  scattered   throughout  all  lands,  wheresoever  they 
 Heb, V. 4.  dwelt.     The  saying  of  Paul,  therefore,  is  true:  JS^o  man 
 taketh  the  honour  u7ito  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of 
 God.     For  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  called  into  His  most 
 glorious  apostleship,  before  all  others.  His  own  disciples, 
 and  firmly  fixed  the  whole  earth,  which  was  well-nigh 
 tottering  and  in  the  act  of  falling,  pointing  out,  as  God, 
 men  to  be  props  thereof  who  were  well  able  to  support 
 it.     Therefore,  also,  He  thus  spake  by  the  mouth  of  the 
 Ps.  Ixxv.  Psalmist,  concerning  the  earth  and  the  Apostles :  /  have 
 ^'        ...  fixed  the  pillars  of  it  ;  for  the  blessed  disciples  were  as 
 15.  the  pillars  and  ground  of  the  truth,  whom  also  He  says 
 
TJie  nature  of  the  Apostles    mission.  671 
 
 that  He  sent  forth,  even  as  the  Father  had  sent  Him;  Chap. i. 
 showing  at  the  same  time  the  dignity  of  their  apostle-  23,  "''' 
 ship,  and  the  incomparable  honour  of  the  power  vouch- 
 safed unto  them,  and  also  in  all  likelihood  suo-gesting 
 the  method  of  life  the  Apostles  were  to  follow.  For  if 
 He  thought  it  meet  that  He  should  send  forth  His  own  dis- 
 ciples, even  as  the  Father  had  sent  Him,  was  it  not  neces- 
 sary for  those  who  were  destined  to  imitate  His  mission 
 to  ascertain  what  the  Father  sent  forth  the  Son  for  to  do "? 
 
 In    divers    ways,    then,    expounding    unto    us    the 
 character  of  His  own  mission,  He   said  in  one  place : 
 /  Ciwie  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repen-  S.  Matt. 
 tance ;  and  again:   They  that  are  whole  have  no  need  of^^'j^lie 
 a  physician;    but   they  that  are    sick:    and    again,    in  v.  3i. 
 another  place :  For  I  am  come  doiun  from  heaven,  not  Supra 
 to  do  Mine  own  Will,  but  the  Will  of  Hmi  That  sent 
 Me  J  and  yet  once  more :  For  God  sent  not  His  Son  into  Ibid.  iii. 
 the  world  to  judge  the  world ;  but  that  the  ivorld  should 
 be  saved  through  Rim.    Summing  up,  therefore,  in  a  few 
 words  the  character  of  their  mission.  He  says  that  He 
 sent  them  even  as  the  Father  had  sent  Him,  that  they 
 might    know   thereby    that    they    were    bound    to    call 
 sinners   to   repentance,  and   to   minister    to    those   who 
 were  in   evil   plight,   whether  of  body  or  soul,  and  in 
 all  their  dealings  upon  earth,  not  in  any  wise  to  follow 
 their  own  will,  but  the  Will  of  Him  That  sent  them, 
 and  to  save  the  world  by  their  teaching,  so  far  as  was 
 possible.     And  in  truth  we  shall  find  the  holy  disciples 
 eager  to  show  the  utmost  zeal  in  performing  all  these 
 things ;    and  it  is  not  difficult  for  any   one    to    satisfy 
 himself  of  this,  who  has  once  turned  his  attention  to  the 
 Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  words  of  the  holy  Paul. 
 
 22  And  tvhen  He  had  said  this,  He  breathed  on  tlieni,  and  saith 
 
 23  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Gliost  :  whosesoever  sins  ye 
 forgive,  they  are  forgiven  unto  them ;  whosesoever  sins  ye 
 retain,  they  are  retained. 
 
 After  dignifying  the  holy  Apostles  with  the  glorious 
 
672  Tlie  gift  accompanijiiKj  Onii nation. 
 
 Book  12.  distinction    of    the    apostleship,    and    appointing    them 
 23^^'   "'  ministers  and  priests  of  the  Divine  Altar,  as  I  have 
 just  said,  He  at  once  sanctifies  them  by  vouchsafing 
 His    Spirit   unto   them,   through   the   outward   sign   of 
 His  Breath,  that  we   might   be  firmly   convinced    that 
 the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  alien  to  the  Son,  but  Consub- 
 stantial  with  Him,  and  through  Him  proceeding  from 
 the    Father ;    He    shows    that    the    gift    of   the    Spirit 
 necessarily   attends   those   who    are   ordained   by   Him 
 to    be    Apostles    of   God.      And    why?     Because    they 
 could  have  done  nothing  pleasing  unto  God,  and  could 
 not  have  triumphed  over  the  snares  of  sin,  if  they  had 
 S.Luke    not  been  dotJied  with  power  from  on  Jiigh,  and  been 
 XXIV.  49.  transformed  into  something  other  than  they  were  before. 
 1  Kings   Therefore,  also,  it  was  said  to  one  of  old  time :  The  Spirit 
 of  the  Lord  ivill  come  ujion  thee,  and  thou  shalt  he  turned 
 Cf.  Is.  xl.  into  another  man ;  and  the  Prophet  Isaiah  also  declared 
 ^^'  that  those  who  waited  upon  the  Lord  should  renew  their 
 
 strength.     The  wise  Paul,  too,  when  he  says  that  he 
 surpassed  some  in  his  labours,  that  is,  in  the  deeds  of  an 
 1  Cor.  XV.  Apostle,  adds  at  once :   Yet  not  I,  hut  the  grace  of  God 
 which   tvas   with  me.     Besides,  we   say  this,   that   the 
 disciples  would  never  at  all  have  understood  the  mystery 
 that  is   in  Christ,  nor  have  been  true  guides  in  this 
 knowledge,  if  they  had  not  advanced  in  the  light  of 
 the  Spirit  to  a  revelation  of  things  which  surpass  man's 
 reason  and  understanding,  a  revelation  which  is  able  to 
 point  out  to  them  the  heights  to  which  the}?"  were  bound 
 Ibid.  xii.  to  ascend ;  for  no  man  can  say  Jesus  is  Lord,  as  Paul 
 ^"  says,    hut   in   the   Holy   Spirit.     As,   then,    they   were 
 
 destined  to  proclaim  that  Jesus  was  the  Lord,  "that  is, 
 to  preach  that  He  was  God  and  Lord  of  necessity, 
 therefore  they  received  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
 in  immediate  connexion  with  the  office  of  apostleship, 
 Christ  granting  Him  unto  them,  not  ministering  to  the 
 desires  of  another,  but  rather  vouchsafing  Him  of  Him- 
 self;  for  the  Spirit  could  only  come  down  unto  us  from 
 the  Father  throusfh  the  Son.     The  old  and  written  Law, 
 
The  Aaronlc  Ceremonial  ivas  a  Type.         673 
 
 however,   which   contained   shadows  and  types  of  the  Chap.  i. 
 reality,  ordained  that  the  appointment  of  priests  should  23^^'     ' 
 be  performed  in  a  more  physical  way,  so  to  say,  and 
 that  their  appointment  should  be  attended  with  more 
 outward    display.     For   the    blessed    Moses,    by    God's 
 command,  bade  Aaron  and  the  Levites  wash  themselves  Cf.  Lev. 
 with  water :  then  he  slew  the  ram  of  consecration  and  ^"^'   ' 
 anointed  luith  the  blood  the  tip  of  Aaron  s  right  ear,  as  Lev.  viii. 
 is  written,  and  also  put  of  the  blood  upon  the  thumb 
 of  the  right  hand,  and  upon  the  big  toe  of  the  right  foot, 
 giving   an   outline   and   type,  as    in   a  picture,  of  the 
 mystery  concerning   Christ.     For  in  the  presence  here 
 of  water   and  blood,  the  instruments  of  sanctification, 
 how  can  there  be  any  question  that  in  an  obscure  type 
 an  outline  was  given  of  the  fair  beauty  of  the  reality  ? 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  transforming  into  the  power  of 
 truth  the  figure  of  the  Law,  consecrates  through  Himself 
 the  ministers  of  the  Divine  Altar.     For  He  is  the  Lamb 
 of  consecration,  and  He  consecrates  by  actual  sanctifi- 
 cation, making  men  partakers  in  His  Nature,  through 
 participation  in  the  Spirit,  and  in  some  sort  strengthen- 
 ing the  nature  of  man  into  a  power  and  glory  that  is 
 superhuman. 
 
 And  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  explanation  I 
 have  here  given  can  be  proved  not  to  err  from  the  truth. 
 But,  perhaps,  someone  will  come  and  say  as  follows,  with 
 a  praiseworthy  desire  for  knowledge,  it  may  be,  putting 
 to  us  the  question,  "  Where  then,  and  when,  did  the 
 Saviour's  disciples  receive  the  grace  of  the  Spirit  ? 
 When  the  Saviour  appeared  unto  them  in  the  house, 
 immediately  after  the  Resurrection,  and  breathed  upon 
 them,  saying :  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost ;  or  in  the  days 
 of  the  holy  Pentecost,  when,  as  they  were  again  assembled 
 together  in  one  place,  sudderdy  there  came  from  heaven  Acts  ii, 
 a  sound  as  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind.  And 
 there  appeared  unto  them  tongues  parting  asunder,  like 
 as  of  fire ;  and  it  sat  upon  each  one  of  them.  And  they 
 began  to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave 
 
 VOL.  II,  X  X 
 
674  Chi'ist  co-operates  with  the  Fat/ter 
 
 Book  12.  them  utterance  V    For  either,  such  an  one  will  say,  we 
 
 C.   3 
 
 23. 
 
 c.  XX.  22,  j^^g^  suppose  that  a  double  grace  was  given  unto  them, 
 
 or  we  must  remain  in  ignorance  of  the  occasion  on 
 which  they,  in  fact,  became  partakers  in  the  Holy  Spirit ; 
 if  indeed  our  Saviour  s  saying,  and  that  which  is  wiitten 
 in  the  Acts  of  the  holy  Apostles,  is  found  to  be  true. 
 And,  indeed,  the  question  may  well  excite  our  perplexity, 
 
 Supra  especially  as  Christ  Himself  said  :  It  is  expedient  for  you 
 that  I  go  away ;  for  if  I  go  not  away  the  Comforter  can- 
 not come  unto  you  ;  but  when  I  depart,  I  will  send  Him 
 unto  you ;  for  the  inquirer  will  perhaps  go  on  to  say, 
 "  The  Truth,  that  is,  Christ,  cannot  lie.  When,  then.  He 
 said  in  plain  words  that  the  Comforter  would  not  come 
 unto  the  disciples  unless  He  were  taken  up  unto  the 
 Father,  but  of  a  surety  He  would  send  Him  then,  when 
 He  was  in  heaven  at  His  side ;  how,  then,  can  He  be 
 supposed  to  grant  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  though  His 
 journey  from  hence  was  not  yet  accomplished  ? "  Still, 
 though  the  inquiry  is  very  obscure,  and  very  likely  to 
 cause  perplexity,  it  yet  allows  of  an  appropriate  solution, 
 when  we  remember  our  faith  that  Christ  is  not  as  one  of 
 ourselves,  but  rather  is  God,  and  of  God,  and  so  exercises 
 dominion  over  His  own  Words,  and  moulds  them  to  suit 
 His  purposes. 
 
 For  He  proclaimed  that  He  would  send  down  to  us 
 from  heaven  the  Comforter,  when  He  was  ascended 
 to  God  the  Father  ;  and  this,  indeed.  He  did,  when  He 
 had  gone  away  to  the  Father,  and  vouchsafed  to  shed 
 forth  the  Spirit  abundantly  upon  all  who  were  willing 
 to  receive  it.  For  any  man  could  receive  it,  through 
 faith,  that  is,  and  Holy  Baptism  ;  and  then  was  fulfilled 
 that  which  was  spoken  by  the  voice  of  the  Prophet : 
 
 Joel  ii.  /  'ivill  pour  out  of  My  Spirit  upon  cdl  flesh.  But  it 
 was  necessary  that  the  Son  should  appear  as  co-opei'ating 
 with  the  Father  in  granting  the  Spirit ;  it  was  necessary 
 that  those  who  believed  on  Him  should  understand  that 
 He  is  the  Power  of  the  Father,  That  has  created  this 
 whole  world,  and  called  man  out  of  nothing  into  being. 
 
in  granting  the  Spirit.  675 
 
 For  God  the  Father,  at  the  beginning,  by  His  own  Word,  Chap.  i. 
 took    of   the    dust  of  the  ground,   as    is   written,  and  33^^'     ' 
 fashioned  the  animal,  that  is  man,  and  endowed  him  with 
 a  soul,  according  to  His  Will,  and  illuminated  him  with 
 a  share  of  His  own  Spirit ;  for  He  hreathed  into  his  Gen.  U. 
 nostrils  the  breath  of  life,  as  is  written.     And  when  it 
 came  to  pass  that  through  disobedience  man  fell  under 
 the  power  of  death,  and  lost  his  ancient  honour,  God  the 
 Father  built  him  up  and  restored  him  to  newness  of  life, 
 through  the  Son,  as  at  the  beginning.     And  how  did  the 
 Son  restore  him  1    By  the  death  of  His  own  Flesh  He 
 slew  death,  and  brought  the  race  of  man  back  ag-ain  into 
 incorruption ;   for   Christ  rose   again  for  us.     In   order,  y^ 
 
 then,  that  we  might  learn  that  He  it  was  Who  at  the  // 
 beginning  created  our  nature,  and  sealed  us  with  the 
 Holy  Spirit,  our  Saviour  again  grants  the  Spirit, 
 through  the  outward  sign  of  His  Breath,  to  the  holy 
 disciples,  as  being  the  tu'stfruits  of  renewed  nature. 
 For  Moses  writes  concerning  our  creation  of  old,  that 
 God  breathed  into  man's  nostrils  the  breath  of  life.  As, 
 then,  at  the  beginning,  man  was  formed  and  came  into 
 being,  so  likewise  is  he  renewed ;  and  as  he  was  then 
 formed  in  the  Image  of  his  Creator,  so  likewise  now,  by 
 participation  in  the  Spirit,  is  he  transformed  into  the 
 Likeness  of  his  Maker.  For  that  the  Spirit  impresses  the 
 Saviour's  Image  on  the  hearts  of  those  who  receive  Him 
 surely  does  not  admit  of  question ;  for  Paul  plainly 
 exhorteth  those  who  had  fallen  through  weakness  into 
 observance  of  the  Law,  in  the  words :  My  little  children,  Gal.  iv. 
 of  whom  I  am  again  in  travail  until  Christ  he  formed  in  ' 
 you.  For  he  says  that  Christ  will  not  be  formed  in  them 
 save  by  partaking  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  living  accord- 
 ing to  the  law  of  the  Gospel.  Therefore,  as  in  the  firstfruits 
 of  creation,  which  is  made  regenerate  into  incorruption 
 and  glory  and  into  the  Image  of  God,  Christ  establishes 
 anew  His  own  Spirit  in  His  disciples.  For  it  was 
 necessary  that  we  should  also  perceive  this  truth, 
 namely,  that   He   brings  down   and   grants  the   Spirit 
 
 X  X  2 
 
676  Christ  gave  an  earned  and  foretaste 
 
 Book  12.  iiiito  US.  Therefore,  also,  He  said:  All  things,  tvhatsoever 
 c.^xx.  22,  ^j^^  Father  hath,  are  Mine.  And  as  the  Father  hath,  of 
 Supra  Himself  and  in  Himself,  His  own  Spirit,  so  also  the  Son 
 XVI.  15.  j^g^|.j^  ^i^g  Spirit  in  Himself,  because  He  is  Consubstantial 
 with  Him,  and  essentially  proceeded  from  Him,  having 
 by  Nature  in  Himself  all  the  attributes  of  His  Father. 
 
 From  the  following  fact  we  can  prove  that,  many  as 
 were  the  actions  that  He  repeatedly  promised  us  that 
 He   would    perform  in  due    season.  He  even    in  part 
 anticipated  the   appointed  time  in  the   performance   of 
 them,  for  our  edification,  that  we  might  be  fully  con- 
 vinced that  whatsoever  He  has  spoken  will  a^Ssuredly 
 come  to  pass.     He  declared  that  He  would  raise  up  the 
 dead,  and  bring  back  again  to  life  those  who  are  lying 
 Supra      in  the  earth  and  in  tombs.     The  hour  cometh,  He  says, 
 V-  25,  29.  ,^y^g^^  fj^g  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and 
 shall  come  forth;    they  thcd  have  done  good,  unto  the 
 resurrection  of  life  ;  and  they  that  have  done  ill,  unto 
 the  resurrection  of  judgment.     And,  desiring  to  satisfy 
 us   that   He  could  readily  accomplish   this.  He  taught, 
 Ibid.        saying:  /  cnn  the  Mesurrection  and  the  Life.     But,  inas- 
 much as  the  vastness  of  the  miracle  made  it  difficult  of 
 belief  that  the  dead  could  ever  be  restored  to  life,  He 
 anticipated  to  our  profit  the  time  of  the  Resurrection, 
 and  gave  us  a  sign  by  raisiug  Lazarus  and  the  widow's 
 son    and     the     daughter    of    Jairus.       And    what    else 
 besides  1     As  He  said  that  full  of  glory  would  be  the 
 S.  Matt,  resurrection  of  the  Saints,  for  then,  He  says,  shall  the 
 xni.  43.     righteous  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the   Kingdom  of 
 their   Father,  in  order    that   here  again  He   might   be 
 believed  to  speak  truth.  He  granted  the  sight  thereof 
 s.  Luke    before  the  time  to  the  disciples.     Fox  He  took  Peter  and 
 IX.  28.      Ja^ues  and  John,  and  went  up  into  the  mountain,  and 
 s.  Matt.  '^^'(1-^  transfigured  before  them:  and  His  Face  did  shine 
 ^^"- ^-     as  lightning,  and  His  garments  became  tuhite  as  snoiv. 
 Just  as,  then,  although  He  promised  to  accomplish  these 
 things  in  their  season,  yet  He  performed  the  works  in 
 part  and  with  a  limited  scope  even  out  of  due  time,  as 
 
of  ivhat  was  comiufj  to  pans.  677 
 
 an  earnest  and  foretaste  of  that  which  was  expected  to  Chap.  i. 
 come  to  pass  and  to  affect  the  whole  world,  so  doing  in  ^J^^-  -" 
 order  that  faith  in  Him  might  not  be  shaken ;  even  so, 
 likewise,  after  having  said  that  He  would  send  the  Com- 
 forter to  us  when  He  went  away  to  the  Father,  and 
 having  fixed  this  occasion  for  granting  this  grace 
 universally.  He  performed  in  the  persons  of  His  disciples 
 the  fii'st  instalment,  as  it  were,  of  the  promise,  for  the 
 many  just  and  sufficient  reasons  we  have  previously 
 given. 
 
 They,  therefore,  partook  of  the  Holy  Spirit  when  He 
 hreat]:ecl  on  them,  saying,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for 
 it  were  impossible  for  Christ  to  lie,  and  He  would  never 
 have  said  "  Receive  "  without  giving  ;  but  in  the  days  of 
 Holy  Pentecost,  when  God  more  openly  proclaimed  His 
 grace,   and   manifested   the    stablishment   of  the   Holy 
 Spirit  in  their  hearts,  there  appeared  unto  them  tongues 
 through  flame,  not  signifying  the  beginning  of  the  gift 
 of  the  Spirit  in  their  hearts,  but  rather  having  reference 
 to  the  time  when  they  were  first  endowed  with  the  gift 
 of  languages.     It  is  written,  indeed,  that  they  began  to  Actsii.  4. 
 speak  ivith  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utter- 
 ance.    Note,  that  they  began  to  speak,  not  to  receive 
 sanctification,  and  that  the  gift  of  divers  tongues  came 
 down  upon  them  ;  and  this  was  the  working  of  the  Spirit 
 that  was  in  them.     For  j  ust  as  the  Father  spake  from 
 heaven,  and  bare  witness  to  His  Son,  saying.  This  is  My  S.  Matt. 
 beloved  Son,  in  Whom  I  am  tuell  pleased;  and  did  this  "'" 
 to  satisfy  the  minds  of  those  who  heard,  uttering,  or 
 causing  to  be  uttered,  a  sound  as  of  some  instrument 
 which  fell  upon  the  ear ;  even  so,  also,  in  the  case  of  the 
 holy  disciples  He  made  the  manifestation  of  the  grace 
 given   them   more    public,    sending    down    upon    them 
 tongues  as  of  fire,  and  causing  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit  to  resemble  the  sound  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  Acts  ii. 
 luind.     And  that  this  very  portent  was  given  unto  the    ' 
 Jews  by  way  of  a  sign,  you  will  readily  see,  if  you  listen 
 to  God,  the   Lord   of  all,   saying  by  the  mouth  of  the 
 
678  The  absent  Thomas  received  the  Gift. 
 
 Book  12.  Prophet :  By  men  of  strange  tongues,  and  by  the  lips  of 
 
 c.  XX.  ^2,  strangers,  will  I  sjieak  unto  this  people,  and  yet  will 
 
 iCor.xiv.  they  not    believe.     And  to  the  intent   that   we   might 
 
 Is'xxviii  believe  that  the  blessed  disciples  did,  in  fact,  partake  of 
 
 11.  the   Holy  Spirit,  and  were   from  henceforth  honoured 
 
 with  the  grace  of  Christ  from  above,  and  that  they  were 
 
 able  to  expound  the  truth,  and  that  the  glory  of  their 
 
 apostleship   was  worthy   all   admiration,  witness  being 
 
 borne  thereto  by  the  gift  from  on  high,  therefore  it  was 
 
 that  fire  came  down  in  the  form  of  tongues. 
 
 I  think,  indeed,  that  I  have  here  said  enough  to 
 accurately  explain  the  meaning  of  the  passage ;  but,  in- 
 asmuch as  we  are  bound  to  take  every  precaution  in  our 
 treatise,  that  no  stumblingblock  spring  up  to  offend  the 
 brethren  through  the  carping  spirit  of  any  amongst  us, 
 let  us  make  this  addition  to  what  we  have  said,  and 
 refute  the  vain  talk  that  we  may  expect  will  be  started. 
 We  shall  find,  then,  in  the  passage  that  follows,  the 
 Infra  words :  Thomas,  called  Didymus,  was  not  luith  the 
 disciples  when  Jesus  came.  How,  then,  someone  may 
 not  unreasonably  inquire,  if  he  were  away,  was  he  in  fact 
 made  partaker  in  the  Holy  Spirit  when  the  Saviour  ap- 
 peared unto  the  disciples  and  breathed  on  them,  saying : 
 Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost?  We  reply  that  the  power  of 
 th-  Spirit  pervaded  every  man  who  received  grace,  and 
 fulfilled  the  aim  of  the  Lord  Who  gave  Him  unto  them  ; 
 and  Christ  gave  the  Spirit  not  to  some  only  but  to  all 
 the  disciples.  Therefore,  if  any  were  absent,  they  also 
 received  Him,  the  munificence  of  the  Giver  not  being 
 confined  to  those  only  who  were  present,  but  extending 
 to  the  entire  company  of  the  holy  Apostles.  And  that 
 this  interpretation  is  not  strained,  or  our  idea  extrava- 
 gant, we  may  convince  you  from  Holy  Writ  itself,  bring- 
 ing forward  as  a  proof  a  passage  in  the  Books  of  Moses. 
 The  Lord  God  commanded  the  all-wise  Moses  to  select 
 elders,  to  the  number  of  seventy,  from  the  assembly  of 
 Num.  xi.  the  Jews,  and  plainly  declared :  /  ivill  take  of  the 
 Sp)irit  which  is  upon  thee  and  icill  put  it  upon  them. 
 
Eldad  and  Medad  fiivnitili  an   illustration.     679 
 
 Moses,  as  he  was  bidden,  brought  them  together,  and  Chap.  i. 
 fulfilled  the  Divine  decree.  Two  only  of  the  men  who  2'3.^^'  "' 
 were  included  in  the  number  of  the  seventy  elders  were 
 left  behind,  and  remained  in  the  assembly,  to  wit,  Eldad 
 and  Medad.  Then  when  God  put  upon  them  all  the 
 Divine  Spirit,  as  He  had  promised,  those  whom  Moses 
 had  collected  together  immediately  received  grace,  and 
 prophesied ;  but  none  the  less  also  the  two  who  were  in 
 the  assembly  prophesied,  and,  in  fact,  the  grace  from 
 above  came  upon  them  first.  Nay,  further,  Joshua,  that 
 was  called  the  son  of  Nun,  who  was  the  constant 
 attendant  of  Moses,  not  understanding  at  once  the 
 meaning  of  the  mystery,  but  thinking  that  after  the 
 manner  of  Dathan  and  Abiram  they  were  rivals  in  the 
 art  of  prophecy  to  those  whom  Moses  had  brought  together, 
 said  unto  him :  Eldad  and  Medad  do  'prophesy  in  the  Num.  xi. 
 camp;  my  lord  Moses,  forbid  them.  And  what  ''  ' 
 answered  that  truly  wise  and  great  man,  seeing  in  his 
 wisdom  the  working  of  the  grace  given  unto  them,  and 
 the  power  of  the  Spirit  ?  Enviest  thou  for  my  sake  ?  Ibid.  29. 
 Would  God  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were  prophets,  and 
 that  the  Lord  would  put  His  Spirit  upon  them! 
 Observe  how  he  rebukes  the  saying  of  Joshua,  who 
 knew  not  what  had  been  done.  Would  that,  he  says, 
 the  Spirit  were  given  to  all  the  people !  Nay,  this  will 
 indeed  come  to  pass  in  due  season,  when  the  Lord,  that  is, 
 Christ,  will  grant  unto  them  His  Spirit ;  breathing  upon 
 His  holy  Apostles  as  upon  the  firstfruits  of  those  whose 
 due  it  is  to  receive  Him,  and  saying:  Receive  ye  the 
 Holy  Ghost.  Then,  if  Thomas  were  absent,  he  was  not 
 cut  off  from  receiving  the  Spirit,  for  the  Spirit  pervaded 
 all  whose  due  it  was  to  receive  Him,  and  who  were 
 included  among  the  number  of  His  honoured  disciples. 
 
 Christ,  when  He  gave  the  Spirit  unto  them,  said :  Whose- 
 soever sins  ye  forgive,  they  are  forgiven;  and  whoseso- 
 ever sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained;  though  only  the 
 living  God  is  able  and  powerful  to  grant  unto  sinners 
 remission  of  sins  ;  for  whom  could  it  befit  to  pardon  the 
 
680  Reinisaion  of  alas  in  hy  the  tiiiirlt. 
 
 Book  12.  transgressions  that  sinners  have  committed  against  the 
 c^xx.  22,  piyine  Law,  save  the  Lawgiver  Himself?  You  may,  if 
 you  choose,  see  the  meaning  of  the  saying  from  the 
 analogy  of  human  affairs.  Who  has  authority  to  meddle 
 with  the  decrees  of  earthly  monarchs,  and  who  tries  to 
 undo  that  which  has  been  ordained  by  the  will  and 
 judgment  of  rulers,  save  only  someone  who  is  invested 
 with  regal  honour  and  dignity  ?  Therefore,  wise  was  the 
 Job  saying,  Insolent  is  he  tvho  saith  unto  the  king,  Thou 
 xxxiv.  .  5,.g(^^/.gg^  jf/^g  law.  In  what  way,  then,  and  in  what  sense 
 did  the  Saviour  invest  His  disciples  with  the  dignity 
 which  befits  the  Nature  of  God  alone  ?  The  Word  that 
 is  in  the  Father  cannot  err  ;  and  this  He  did,  and  whatso- 
 ever He  doeth,  He  doeth  well.  For  He  thought  it  meet 
 that  they  who  have  once  been  endued  with  the  Spirit  of 
 Him  Who  is  God  and  Lord,  should  have  power  also  to 
 remit  or  retain  the  sins  of  whomsoever  they  would,  the 
 Holy  Spirit  That  dwelt  in  them  remitting  or  retaining 
 them  according  to  His  Will,  though  the  deed  were  done 
 through  human  instrumentality. 
 
 They  who  have  the  Spirit  of  God  remit  or  retain  sins 
 in  two  ways,  as  I  think.  For  they  invite  to  Baptism 
 those  to  whom  this  sacrament  is  abeady  due  from  the 
 purity  of  their  lives,  and  their  tried  adherence  to  the 
 faith ;  and  they  hinder  and  exclude  others  who  are  not 
 as  yet  worthy  of  the  Divine  grace.  And  in  another 
 sense,  also,  they  remit  and  retain  sins,  by  rebuking  erring 
 children  of  the  Church,  and  granting  pardon  to  those 
 who  repent ;  just  as,  also,  Paul  gave  up  him  that  had 
 
 1  Cor.  V.  committed  fornication  at  Corinth,  for  the  destruction  of 
 
 the  flesh,  that  the  sinrit  may  he  saved,  and  admitted  him 
 
 2  Cor.  ii.  again  into  fellowship,  that  he  might  not  he  sivalloived  up 
 ^'  with   his  overmuch   sorrow,  as   he    says   in   his   letter. 
 
 When,  then,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  dwelling  in  our  hearts 
 doeth  things  which  befit  God  alone,  surely  He  is  the 
 living  God,  invested  with  the  glorious  dignit}''  of  the 
 Divine  Nature,  and  having  power  over  sacred  laws. 
 
Thomas  longed  to  see  Christ.  681 
 
 24  But  Tho7nas,  one  of  the  twelve,  called  Didynius,  v:as  not  tvith  Chap.  1. 
 
 25  tliem  when  Jesus  came.     The  other  disciples  therefore  said  ^l^^'     ' 
 unto  him,  We  have  seen  the  Lord.     But  he  said  tmto  them, 
 Except  I  shall  see  in  His  Hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and 
 
 put  my  finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand 
 into  His  Side,  I  will  not  believe. 
 
 The  greatest  marvels  are  always  attended  by  in- 
 credulity, and  any  action  which  seems  to  exceed  the 
 measure  of  probability  is  ill-received  by  those  who  hear 
 of  it.  But  the  sight  of  the  eyes  succeeds  in  banishing 
 these  doubts,  and,  as  it  were,  compels  a  man  by  force  to 
 assent  to  the  evidence  before  him.  This  was  the  state  of 
 mind  of  the  wise  Thomas,  who  did  not  readily  accept 
 the  true  testimony  of  the  other  disciples  to  our  Saviour's 
 Resurrection,  although,  according  to  the  Mosaic  Law,  in 
 the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  shall  be 
 established.  I  think,  however,  that  it  was  not  so  much 
 that  the  disciple  discredited  what  was  told  him,  but 
 rather  that  he  was  distracted  with  the  utmost  grief, 
 because  he  had  not  been  thought  worthy  to  see  our 
 Saviour  with  his  own  eyes.  For  he,  perhaps,  thought 
 that  he  would  never  receive  that  blessing.  He  knew 
 that  the  Lord  was  by  Nature  Life,  and  that  He  was 
 able  to  escape  death  itself,  and  to  destroy  the  power  of 
 corruption ;  for  surely  He  Who  released  others  from  its 
 trammels  could  deliver  His  own  Flesh.  In  his  exceed- 
 ing great  joy  he  affected  incredulity,  and  though  he  well- 
 nigh  leapt  in  his  ecstasy  of  delight,  he  longed  to  see  Him 
 before  his  very  sight,  and  to  be  perfectly  satisfied  that 
 He  had  risen  again  to  life  according  to  His  promise. 
 For  our  Saviour  said :  Children,  a  little  while  and  ye  Supra 
 behold  Me  no  more ;  and  again  a  little  while,  and  ye  ^^^-  ^^' 
 shall  see  Me,  and  your  heart  shall  rejoice.  I  think  that 
 the  disciple's  want  of  faith  was  extremely  opportune 
 and  well-timed,  in  order  that,  through  the  satisfaction  of 
 his    mind,    we    also    who    come    after    him    might    be 
 
683  Tlie  Resurrection  of  the  Body. 
 
 Book  12.  unshaken  in  our  faith  that  the  very  Body  that  hiing 
 ^.^xx.  ^  ,  ^pQj-^  ^]^Q  Cross  and  suffered  death  was  quickened  by  the 
 Father  through  the  Son.  Therefore,  also,  Paul  saith: 
 ■Rom.  X.  Because  if  thou  shalt  say  tvith  thy  viouth,  Jesus  is  Lord, 
 and  shalt  believe  in  thy  heart  that  God  raised  Him  from 
 the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.  For  since  it  was  not 
 the  nature  of  flesh  itself  which  brought  back  life,  but 
 the  deed  was  rather  accomplished  by  the  working  of  the 
 ineffable  Nature  of  God,  in  which  naturally  abides  a 
 quickening  power,  the  Father  through  the  Son  mani- 
 fested His  power  upon  the  Temple  of  Christ's  Body  ;  not 
 as  though  the  Word  was  powerless  to  raise  His  own 
 Body,  but  because  the  Father  doeth  whatsoever  He 
 doeth  through  the  Son,  for  He  is  His  Power,  and 
 whatsoever  the  Son  bringeth  to  effect  proceedeth 
 also  of  a  surety  from  the  Father.  We,  therefore,  are 
 taught,  through  the  slight  want  of  faith  shown  by  the 
 blessed  Thomas,  that  the  mystery  of  the  Resurrection  is 
 effected  upon  our  earthly  bodies,  and  in  Christ  as  the 
 Firstfruits  of  the  race  ;  and  that  He  was  no  phantom  or 
 ghost,  fashioned  in  human  shape,  and  simulating  the 
 features  of  humanity,  nor  yet,  as  others  have  foolishly 
 surmised,  a  spiritual  body  that  is  compounded  of  a 
 subtle  and  ethereal  substance  different  from  the  flesh. 
 For  some  attach  this  meaning  to  the  expression 
 "  spiritual  body."  For  since  all  our  expectation  and  the 
 significance  of  our  irrefutable  faith,  after  the  confession 
 of  the  Holy  and  Consubstantial  Trinity,  centres  in  the 
 mystery  concerning  the  flesh,  the  blessed  Evangelist 
 has  very  pertinently  put  this  saying  of  Thomas  side 
 by  side  with  the  summary  of  what  preceded.  For 
 observe  that  Thomas  does  not  desire  simply  to  see 
 the  Lord,  but  looks  for  the  marks  of  the  nails,  that  is, 
 the  wounds  upon  His  Body.  For  he  affirmed  that 
 then,  indeed,  he  would  believe  and  agree  with  the 
 rest  that  Christ  had  indeed  risen  again,  and  risen  again 
 in  the  flesh.  For  that  which  is  dead  may  rightly 
 be  said  to  return  to   life,  and  the  Resurrection  surely 
 
The  minuteness  of  the  Evangelist.  683 
 
 was    concerned    with    that    which    was    subject    unto  Chap.  i. 
 death.  ^•^^^-  -*^' 
 
 2G  And  after  eight  days  again  His  disci2)tes  were  within,  and 
 Thomas  icith  them.     Jesus  conieth,  the  doors  being  shut,  and 
 
 27  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said,  Peace  be  unto  you.  Then 
 saith  He  to  Thomas,  Beach  hither  thy  finger,  and  see  My 
 Hands  ;  and,  reach  lather  thy  hand,  and  2>ut  it  into  My 
 Side  :  and  be  not  faithless,  but  believing. 
 
 Christ  appeared  once  more  unto  His  disciples  mira- 
 culously by  His  Divine  power.  For  He  did  not,  like 
 unto  us,  bid  them  open  the  doors  for  Him  to  enter  in, 
 but  disdaining,  as  it  were,  the  natural  sequence  of 
 events,  passed  within  the  doors,  and  unexpectedly 
 appeared  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  presenting  the  same 
 kind  of  miracle  before  the  sight  of  the  blessed  Thomas 
 as  He  had  performed  on  the  former  occasion.  For  he  that 
 was  most  deficient  in  faith  had  need  of  healing  medicine. 
 He  made  use  of  the  gi-eeting  so  often  on  His  Lips,  and 
 solemnly  gave  them  the  blessed  assurance  of  peace,  as  a 
 pattern  unto  us,  as  we  have  said  before.  One  may  well 
 be  amazed  at  the  minuteness  of  detail  shown  in  this 
 passage.  For  such  was  the  extreme  accuracy  that  the 
 compiler  of  this  book  took  pains  to  observe,  that  he  is 
 not  content  with  simply  saying  that  Christ  manifested 
 Himself  to  the  holy  disciples,  but  explains  that  it 
 was  after  eight  days,  and  that  they  were  gathered 
 together.  For  what  else  can  their  being  all  brought 
 together  in  one  house  mean  ?  We  say  this  to  point  out 
 the  diligent  care  that  the  Apostle  so  admirably  displays, 
 and  because  Christ  hereby  has  made  clear  unto  us  the 
 occasion  of  our  assembling,  and  gathering  ourselves 
 together  on  His  account.  For  He  visits,  and  in  some 
 sort  dwells  with,  those  assembled  together  for  His  sake, 
 especially  on  the  eighth  day,  that  is,  the  Lord's  day.  Let 
 us  reckon  it  up,  if  you  so  please :  On  the  one  occasion  He 
 appeared  unto  the  other  disciples ;  on  the  other,  He 
 manifested  Himself  to    them,   when  Thomas    was    also 
 
C84  Chridlans  folloir  Apostolic  citstonis. 
 
 Book  12.  present.  It  is  written  in  the  preceding  passage :  When 
 ^.^xx.  ,  ^/^g^,gy^j.g  ^f-  yj^^g  evening,  on  that  day,  the  first  day  of  the 
 Supra  week,  and  when  the  doors  ivere  shut,  He  stood  in  the 
 midst,  Note,  that  it  was  on  the  first  day  of  the  week, 
 that  is,  the  Lord's  day,  when  the  disciples  were  gathered 
 together,  that  He  was  seen  of  them,  and  that  likewise, 
 also  He  appeared  unto  them  on  the  eighth  day  following. 
 And  we  must  not,  because  he  says  eight  days  after, 
 suppose  that  he  means  the  ninth  day,  but  that  when  he 
 says  this  he  includes  the  eighth  day  itself,  on  which  He 
 appeared,  in  the  number  given. 
 
 With  good  reason,  then,  are  we  accustomed  to  have 
 sacred  meetings  in  churches  on  the  eighth  day.  And, 
 to  adopt  the  langua^ge  of  allegory,  as  the  idea  neces- 
 sarily demands,  we  indeed  close  the  doors,  but  yet 
 Christ  visits  us  and  appears  unto  us  all,  both  invisibly 
 and  also  visibly ;  invisibly  as  God,  but  also  visibly  in 
 the  Body.  He  suffers  us  to  touch  His  holy  Flesh,  and 
 gives  us  thereof.  For  through  the  grace  of  God  we  are 
 admitted  to  partake  of  the  blessed  Eucharist,  receiving 
 Christ  into  our  hands,  to  the  intent  that  we  may  firmly 
 believe  that  He  did  in  truth  raise  up  the  Temple  of  His 
 Bod3\  For  that  the  partaking  of  the  blessed  Eucharist  is 
 a  confession  of  the  Resurrection  of  Christ  is  clearly  proved 
 by  His  own  Words,  which  He  spake  when  He  Himself 
 performed  the  type  of  the  mystery ;  for  He  brake 
 S.  Luke  bread,  as  it  is  written,  and  gave  it  to  them,  saying:  This 
 Cf.  "  is  My  Body,  %vhic}t  is  given  for  you  unto  remission  of 
 s.  Matt,  glrms-   ijiig  dQ  {^   remembrance   of  Me.     Participation, 
 
 XXVI.  28.  '  , 
 
 then,  in  the  Divine  mysteries,  in  addition  to  filling 
 us  with  Divine  blessedness,  is  a  true  confession  and 
 memorial  of  Christ's  dying  and  rising  again  for  us  and 
 for  our  sake.  Let  us,  therefore,  after  touching  Christ's 
 Body,  shrink  back  from  unbelief  in  Him  as  utter  ruin, 
 and  rather  be  found  well  grounded  in  the  full  assurance 
 of  faith. 
 
 Let  the  attentive  reader  call  to  mind  that  our  Lord 
 repulsed  Mary  Magdalene  from   touching  Him,  saying 
 
Other  doubts  investigated.  685 
 
 plainly:  Touch  Me  not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  unto  Chap.  i. 
 the  Father.     Yet  He  allows  Thomas  to  touch  His  Side,  27^^^' ""  ' 
 and  to  feel  with  his  fingers  the  print  of  the  nails.     We  Supra 
 have  already  explained  why  our  Lord  did  this,  but  none  Supra 
 the  less  will  we  call  back  to  mind  the  reason,  briefly  ver.  25. 
 recapitulating  what  we  said.     For  not  yet  had  the  time 
 arrived  for  Mary  to  touch  Him,  because  she  had  not  yet 
 been  sanctified  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  for  while 
 Christ  was  yet  in  our  midst,  and  had  not  yet  ascended 
 to  the  Father  in  heaven,  it  was  impossible  to  see  the 
 descent  of  the  Comforter  fully  accomplished  among  men. 
 It  was  meet,  however,  for  Thomas  to  touch  Him,  as  he, 
 as  well  as  the  rest,  had  been  em-iched  with  the  Spirit. 
 For,  as  we  said  before,  he  was  not  on  account  of  his 
 absence  without  his  share  in  the  Spirit.     For  the  muni- 
 ficence of  the  Giver  reached  unto  him  also,  when  the 
 boon  was  granted  to  the  entire  company  of  the  holy 
 disciples. 
 
 I  think  we  ought  also  to  investigate  the  following 
 question.  Thomas  felt  our  Saviour's  Side,  and  found 
 the  wounds  made  by  the  soldier's  spear,  and  saw  the 
 print  of  the  nails.  Then  how  was  it,  someone  may 
 inquire,  that  the  marks  of  corruption  were  apparent  in 
 an  incorruptible  Body  ?  For  the  abiding  trace  of  the 
 holes  bored  through  the  Hands  and  Side,  and  the  marks 
 of  wounds  and  punctures  made  by  steel,  affords  proof  of 
 physical  corruption,  though  the  true  and  incontrovertible 
 fact  that  Christ's  Body  was  transformed  into  incorrup- 
 tion  points  to  a  necessary  discarding  of  all  the  results  of 
 coiTuption,  together  with  corruption  itself  For  will 
 any  man  who  is  lame,  at  the  Resurrection  have  a 
 maimed  foot  or  limb  ?  And  if  any  man  have  lost  the 
 sight  of  his  eyes  in  this  life,  will  he  be  raised  again 
 blind  ■?  How  then,  someone  may  say,  can  Ave  have 
 shaken  off  the  yoke  of  corruption,  if  its  results  still 
 remain  and  rule  over  our  members  ?  It  is  essential, 
 I  th'nk,  to  inquire  into  this  question ;  and  this  we 
 say,    with   reference    to    the   difficulties    raised   by   the 
 
686         CJti'ld  retained  the  marks  in  Ills  Body 
 
 BnoK  12.  passage.     We  are  as  far  as  possible  anxious  to  assent 
 
 c  XX.  26,  ^Q  ^i^g  contention  that  at  the  time  of  the  resurrection 
 there  will  be  no  remnant  of  adventitious  corruption 
 left  in  us,  but,  as  the  wise  Paul  said  concerning  this 
 
 1  Cor.  XV.  body  of  ours,  that  which  is  sown  in  weakness  is  raised 
 in  power,  and  that  which  is  sown  in  dishonour  is 
 raised  in  glory.  And  what  can  we  expect  the  resur- 
 rection of  this  body  in  power  and  glory  to  be,  if  it 
 does  not  imply  that  it  will  cast  off  all  the  weakness 
 and  dishonour  of  corruption  and  disease,  and  return 
 to  its  original  purity?  For  the  human  body  was  not 
 made  for  death  and  corruption.  But,  inasmuch  as 
 Thomas  required  this  proof  for  his  perfect  satisfaction, 
 our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of  necessity,  therefore,  in  order  to 
 leave  no  excuse  for  our  want  of  faith,  appears  even  as 
 he  sought  to  see  Him ;  for  even  when  He  ascended  into 
 heaven  itself,  and  made  known  the  meaning  of  the 
 mystery  concerning  Himself  to  the  rulers,  principalities, 
 and  powers  above,  and  to  those  who  commanded  the 
 legions  of  angels.  He  appeared  also  unto  them  in  this 
 same  guise  that  they  might  believe  that  in  very  truth 
 the  Word  That  was  of  the  Father,  and  in  the  Father, 
 became  Man  for  our  sake,  and  that  they  might  know 
 that  such  was  His  care  for  His  creatures  that  He  died 
 for  our  salvation.  And,  in  order  to  make  the  meaning 
 of  my  explanation  clearer  to  my  hearers,  I  will  add  the 
 very  words   spoken   by  the  mouth   of  Isaiah   on   this 
 
 Is.  ixiii.  subject.  Hesaith:  Who  is  This  That  cometh  from  Edoni, 
 luith  dyed  garments  from  Basra?  They  who  raise  this 
 shout,  I  mean  the  cry :  Who  is  This  That  cometh  from 
 Edom?  that  is,  from  the  earth,  are  angels  and  rational 
 powers,  for  they  are  marvelling  at  the  Lord  ascending 
 into  heaven.  And,  seeing  Him  almost,  as  it  were,  dyed 
 in  His  own  Blood,  they  say  unto  Him,  not  yet  appre- 
 
 Ibid.  2.  bending  the  mystery :  Why  Is  Thy  apjjarel  red,  and  ivhy 
 ai-e  TJiy  garments  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the  tvine- 
 vats  ?  For  they  compare  the  colour  of  the  blood  t.">  new 
 wine,   lately   trodden   in    the    press.     And    what    ^aith 
 
for  the  satisfaction  of  unen  and  angels.        687 
 
 Christ  unto  them "]  First,  in  order  that  He  may  be  Chap.  i. 
 known  to  be  the  Hving  God,  He  saith:  /  speak  right- ^'^^' J"' 
 eo^ts}^ess;  using  the  word  sj^eaA;,  instead  of  "teach."  And 
 most  assuredly  He  that  teacheth  righteousness  must  be  a 
 Lawgiver,  and  if  a  Lawgiver,  surely  also  God.  Then 
 say  the  angels  unto  Him,  as  Christ  showeth  them  the 
 marks  of  the  nails :  What  are  these  wounds  in  Thy  Zech. 
 Hands .?  and  the  Lord  answereth :  Those  ivith  which  I  ''"^* 
 ivas  wounded  in  the  house  of  My  beloved.  For  Israel 
 was  the  house  that  the  Lord  loved,  and  Israel  smote 
 Him  with  nails  and  spear.  For  the  outrages  of  the 
 soldiers  may  justly  be  ascribed  unto  the  Jews,  for 
 they  brought  the  Lord  to  His  death.  Therefore,  when 
 He  wished  to  satisfy  the  holy  angels  that  He  was,  in 
 fact,  a  Man,  and  that  He  had  undergone  the  Cross  for  us, 
 and  that  He  was  risen  again  to  life  from  the  dead,  Christ 
 was  not  content  with  mere  words,  but  showed  unto  them 
 the  marks  of  His  suffering.  What  is  there  to  astonish  us 
 in  the  fact,  that  when  He  desired  to  rid  the  blessed 
 Thomas  of  his  unbelief  He  showed  the  print  of  the  nails, 
 appearing  unto  him,  contrary  to  expectation,  for  the 
 advantage  of  all  men,  and  to  the  intent  that  we  might 
 believe  without  question  that  the  mystery  of  the  Resur- 
 rection was  actually  accomplished,  no  other  body  being 
 raised  but  that  which  suffered  death  1 
 
 28      Thomas  answered  Him,  and  saith  unto  Him,  My  Lord  and 
 
 my  God. 
 
 He  that  had  shortly  before  been  slack  in  the  duty  of 
 faith  was  now  eager  to  profess  it,  and  in  a  short  time 
 his  fault  was  wholly  cured.  For  after  an  interval  of 
 only  eight  days  the  hindrances  to  his  faith  were  removed 
 by  Christ,  Who  showed  unto  him  the  print  of  the  nails 
 and  His  wounded  Side.  But,  perhaps,  someone  will  ask 
 the  question :  "  Tell  me  why  did  the  minds  of  the  holy 
 disciples  carry  out  so  rigid  an  inquiry,  and  so  careful  a 
 scrutiny  1  For  would  not  the  sight  of  the  Lord's  Eody, 
 the  features  of  His  Face,  and  the  measure  of  His  Stature, 
 
688  Tlie  Apustles  mbjltt   naturally  doubt. 
 
 Book  12.  have  sufficed  to  prove  that  He  had  indeed  risen  from  the 
 
 c.  XX.  28.  jg^(j^  ^^^  ^Q  secure  His  recognition  ? "  What  do  we 
 reply  1  The  inspired  disciples  were  not  free  from  doubt, 
 although  they  had  seen  the  Lord.  For  they  thought 
 that  He  was  not  in  very  truth  the  same  as  He  Who  of 
 old  had  lived  and  dwelt  among  them,  and  had  hung 
 upon  the  Cross,  but  rather  that  He  was  a  Spirit,  cun- 
 ningly fashioned  like  unto  our  Saviour's  Image,  and 
 simulating  the  features  of  the  form  which  they  knew. 
 For  they  fell  into  this  delusion  not  without  some 
 apparent  excuse,  as  He  miraculously  entered  when 
 the  doors  were  closed ;  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  a  body 
 of  coarse  earthy  mould  requires  a  hole  through  which 
 it  can  pass,  and  necessitates  the  aperture  of  the  door 
 to  correspond  in  width  with  the  size  of  the  body.  For 
 this  cause  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  greatly  to  our  profit, 
 laid  bare  His  Side  to  Thomas,  and  exposed  the  wounds 
 on  His  Person,  through  his  agency  giving  adequate  proof 
 to  all.     For  though  of  Thomas  alone  is  recorded  the 
 
 Supra      saying :  Except  I  shall  put  my  hands  and  see  the  priiits. 
 
 ver.  25.  ^^y  ^y^g  aails,  and  put  my  hand  into  His  Side,  I  ivill  not 
 believe,  yet  was  the  charge  of  lack  of  faith  common  to 
 them  all ;  and  we  shall  find  that  the  minds  of  the  other 
 disciples  were  not  free  from  perplexity,  though  they  said 
 
 Ibid,  unto  the  holy  Thomas :  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  And 
 that  what  we  say  does  not  err  from  the  truth  we  may 
 easily  perceive  by  what  the  Divine  Luke  tells  us:  As 
 they  spake  these  things.  He  stood  in  the  midst  of  them, 
 
 s.  Luke  that  is,  of  course,  Christ,  and  saith  unto  them,  Peace  be 
 unto  you.  But  they  u'ere  terrified  and  affrighted,  and 
 supposed  that  they  beheld  a  sjnrit.  And  He  said  unto 
 them,  Why  are  ye  troubled?  and  v:herefore  do  reason- 
 ings arise  in  your  hearts  ?  See  My  Hands  and  My  Feet, 
 that  it  is  I  Myself:  handle  Me,  and  see;  for  a  spirit 
 hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  behold  Me  having.  And 
 ivhen  He  had  said  this,  He  shoived  them  His  Hands  and 
 His  Feet.  And  tuhile  they  still  disbelieved  for  joy,  and 
 tuondered.  He  said  unto  them.  Have  ye  here  anything  to 
 
 xxiv.  36 
 43. 
 
But  Christ  established  their  faith.  689 
 
 eat?    And  they  gave  Him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  Jish,  and  Chap.  i. 
 of  an  honeycomb.     And  He  took  it,  and  did  eat  before  ^'  ^^" " 
 them.     You  see  how  the  thought  of  unbelief  is  found 
 lurking,  not  in  the  blessed  Thomas  alone,  but  that  the 
 minds  of  the  other  disciples  were  afflicted  with  a  kindi'ed 
 disease.     For,  lo  and   behold !    seeing   that  their   faith 
 wavered  even  after  the  sight  of  the  wounds  upon  the 
 Cross,  He  thought  it  right  to  convince  them  by  another 
 act,  in  nowise  suited  to  a  spirit,  but  specially  appro-, 
 priate  to  earthly  bodies  and  the  nature  of  flesh.     For  He 
 ate  the  fish  that  was  brought  unto  Him,  or  the  portion 
 of  one.     For  when  no  mark  at  all  of  corruption  any 
 longer   remained    after   the    Resurrection    of   His   holy 
 Flesh,    because    He   lived   again    to    incorruption,    and 
 when  it  was  incredible  that  His  Body  stood  in  need 
 of  food  as   heretofore.  He  yet  showed  unto  them  the 
 print  of  the    nails,  and   did  not  refuse   to  partake  of 
 food,  in  order  that  He  might  establish  the  great  mystery 
 of  the  Resurrection,  and  cause  faith  in  it  to  spring  up  in 
 the  souls  of  us  all.     He  does  acts  wholly  alien  to  the 
 nature  of  spirits.     For  how,  and  in  what  way,  could  the 
 prints  of  nails,  and  the  traces  of  wounds,  and  participa- 
 tion in  bodily  food,  be  found  to  exist  in  a  naked  spirit 
 unconnected  with  flesh,  to  which  all  these  things  are 
 suitable   by  the   law   of  its   being  and  the  conditions 
 under  which  it  exists  ?    In  order,  then,  that  none  might 
 think  that  Christ  rose   again  a  mere  spirit,  or  an  im- 
 palpable body,  shadowy  and  ethereal,  to   which  some 
 give  the  name  of  spiritual,  but  that  the  selfsame  body 
 that  was  sown  in  corruption,  as  Paul  saith,  might  be  i  Cor.  xv. 
 believed    to    have    risen    again.    He    openly   did    acts   "" 
 suitable  to    a   palpable    human   form.     What   we   said 
 at  first,  however,  namely,  that  the  blessed  disciple  did 
 not  so  much  lack  faith  owing  to  infirmity  of  judgment, 
 but  rather  was  affected  in  this  way  by  excess  of  joy, 
 will  not  be  wide  of  the  mark.     For  we  have  heard  the 
 saying  of  the  blessed  Luke  concerning  all  the  others :  o  t   ^ 
 And  vjhile  they  disbelieved  for  joy  and  u'ondered.     It  xxiv.  41. 
 VOL.  It.  Y  y 
 
690  Jesus  Chrid  the  one  Lord. 
 
 Book  12.  was  wonder,  therefore,  that  made  the  disciples  slow  to 
 
 c.  XX.  28.  i^Q  convinced.  But  as  henceforward  there  was  no 
 excuse  for  unbelief,  as  they  saw  with  their  own  eyes, 
 the  blessed  Thomas  accordingly  unflinchingly  confessed 
 his  faith  in  Him,  saying:  My  Lord  and  my  God.  For 
 we  must  all  confess  that  it  follows  of  a  surety  that  He 
 That  is  Lord  by  Nature  and  Ruler  over  all  is  also  God, 
 just  as  also  universal  dominion  and  the  glory  of  sove- 
 reignty is  clearly  seen  to  appertain  to  the  living  God. 
 
 Observe,  too,  that  when  he  says  My  Lord  and  my  God, 
 he  uses  the  article  to  show  that  there  was  One  Lord  and 
 One  God.  For  he  does  not  say  without  the  qualification 
 of  the  article,  My  Lord  and  my  God,  to  prevent  any  one 
 from  imagining  that  he  called  Him  Lord  or  God  as  he 
 might  have  done  one  of  ourselves  or  of  the  holy  angels. 
 For  there  are  gods  many  and  lords  many,  in  this  sense, 
 
 iCor.  viii.  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  as  the  wise  Paul  has  taught  us ;  but 
 rather  he  recognises  Him  as,  in  a  special  sense,  the  One 
 Lord  and  God,  as  begotten  of  the  Father,  Who  is  by 
 Nature  Lord  and  God,  when  he  says.  My  Lord  and  my 
 God ;  and,  what  is  a  still  greater  indication  of  the  truth, 
 the  Saviour  heard  His  disciple  saying  this,  and  saw  that 
 he  rested  in  the  firm  conviction  that  He  was,  in  fact,  the 
 Lord  and  God,  and  thought  it  not  right  to  rebuke  him. 
 Christ,  then,  approved  his  faith,  and  with  justice.  And 
 you  may  easily  see  that  what  I  say  is  true.  For  to  him 
 that  was  possessed  of  this  faith  He  says,  at  the  end  of 
 the  Gospel,  as  unto  the  rest :  Go  ye  and  make  disciples  of 
 
 s.  Matt,  all  the  nations.  And  if  He  bids  him  who  was  thus 
 ■  minded  teach  all  nations,  and  appointed  him  to  instruct 
 the  world  in  His  mysteries,  He  wishes  us  to  have  a  like 
 faith.  For  He  is,  in  fact.  Lord  and  God  by  Nature,  even 
 when  Incarnate  Man.  For  observe  that  the  disciple, 
 when  he  had  touched  His  Hands,  and  Feet,  and  Side, 
 made  unto  Him  this  confession  of  faith,  not  severing 
 Emmanuel  into  a  duality  of  Sons,  but  recognising  Him 
 as  one  and  the  same  in  the  Flesh,  for  Jesus  Christ  is  One 
 Lord,  according  to  the  Scripture. 
 
Christ  commends  the  faithful  of  every  age.     691 
 
 29     Jesus  saith  unto  Mm,  Because  thou  hast  seen  Me,  thou  hast  Chap.  1. 
 believed  :  Blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen  and  yet  have  ^'  ^^" 
 believed. 
 
 This  saying  of  the  Saviour  is  very  pertinent,  and  we 
 may  derive  the  greatest  profit  therefrom.     For  hereby  He 
 showed  His  great  care  for  our  souls ;  for  He  is  good,  and 
 tuilleth  that  all  m.en  should  be  saved  and  come  to  the  i  Tim.  ii. 
 knouiedge  of  the  truth,  according  to  the  Scripture.   What   ' 
 is  here  said  may  not  unlikely  excite  surprise.     It  was, 
 indeed,  necessary  for  Him  to  be  long-suffering,  as  was 
 His  wont,  with  Thomas,  who  uttered  that  saying,  and 
 also  with  the  other  disciples  with  him,  who  thought  that 
 He  was  a  spirit  or  apparition  ;  and  also  to  exhibit,  as  He 
 very  readily  did  for  universal  satisfaction,  the  print  of 
 the    nails  and    His  pierced    Side ;    and    also,   contrary 
 to  use  and  need,  to  partake  of  food,  that  no  plea  for 
 their  unbelief  might  be  left  to  those  who  sought  to  gain 
 the  benefits  of  His  death.     But  it  was  also  essential  to 
 have   regard    to    the    security    of   our   faith.       It    was 
 necessary  also  to   have  another  end  in  view,  namely, 
 that  those  who  should  come  at  the  last  times  should  not 
 easily  be  drawn  into  unbelief.     For  it  was  likely  that 
 some    should    err    from    the    straight   path,   and    from 
 ignorance,  practising  a  spurious  kind  of  caution,  refuse 
 to  accept  the  resurrection  of  the   dead,  and  put  them- 
 selves forward,  and  say  unto  us,  like  that  unbelieving 
 disciple :  Except  I  shall  see  in  His  Hands  the  print  of  the  Supra 
 nails,  and  put  my  hand  into  His  Side,  I  will  not  believe.  ^®'"'  ^^' 
 What  sufficient  means  of  satisfying  them  would  there 
 have  been,  Christ  being  no  longer  on  earth  but  having 
 ascended  into  heaven  ?     And  would  they  not  have  been, 
 at  times,  thought  to  be  justified  in  thus  speaking,  when 
 they  appeared  to  be  imitating  therein  the  disciple  of  the 
 Saviour,  and,  considering  it  a  noble  thing  not  to  believe 
 off'-hand,  but  rather  to  require  more  for  their  complete 
 assurance,   claimed   for  themselves  the   sight  that  was 
 shown  to  the  holy  disciples "?     Christ,  therefore,  restrains 
 
 Y  y  2 
 
692  Jesus  gave  other  signs. 
 
 Book  12.  men  from  such  an  inclination,  and  keeps  them  from 
 c.^xx.  30,  fg^ii^Qg^  j^QP  being  truly  God,  He  knew  well  the  malicious 
 designs  of  the  devil  and  his  practice  to  deceive.  And, 
 therefore,  He  declares  that  blessed  are  they  who  believe 
 without  seeing,  for  they  are  surely  worthy  of  admiration. 
 And  why  1  Because  unquestioning  belief  is  due  to  what 
 lies  before  our  eyes,  for  there  is  nothing  at  all  to  raise 
 doubt  in  us.  But  if  a  man  accept  what  he  has  not  seen, 
 and  believe  that  to  be  true  which  the  words  of  his 
 instructor  in  mysteries  have  brought  to  his  ears,  then  he 
 honours  with  praiseworthy  faith  Him  that  is  preached. 
 Blessed,  therefore,  shall  be  the  lot  of  every  man  that 
 s.  Luke  belie veth  through  the  voice  of  the  holy  Apostles,  tuhich 
 tvere  eye-ivitnesses  of  Christ's  actions,  and  ministers  of 
 the  Word,  as  Luke  says.  To  them  must  we  hearken  if 
 we  are  enamoured  of  life  eternal,  and  cherish  in  our 
 hearts  the  desire  to  abide  in  the  mansions  above. 
 
 30  Many  other  signs  therefore  did  Jesus  in  the  2)resence  of  His 
 
 31  disciples,  ivhich  are  not  written  in  this  book  :  but  these  are 
 ivritten,  that  ye  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 
 of  God  ;  and  that  believing,  ye  may  have  eternal  life  in  His 
 Name. 
 
 He  sums  up  the  book  in  a  manner,  and  makes  plain  to 
 His  hearers  the  object  of  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel. 
 For,  he  says,  this  book  was  composed  that  ye  may 
 believe,  and  believing  might  have  eternal  life.  He  says 
 that  the  signs  were  many,  and  does  not  limit  the  actions 
 and  marvellous  works  of  our  Saviour  to  those  which 
 were  accurately  known  by  him  personally,  and  recorded 
 by  him,  and  leaves  the  other  disciples  to  publish,  if  they 
 chose,  whatever  was  vividly  impressed  on  their  memory. 
 For  all  the  signs,  he  says,  are  not  ivritten  in  this  book, 
 but  those  only  have  been  inserted  by  me  which  I 
 thought  best  able  to  convince  my  hearers  that  Jesus  is 
 the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 
 
Christ— though  God  and  Man — is  One.         693 
 
 This  is  what  the  inspired  Evangelist  says  ;  and  I  think,  Chap.  ], 
 too,  that  it  may  be  of  use  to  make  the  following  obser-  ^^'  '■ 
 vation:  For  if  the  whole  meaning  of  the  record  is 
 directed  to  producing  in  us  this  faith,  and  is  well 
 calculated  to  make  us  steadfast  in  the  conviction  that 
 the  Child  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  Who  was  called  Jesus  by  Cf.  Luke 
 the  voice  of  the  angel,  is  the  very  Christ  Whose  coming  "' 
 was  proclaimed  by  Holy  Writ ;  and  if  He  be,  indeed, 
 very  Christ  and  none  other — not  merely  a  son  but  the 
 Son  of  God  in  a  unique  and  special  sense ;  what  then,  I 
 ask,  can  they  who,  through  ignorance,  are  in  doubt 
 about  the  faith,  and  who,  furthermore,  strive  to  teach 
 others  to  believe  that  there  are  two  Christs — what 
 can  they  do  or  say  in  their  defence,  and  what  will  be  the 
 sentence  passed  upon  them  when  the  great  day  shall 
 come?  For  they  divide  Christ  into  two  separate  Beings, 
 Man  and  God  the  Word,  even  after  His  union  with  man, 
 and  His  ineffable  and  wholly  incomprehensible  Incar- 
 nation. Therefore  are  they  in  error,  and  have  wandered 
 far  astray  from  the  truth,  and  denied  the  Master  that  ^J^-Tetev 
 bought  them.  For  if  we  examine  into  the  definition  of 
 the  being  of  Christ,  and  form  a  conception  of  Him,  we 
 find  that  the  flesh  is  different  from  God  the  Word,  Which 
 is  in  the  Father,  and  proceedeth  from  Him ;  but  if  we 
 consider  the  meaning  of  the  Incarnation,  and  strive  to 
 fathom  so  far  as  we  are  able  this  exceeding  great 
 mystery,  we  conceive  of  the  Word  as  One  with  His  own 
 Flesh,  though  not  converted  into  flesh.  God  forbid  that 
 we  should  so  say,  for  the  Nature  of  the  Word  is  in- 
 convertible and  unchangeable,  and  admits  of  no  shadow 
 of  turning.  Rather  do  we  maintain,  according  to  our 
 Holy  and  inspired  Scriptures,  that  the  Messiah,  conceived 
 of  as  attaining  to  the  perfect  definition  of  manhood 
 through  the  Temple  of  flesh  that  enshrined  His  Godhead, 
 is  One  only — Jesus,  the  Christ  and  the  Son  of  God, 
 Consider  that  the  selfsame  truth  is  found  to  have 
 existence  in  the  nature  of  ourselves  who  are  men.  For 
 we  are  combined  into  one  man  composed  of  soul  and 
 
694  Jesus  vouchsafes  another  visit, 
 
 Book  12.  body ;   the  body  and   the  soul   that  it  contains   being 
 c.  XXI.   -  ^jg^iuct,  but  nevertheless  coinciding  to  form  one  perfect 
 animal,  and  wholly  incapable  of  separation  after  com- 
 bination with  each  other. 
 
 xxi.  1     After  these  things  Jesus  manifested  Himself  again  to  the 
 discijyles  at  the  sea  of  Tiberias  ;  and  He  manifested  Himself 
 
 2  on  this  wise.  There  loere  together  Simon  Peter,  and  Thomas 
 called  Didymus,  and  Nathanael  of  Cana  in  Galilee,  and  the 
 
 3  sons  of  Zehedee,  and  tivo  other  of  His  disciples.  Simon 
 Peter  saith  unto  them,  I  go  a  fishing.  They  say  unto  him, 
 We  also  come  vnth  thee.     They  went  forth,  and  entered  into 
 
 4  tlie  boat ;  and  that  night  they  took  nothing.  But  when  day 
 ivas  now  breaking,  Jesus  stood  on  the  beach :  howbeit  the 
 
 5  discij)les  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  Jesus  saith  unto  them, 
 Children,  have  ye  ought  to  eat  1    They  answered  Him,  No. 
 
 6  And  He  said  unto  them,  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the 
 boat,  aiul  ye  shall  find.  And  they  said,  We  toiled  all  night 
 and  took  nothing  :  but  at  Thy  ivord,  we  ivill  cast  doivn  the 
 net.  They  cast  therefore,  and  now  they  were  not  able  to 
 draw  it  for  the  multitude  of  fishes. 
 
 Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  once  more  gladdens  His 
 disciples  with  the  enjoyment  of  the  sight  of  Himself, 
 Whom  they  so  greatly  longed  to  see,  and  vouchsafes  unto 
 them  a  third  visit,  in  addition  to  the  other  two,  in  order 
 that  He  might  confirm  their  minds,  and  render  them 
 unchangeably  steadfast  in  faith  towards  Him.  For  how 
 after  they  had  seen  Him  not  once,  but  now  for  the  third 
 time,  could  they  fail  to  have  their  minds  released  from 
 all  wavering  in  the  faith,  and  to  become  faithful  in- 
 structors of  the  rest  of  mankind  in  the  doctrines  of  the 
 religion  of  Christ  ?  Peter  then  goes  forth  with  the  others 
 a  fishing.  For  when  he  was  bound  on  this  errand  they 
 hurried  with  him,  and  doubtless  our  Saviour  Christ  is 
 here  seen  working  for  their  good.  For  He  once  said  to 
 them,  when  He  put  upon  them  the  yoke  of  their 
 discipleship,  and  called  them  to  the  dignity  of  apostle- 
 
to  make  the  disciples  fishers  of  men.  695 
 
 ship  :  Come  ye  after  Me,  cmd  I  luill  make  you  to  become  Chap.i. 
 fishers  of  men.  In  order,  then,  that  He  might  convince  q  ^^' 
 them  by  a  palpable  sign  that  every  Word  that  He  had  S  Matt, 
 spoken  would  surely  come  to  pass,  and  that  His  promise  ^^'  ' 
 would  result  in  complete  fulfilment.  He  draws  a  con- 
 vincing proof  from  the  trade  at  which  they  were  at 
 work.  For  the  blessed  disciples  were  practising  their 
 art,  and  were  fishing,  but  yet  had  they  caught  nothing, 
 though  they  had  toiled  all  the  night.  And  when  it  was 
 already  early  morning,  and  the  dawn  was  beginning  to 
 break,  and  the  sun's  rays  to  appear,  Jesus  stood  on  the 
 beach.  And  they  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus.  And 
 when  He  questioned  them  whether  they  had  any  fish  fit 
 for  the  table  in  their  nets,  they  said  they  had  taken 
 nothing  at  all.  Then  He  bids  them  cast  down  the  net  on 
 the  right  side  of  the  boat.  And  they,  although  all  the 
 night  they  had  spent  their  toil  in  vain,  replied :  "  At  Thy 
 word  we  will  cast  down  the  net."  And  when  this  was 
 done,  the  weight  of  the  fish  that  were  caught  over- 
 powered the  strength  of  the  fishermen  who  were  hauling 
 it  up. 
 
 Such  is  the  narrative  of  the  inspired  Evangelist.  As 
 we  have  just  observed,  the  Saviour,  by  the  actual  per- 
 formance of  a  palpable  miracle,  satisfied  the  holy  disciples 
 that  they  were  destined  to  be,  as  He  had  said,  fishers  of 
 men.  Come,  then,  let  us  convert,  so  far  as  in  us  lies, 
 that  which  was  fulfilled  in  type  into  the  truth  of  which 
 it  is  symbolical ;  and  let  us  bear  witness  to  the  truth 
 of  the  Saviour's  Words,  and,  according  to  our  ability, 
 unfolding  the  meaning  of  everything  that  took  place,  let 
 us  put  before  those  who  may  light  on  these  pages  what 
 may  serve  in  some  measure,  I  think,  to  start  a  spiritual 
 train  of  thought.  For  give  instruction  to  a  tuise  man,  and  Prov.  ix. 
 he  will  be  yet  wiser:  teach  a  just  man,  and  he  will  ' 
 increase  in  learning.  I  think,  then,  that  the  fact  of  the 
 disciples  fishing  all  the  night,  and  taking  nothing,  but 
 spending  their  labour  in  vain,  signifies  that  no  one,  as 
 we  shall  find,  or  very  few,  would  be  wholly  won  over  by 
 
696  Tlie  Lav:  havimj  caught  nothing, 
 
 Book  12.  the  teaching  of  the  first  instructors  of  old,  and  caught 
 
 e]      ■      into  their  net  to  do  God's  pleasure  in  all  things.     We 
 
 may  regard  what  is  very  small  in  amount  as  equivalent 
 
 to  nothing,  especially  when  it  is  taken  out  of  a  great 
 
 multitude.     And,  surely,  we  must  regard  the  number  of 
 
 mankind    scattered    throughout    the    whole    world    as 
 
 exceedingly  great.     What   hindrance,  then,  or  obstacle 
 
 was  there  in  the  way  which  rendered  the  labour  of  the 
 
 pioneers    of  the   faith    fruitless  ?     And  why    did    their 
 
 preaching  fail  to  bear  fruit  ?     There  was  still  night  and 
 
 darkness,  and  a  kind  of  mental  mist  and  devilish  deceit 
 
 brooding  over  the  eyes  of  the  mind,  not  suffering  men  to 
 
 Ps.  xiv.    perceive  the  true  light  of  God.     For  there  was  no  man 
 
 '   '        that  doeth  good,  as  said  the  Psalmist ;  yea,  not  one;  but  all 
 
 had  gone  astray  and,  become  abominable.     And  though 
 
 the  Israelites  had  been,  in  a  manner,  caught  in  the  net 
 
 by  Moses,  yet  were  they  as  though  they  had  not  been 
 
 caught  at  all,  and  were  devoted  to  the  worship  of  types 
 
 and  shadows,  and  had  no  instruction  in   the   law  that 
 
 bringeth  to  perfection.     For  that  we  shall  find  that  the 
 
 worship   of  types  was  abominable,  and  displeasing  to 
 
 God,  it  is  easy  to   see,  from   His    rejection  of  bloody 
 
 sacrifices,  and  every  kind  of  earthly  and  physical  offer- 
 
 .Ter.  vi.     ing.     To  tuhat  purpose,  He  says,  bring  ye  to  Me  incense 
 
 from  Sheba,  and  the  siveet  cane  from  a  far  country  ? 
 
 Your    burnt    offerings    are    not    acceptcdtle,    nor    your 
 
 sacrifices  sweet  unto  Me. 
 
 This  we  say  not  wishing  to  disparage  the  first  com- 
 mandment given  of  old,  nor  with  the  intent  to  accuse  the 
 Law,  but  rather  desiring  to  suggest  to  our  hearers  that  as 
 God  the  Lord  of  all  hath  regard  only  to  the  beauty  of  the 
 Gospel  life,  even  those  who  were  caught  in  the  net  by 
 the  Law,  and  brought  to  the  barren  worship  of  shadows 
 and  types,  were  but  on  a  par  with  those  who  had  not 
 Heb.  ix.  been  caught  at  all  until  the  time  of  reformation  dawned, 
 ^^'  Christ  saying  clearly,  when  He  became  Man,  /  am  the 
 
 xiv!^6.      Truth.    And  if  it  be  necessary  to  add  any  further  words, 
 I  shall  not  shrink  from  doing  so,  if  it  be  for  our  profit. 
 
the  Gospel   net  must  he  let  clown.  697 
 
 They  who  were  called  by  Moses  to  learn  the  Law,  spurned  Chap.  i. 
 the  Law  given  unto  them,  and,  as  it  were,  opened  their  g  ^^" 
 mouth  wide  and  gaped  upon  the   holy  ordinance,  and 
 made  the  lyrecepts  of  mien  their  code  of  instruction,  and  s.  Matt. 
 rela]3sed  into  such  stubbornness  and  perversity  of  heart  ^'*'"  ^' 
 that  even  the  word  of  the  holy  prophets  lost  its  power. 
 Therefore,  also,  they  cried :  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  Is.  liii.  i. 
 report  ?  Jeremiah  also  exclaims  :   Woe  is  me,  my  mother,  jev.  xv. 
 that  thou  hast  home  me  a  man  of  strife  and  a  riian  ^^' 
 of  contention  to  the  whole  earth:  I  have  not  helped  any 
 man,  nor  hath  any  man  helped  me.     My  strength  hath 
 failed  me  hecause  of  them  thcd  curse  me.     Surely,  then, 
 one  is  constrained  to  admit  that  the  disobedient  and 
 unruly  Israelites  were  on  a  par  with  those  who  had  not 
 been   caught   at   all,  when    they   trampled  under   foot 
 even   the   Law    that    Moses    had    laid   down.     And    it 
 needs  no  demonstration  to  show  that  the  great  multitude 
 of  the    Gentiles    was    still    uncaptured,   and    remained 
 altogether  outside  the  net.     Darkness,  then,  and  devilish 
 night  was  in  their  hearts,  driving  out  the  light  of  true 
 knowledge  of  God.     Therefore  they  toiled,  so   to  say, 
 during  the  whole  night,  and  still  had  their  spiritual  net 
 barren  of  fish  before  Christ's  coming ;  but  when  early 
 morning  came,  that  is,  when  the  mist  of  the  devil  was 
 dispersed,  and  the  true   light   dawned,  that  is,  Christ, 
 and  when  Chi-ist  inquired  of  the  toilers.  Have  you  any- 
 thing within  your  nets  which  may  serve  as  food   for 
 God,  Who  thirsts,  as  it  were,  for  the  salvation  of  us  all 
 (for  the  Scripture  called  the  conversion  of  the  Samaritans  Cf. 
 His  food),  and  when  they  gave  His  question  the  plain  j  "^34 
 answer  that  they  had  nothing,  then  Christ  bade  them 
 cast  down  the  net  again  on  the  right  side  of  the  hoed. 
 For  the  blessed   Moses    also  let  down  the  line  of  in- 
 struction, that  is,  by  the  letter  of  the  Law  ;  but  this  was 
 fishing  on  the  left  side,  the  commandment  of  Christ  unto 
 us  being  on  the  right.     For  incomparably  greater,  then, 
 and  far  exceeding  in  honour  and  glory  the  command- 
 ments of  the  Law,  is  the  teaching  of  Christ ;  for  the  reality 
 
698  Tlie  Gospel  net  caught  many. 
 
 Book  12.  greatly  surpasses  the  type,  and  the  Master  the  servant, 
 
 c.  xzi.  /-  ^^^  ^jjg  grace  of  the  Spii'it,  which  justifies,  surpasses  the 
 
 letter,  which   condemneth.     Christ's  teaching,  therefore, 
 
 is  placed  on  the  right,  the  right  hand  signifjdng  to  us  its 
 
 superiority  over  the  Law  and  the  prophets. 
 
 The  inspired  disciples,  then,  without  hesitation,  obeyed 
 the  bidding  of  our  Saviour,  and  let  down  the  net.  And 
 the  meaning  of  this  is,  that  they  did  not  seize  for  them- 
 selves the  grace  of  apostleship,  but  at  His  bidding  went 
 s.  Matt,  forth  to  capture  the  souls  of  men.  Go  ye.  He  said,  and 
 '  make  discij^es  of  all  the  nations.  The  disciples  them- 
 selves say,  that  at  the  Word  of  Christ  they  let  down  the 
 net.  For  they  fish  for  men  only  by  the  Saviour's  Words 
 and  commandments  in  the  Gospels.  And  great  was  the 
 multitude  of  fish  within  the  net,  so  that  the  disciples 
 were  no  longer  able  to  haul  it  up.  For  they  who  have 
 been  caught,  and  believed,  are  innumerable,  and  the 
 marvel  thereof  seems  in  truth  to  surpass,  and  be  out  of 
 all  proportion  to  the  strength  of  the  holy  Apostles.  For 
 it  is  the  working  of  Christ,  Who  gathereth  b}^  His  own 
 power  the  multitude  of  the  saved  into  the  Church  on 
 earth,  as  into  the  net  of  the  Apostles. 
 
 7  That  disciple  therefore,  tohom  Jesus  loved,  saith  nnto  Peter, 
 It  is  the  Lord.  So  when  Simon  Peter  heard  that  it  was  the 
 Lord,  he  girt  his  coat  about  him  {for  he  was  naked),  and 
 
 8  cast  himself  into  the  sea.  But  the  other  disciples  came  in 
 the  little  boat  {for  tlieyvjere  not  far  from  land,  hut  about  ttvo 
 
 9  hundred  cubits  off),  dragging  the  net  full  of  fishes.  So 
 u'hen  they  got   out  upon  tlxe,  land,  they  see  a  fire  of  coals 
 
 10  there,  and  fish  laid  thereon,  and  bread.  And  Jesus  saith 
 unto  them,  Bring   of  the  fish  which    ye    have  now   taken. 
 
 11  Simon  Peter  therefore  went  up,  and  drew  the  net  to  land, 
 full  of  great  fishes,  a  hundred  and  fifty  and  three  :  and  for 
 
 12  all  there  were  so  many,  the  net  vxis  not  rent.  Jesus  saith 
 unto  them,  Come  and  break  your  fast.  And  none  of  tlie 
 discijiles  durst  inquire  of  Him,  Who  art  Thou  ?   knowing 
 
 13  that  it  loas  the  Lord.     Jesus  covieth,  and  taketh  the  bread, 
 
The  full  signification  of  the  'miracle.  699 
 
 14     and  giveth  them,  and  the  fish  likewise.    This  is  now  the  third  Chap.  1. 
 tiine  that  Jesus  was  manifested  to  His  disciples,  after  that  -^, 
 He  was  risen  from  the  dead. 
 
 Again,  in  this  passage,  the  writer  of  this  book  calls 
 himself  the  beloved  disciple — and  he  would  seem  to  have 
 been  thus  well  beloved  on  account  of  his  great  discern- 
 ment and  purity  of  mind,  and  the  keenness  of  his  mental 
 vision,  and  a  disposition  which  enabled  him  readily  to 
 grasp  the  truth.  And,  in  fact,  he  seized  the  meaning  of 
 the  sign  before  the  rest,  and  perceived  Christ's  Presence, 
 and  told  the  rest,  entertaining  not  a  shadow  of  doubt, 
 but  crying  out  to  them  with  a  very  confident  voice.  It 
 is  the  Lord.  The  inspired  Peter  leapt  into  the  sea, 
 thinking  that  to  go  by  the  ship  would  cause  delay,  for 
 he  was  always  fervent  in  zeal,  and  easily  stirred  up 
 to  confidence  and  love  of  Christ.  The  rest  followed  his 
 lead,  with  the  ship,  dragging  the  net.  Then  they  see  a 
 fire  of  coals,  for  the  Saviour  had  kindled  a  fire  miracu- 
 lously, and  put  a  fish  upon  it  that  He  had  caught  by  His 
 ineffable  power ;  and  this  too  He  had  done  of  design. 
 For  it  was  not  the  hand  of  the  holy  Apostles,  or  the 
 preaching  of  these  spiritual  fishermen  among  men,  but 
 the  power  of  the  Saviour  that  started  the  work.  For 
 He  first  caught  one  as  the  firstfruits  of  those  who  were 
 to  come  (not  that  we  mean  one  precisely,  for  by  one  is 
 signified  a  small  number),  then  afterwards  the  disciples 
 caught  the  multitude  in  their  nets,  being  enabled  by 
 His  Divine  bidding  to  take  something  of  what  they 
 sought.  Peter  then  hauls  up  the  net ;  by  which  it  was 
 to  be  understood,  that  the  labour  of  the  holy  Apostles 
 would  not  be  without  its  effect.  For  they  put  the  mass 
 of  captured  fish  before  Him  Who  had  commanded  them 
 to  be  caught ;  and  the  quantity  of  the  fish  is  indicated  by 
 the  number  153.  The  number  100,  to  the  best  of  my 
 judgment,  signifies  the  complement  of  the  nations,  for 
 the  number  100  is  a  very  perfect  number,  being  com- 
 pounded of  10  times  10 ;  and  for  this  reason  our  Lord 
 
700  The  reiuard  of  the  Apostles    labour. 
 
 Book  12.  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  in  one  place,  speaks  in  the  parable 
 cxxi.  ^- Q^  having  100  sheep  belonging  to  Him,  signifying  the 
 S.  Matt,   complete  sum  of  rational  creatures,  and  in  another  place 
 xviu.  12.  declares  that  the  best  ground  will  bringf  forth  a  hundred- 
 8,    '       fold,  meaning  thereby  the  perfect  fertility  of  the  right- 
 eous soul.    The  number  50,  on  the  other  hand,  betokens 
 the  elect  remnant  of  the  Israelites,  saved  by  grace ;   for 
 50  is  half  100,  and  falls  short  of  the  perfect  number  in 
 amount.  And  by  the  three,  reference  is  made  to  the  Holy 
 and  Consubstantial  Trinity,  the  number  alone  showing 
 this ;  for  to  the  glory  and  ceaseless  praise  of  the  Trinity 
 the  life  of  those  who  have  been  taken  captive  through 
 faith   is    consecrated,   and   implies   connexion  with    the 
 Godhead.     For  God  is  in  all  those  who  believe  in  Him, 
 and  keeps  nigh  unto  Him,  by  means  of  sanctification, 
 those  who  have  been  won  over  by  the  teaching  of  the 
 Gospel.     And  when  the  net  had  been   drawn  up,  our 
 Lord  said  again  to  the  holy  disciples:  Come  and  break 
 your  fast ;  thereby  teaching  them,  that  after  their  pain 
 and  tribulation  in  gathering  in  those  who  were  called 
 S.  Luke    and  saved,   they  should    sit    down  with   Him,   as   the 
 ^^^^'  "' '    Saviour  Himself  said,  and  their  table  would  be  spread 
 with  food   such  as  no  tongue  can  name,  the  spiritual, 
 that  is,  and  Divine,  and  that  passeth  man's  understand- 
 ing.    Christ  also  wishes  to  imply  that  which  is  said  by 
 Ps.  the  Psalmist:     Thou  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  the  labours 
 
 of  thy  hands.  They  did  not  take  food  for  themselves, 
 and  eat  thereof,  but  Christ  gave  to  them  of  it ;  that  we 
 might  learn,  as  in  a  type,  that  on  that  day  Christ  will 
 Himself  provide  us  with  Divine  blessings,  and  apportion 
 unto  us  those  things  which  may  be  profitable  unto  us 
 as  our  Lord. 
 
 15  So  when  they  had  hrohen  their  fast,  Jesus  saith  to  Simon 
 Peter,  Simon,  son  of  Jona,  lovest  thoio  Me  more  than  these  ? 
 lie  saith  unto  Him,  Yea,  Lord  ;   Thou  knoivest  that  I  love 
 
 16  Thee.  He  saith  unto  him.  Feed  My  lambs.  He  saith  unto 
 him  again,  a  second  time,  Simon,  son  of  Jona,  lovest  thou 
 
 cxxvm 
 2. 
 
The  zealous  nature  of  S.  Peter.  701 
 
 Me  1     He  saith  iinto  him.  Yea,  Lord  ;   Thou  knowest  that  I  Chap.  1. 
 
 c.x 
 17. 
 
 17     love  Thee.     He  saith  unto  him,  Tend  My  sheej).     He  saith  ^'^^^' 
 
 unto  him,  the  third  time,  Simon,  son  of  Jona,  lovest  thou 
 Me  /  Peter  was  grieved  because  He  said  unto  him,  the  third 
 time,  Lovest  thou  Me  ?  And  lie  said  unto  Him,  Lord,  Thou 
 knowest  all  things ;  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee.  Jesus 
 saith  unto  him.  Feed  My  sheejj. 
 
 Peter  started  to  reach  Jesus  before  the  rest,  disdaining, 
 as  it  appears,  to  go  by  boat,  because  of  the  incomparable 
 fervour  and  admirable  zeal  of  his  love  towards  Christ. 
 Therefore  He  comes  first  to  land,  and  draws  up  the  net ;  Supra 
 for  he  was  always  an  impressionable  man,  easily  excited 
 to  enthusiasm  both  in  speech  and  action.   Therefore,  also, 
 he  first  made  confession  of  faith  when  the  Saviour  put 
 to  them  the  inquiry  in  the  parts  of  Coisarea  Philippi,  s.  Matt. 
 saying :   Who  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son  of  Man  am  ?  ^^^-  ■^^• 
 And  of  the  other  disciples  some  said  Elijah,  and  others  ibid.  14. 
 Jeremiah,  or  one  of  the  prophets.    But  when  Christ  put 
 the  further  question  to  them  :  But  Who  say  ye  tliat  I  am?  Ibid.  15. 
 Peter  took  the  lead,  and  becoming  spokesman  for  the 
 rest,  hastened  to  reply:    Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  o/lbid,  16. 
 the  living  God.     Moreover,  when  the  band  of  soldiers 
 came,  together  with  the  officers  of  the  Jews,  to  take  Jesus 
 away  to  the  rulers,  the  rest  all  left  Him  and  fled,  but  S.  Matt. 
 Peter  struck  off  Malchus'   ear  with  a  sword.     For  he  cif^gypi-a, 
 thought  it  right  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  defend  xviii.  lo. 
 his  Master,  though  the  attack  that  he  made  was  in  fact 
 altogether  displeasing  to  Him.    As,  therefore,  he  came 
 more  impetuously  than  the  rest,  Christ  puts  to  him  the 
 question  whether  he  loved  Him   more  than  they,  and 
 repeated  it  three  times  ;  and  Peter  answers  in  the  affirm- 
 ative, and  confesses  his  love  for  Him,  saying  that  Christ 
 Himself  was  a  witness  to  his  state  of  mind.    And,  after 
 each  confession,  he  heard  Christ  telling  him  in  different 
 words  to  take  thought  of  His  sheep,  as  He  calls  man- 
 kind in  the  parable. 
 
 And  I  think  (for  I  say  that  we  ought   to  search  out 
 
702  S.  Peter  s  threefold  denial  forgiven, 
 
 Book  12.  the  hidden  meaning  that  is  here  implied)  that  these 
 o.xxi.  5-  ^Qj.^g  were  not  written  without  a  purpose,  but  the 
 saying  is  pregnant  with  meaning,  and  the  sense  of 
 the  passage  contains  something  more  than  meets  the 
 eye.  May  not  someone  reasonably  ask,  Why  is  it  that 
 Christ  only  asks  Simon,  though  the  other  disciples  were 
 present?  And  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  words,  Feed 
 My  lambs,  and  the  like  ?  We  reply,  that  the  inspired 
 Peter  had  indeed  already  been  elected,  together  with 
 the  other  disciples,  to  be  an  Apostle  of  God  (for  our 
 S.  Luke  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Himself  named  them  Apostles,  accord- 
 VI,  la.  -j^g  ^Q  ^j^g  Scripture),  but,  when  the  events  connected 
 with  the  plot  of  the  Jews  against  Him  came  to  pass, 
 his  fall  came  betwixt ;  for  the  inspired  Peter  was  seized 
 with  uncontrollable  fear,  and  thrice  denied  the  Lord. 
 Christ  succours  His  erring  disciple,  and  elicits  by  divers 
 questions  his  thrice-repeated  confession,  counterbalanc- 
 ing, as  it  were,  his  error  thereby,  and  making  his 
 recovery  as  signal  as  his  fall.  For  a  transgression 
 which  was  verbal,  and  only  in  mere  words  supplied 
 ground  of  accusation  against  him,  could  surely  be 
 wiped  out  in  the  same  fashion  as  it  was  committed. 
 He  requires  him  to  say  whether  he  loved  Him  more 
 than  the  rest.  For  in  truth,  as  he  had  enjoyed  a  greater 
 measure  of  forgiveness,  and  received  from  a  more 
 bountiful  Hand  the  remission  of  his  transgression, 
 surely  he  would  be  likely  to  feel  greater  love  than 
 the  rest,  and  requite  his  Benefactor  with  the  extremity 
 of  affection.  For  although  all  the  holy  disciples  alike 
 betook  themselves  to  flight,  the  inhumanity  of  the  Jews 
 inspiring  them  with  a  terror  that  they  could  not  over- 
 come, and  the  ferocity  of  the  soldiers  threatening  them 
 with  cruel  death  when  they  came  to  take  Jesus,  still 
 Peter's  transgression  by  his  thrice- repeated  denial  was 
 special  and  peculiar  to  him. 
 
 Therefore,  as  he  had  received  a  greater  measure  of 
 forgiveness  than  the  rest,  he  is  asked  to  tell  Christ 
 whether  he  loved  Him  more ;  for,  as  the  Saviour  Himself 
 
through  his  threefold  confession  of  love.        703 
 
 said,  he  to  whom  most  is  forgiven  will  also  love  much.  chap.  l. 
 Herein,  also,  is  a  type  given  to  the  Churches,  that  they  ^  g^^'  ^^' 
 ought  thrice  to  ask  for  a  confession  of  Christ  from  those  cf. 
 who  have  chosen  to  love  Him  by  coming  to  Him  in  ^i.^"!^® 
 
 *'     _  '='  vii.  47. 
 
 Holy  Baptism.  And,  by  dwelling  on  this  passage,  instruct- 
 ors in  religion  may  arrive  at  the  knowledge  that  they 
 cannot  please  the  (Jhief  Shepherd,  that  is  Christ,  unless  i  S.  Pet. 
 they  take  thought  for  the  health  of  the  sheep  of  His 
 fold,  and  their  continuance  in  well-being.    Such  was  the 
 inspired  Paul,  who  shared  the  infirmities  of  his  weak  Cf. 
 brethren,  and  called  those  who  through  him  believed,  22. 
 and  chose  to  gain  repute  by  the  glory  of  their  deeds, 
 the  boast,  and  joy,  and  crown  of  his  apostleship.    For  he  ^^^^-  ^^' 
 knew  that  this  was  the  visible  fruit  of  love  for  Christ. 
 And  this,  if  he  reason  well  and  justly,  any  one   may 
 perceive.     For  if  He  died  for  us,  surely  He  must  esteem 
 the  salvation  and  life  of  us  all  as  deserving  of  all  care. 
 And  if  they  who  sin  against  the  brethren,  and  ivound  1  Cor. 
 their  conscience  luhen  it  is  weak,  in  truth  sin  against  ^"^'     " 
 Christ;   surely  it  is  true  to  say,  that  they  are  doing 
 the    Lord  Himself   service  who  take,   as   it    were,    by 
 the  hand  the  mind  of  those  who  have  been  admitted  to 
 the  faith,  and  who  are  expected  to  be  called  to  perfection 
 therein,  and  are  eager  to  stablish  them  firmly  in  the 
 faith,  by   every  help   that  they   can   offer.     Therefore, 
 by    his    thrice-repeated  confession  the   thrice-repeated 
 denial  of  the  blessed  Peter  was  done  away,  and  by  the 
 saying  of  our  Lord,  "  Feed  my  lambs,"  we  must  under- 
 stand a  renewal  as  it  were  of  the  apostleship,  already 
 given  unto  him,  washing  away  the  disgrace  of  his  fall 
 that  came  betwixt,  and  obliterating  his  faint-heartedness, 
 that  arose  from  human  infii-mity. 
 
 1 8  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  When  thou  wast  young,  thou 
 girdedst  thyself,  and  walkedst  whither  thou  tvouldest :  but 
 ivhen  thou  shalt  he  old,  thou  shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands, 
 and  others  shall  gird  thee,   and   carry  thee   whither  thou 
 
 19  wouldest   7iot.     Now    this    He    spake,  signifying  by   xvhat 
 
704       The  issue  of  S.  Peters  Aiyostlesliip  foretold. 
 
 Book  12.  manner  of  death  He  should  glorify  God.      And  when  lie 
 
 c.  XXI.  10,  j^^^  sjyoken  this,  He  saith  U7ito  him,  Follow  Me. 
 
 With  great  kindness  and  tenderness  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ  testifies  to  the  fervour  of  the  love  which  His 
 disciple  bore  unto  Him,  and  the  high  honour  of  his 
 piety  and  endurance,  tried  to  the  uttermost.  For  He 
 tells  him  clearly  what  would  be  the  issue  of  his  apostle- 
 ship,  and  what  would  be  the  end  of  his  hfe.  For  He 
 foretold  unto  him,  that  one  would  take  him  to  a  place 
 whither  he  would  not  go  ;  that  is,  in  which  his  perse- 
 cutors, or  those  who  condemned  him  to  the  penalty 
 of  death,  had  fixed  the  cross.  He  says,  that  the  place 
 of  his  crucifixion  would  be  a  place  whither  Peter  would 
 not  go.  For  no  one  of  the  Saints  suffers  death  of  his  own 
 free  choice.  Eut  though  death  be  bitter,  and  though  it 
 come  upon  them  sorely  against  their  will,  yet  do  they 
 who  yearn  for  the  glory  that  God  gives  disdain  earthly 
 life.  Therefore  Christ  foretold,  that  the  blessed  Peter 
 would  be  taken  to  a  place  to  die  in,  sore  displeasing 
 and  hateful  unto  him.  But  he  would  never  have 
 attained  to  so  glorious  a  death,  nor  have  been 
 crucified  for  Christ,  had  he  not  followed  His  injunction 
 to  take  charge  of  the  sheep  of  His  fold,  and,  having 
 the  power  of  the  love  of  Christ  firmly  rooted  in  his 
 heart,  called  to  obedience  those  who  have  been  ensnared 
 into  error  by  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  they  who 
 ventured  on  this  crime,  and  slew  the  blessed  Peter, 
 had  no  other  accusation  to  charge  him  withal,  save  only 
 his  zeal  in  Christ's  service.  We  may  see  then  hereby, 
 that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  well,  and  of  necessity,  fore- 
 told Peter's  end,  that  by  the  doom  that  he  was  destined 
 to  sutfer  he  might  in  a  manner  put  the  seal  of  truth 
 Supra  upon  the  words  he  spake  unto  Him:  Yea,  Lord;  Tliou 
 ^^^  knoivest  that  I  love  Thee.    For  that  he  met  his  death  at 
 
 all  on  account  of  preaching  the  Gcspel  was  surely  a  plain 
 and  incontrovertible  proof  of  afttction,  and  showed  that  he 
 was  in  no  way  lacking  in  perfect  love  towards  Christ. 
 
S.  Peter  inquires  concerning  S.  John.  705 
 
 Christ,  then,  adds  to  what  He  had  said,  the  words  "  Follow  Chap.  i. 
 Me,"  which  bear  the  signification  they  so  commonly  have  23^^'' 
 cf  following  Him  as  a  disciple,  and  also  hinting  darkly, 
 as  I  think,  at  something  else ;  or  meaning,  Tread  in  the 
 track  of  the  perils  through  which  I  have  passed,  and 
 walk  in  the  same  path,  by  deed  and  word  succouring 
 the  souls  of  those  who  are  called,  and  hesitate  not  to 
 encounter  death  itself  upon  the  cross,  which,  Christ  says, 
 will  be  your  lot  when  you  reach  old  age  ;  not  suffering 
 Peter  to  be  alarmed  before  the  time,  but  deferring  for  a 
 long  season  the  approach  of  the  king  of  terrors. 
 
 20  Then  Peter,  turning  about,  seeth  the  disci2>le  whom  Jesus 
 loved  following ;  which  also  leaned  hack  on  His  Breast  at 
 the  supjper,  and  said  unto  Him,  Lord,  who  is  he  that  he- 
 
 21  trayeth  Thee  1     Peter  therefore  seeing  him,  saith  to  Jesus, 
 
 22  Lord,  and  what  shall  this  man  do  ?  Jesus  saith  unto  him, 
 If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ? 
 
 23  follow  thou  Me.     This  saying  therefore  loent  forth  among 
 
 the  brethren,  that  that  disciple  should  not  die :  yet  Jesus 
 said  not  unto  him  that  he  should  not  die ;  but,  If  I  will 
 that  he  tarry  till  I  come,  what  is  that  to  tliee  1 
 
 The  inspired  Evangelist  points  to  himself  obscurely, 
 but  still  sufficiently  to  indicate  who  is  meant.  For  he 
 it  was  who  was  the  beloved  disciple,  and  who  leaned 
 upon  Christ's  Breast  at  the  last  Supper,  and  asked  who 
 it  was  that  should  betray  Him.  Peter,  then,  observing 
 him,  longed  for  information,  and  sought  to  know  in 
 what  perils  he  would  be  involved  in  the  time  to  come, 
 and  in  what  way  his  life  would  end.  But  the  question 
 seemed  unseemly,  and  it  appeared  to  savour  rather  of  a 
 meddlesome  and  inquisitive  spirit,  that,  after  having 
 learnt  what  was  to  happen  unto  himself,  he  should  seek 
 to  know  the  future  fate  of  others.  For  this  cause,  then, 
 I  think  the  Lord  makes  no  direct  reply  to  his  question  or 
 inquiry,  but,  diverting  the  aim  of  the  questioner,  does 
 not  say  that  John  will  not  die,  but,  If  I  will  that  he 
 
 VOL.  II.  z  z 
 
706         It  is  sufficient  to  knoiv  our  oivn  fate. 
 
 Book  12.  tarry  till  I  come,  tvhat  is  that  to  thee?  That  is  to  say, 
 c.  XXI.  24.  "pi^Q^  ]^a^g|;,  heard,  0  Peter,  the  things  concerning  thyself, 
 what  need  is  there  for  thee  to  ask  questions  about 
 others,  and  to  seek  to  fathom  out  of  season  the  know- 
 ledge of  the  Divine  decrees.  For  if  he  never  die  at  all, 
 He  says,  what  consolation  will  this  be  to  thy  heart? 
 The  man  who  is  wise  and  prudent,  then,  if  he  is  doomed 
 to  die,  will  not  trouble  himself  as  to  whether  another 
 will  be  saved  alive  or  not ;  for  it  will  be  enough  for  him 
 to  suffer  his  own  doom,  and  he  will  receive  no  comfort  at 
 all  from  the  misfortune  or  good  cheer  of  another.  The 
 passage  is  fraught  with  some  such  meaning  as  this. 
 Peter's  speech  here  seems  to  imply  that  the  blessed 
 Peter  anxiously  desired  to  know  what  was  destined  to 
 be  John's  fate,  as  he  would  have  considered  it  a  conso- 
 lation in  his  own  sufferings  if  John  were  surely  fated  to 
 die  by  torture,  either  of  the  same  or  of  some  other  kind. 
 And  do  not  be  amazed  at  this,  but  rather  take  the 
 following  thought  into  consideration.  It  is  common  to 
 us,  however  profitless  it  be,  to  like  at  times  not  to  be 
 seen  to  be  the  only  ones  who  are  suffering,  or  who  are 
 destined  to  undergo  some  dreadful  fate,  but  to  prefer  to 
 hear  that  others  have  either  suffered  it  already  or  are 
 expected  to  suffer  it  in  the  future. 
 
 24  Tlds  is  the  disciple  ichich  also  heareth  ivitness  of  these  things, 
 and  wrote  these  things  :  and  ice  knoio  that  his  ivitness  is 
 true. 
 
 I  think  no  wise  man  will  doubt  that  the  Lord  would' 
 not  have  loved  John  if  he  had  not  been  specially  remark- 
 able for  virtue,  and  apt  and  perfectly  equipped  for  every 
 good  work.  For  God  can  never  be  found  to  be  inclined 
 by  any  irrational  leanings  to  those  unworthy  of  His 
 love,  for  such  affections  are  more  worthy  of  men.  And 
 He  that  was  wholly  proof  against  every  assault  and 
 inroad  of  passion,  and  trod  firmly  in  the  path  of  every 
 virtue,  nay  rather,  was  Virtue  itself  in  all  its  forms,  most 
 
S.  John  testified  to  the  Truth.  707 
 
 assuredly  would  act  in  this,  too,  with  judgment,  and  have  Chap.  i. 
 His  inclination  free  from  all  reproach — I  mean,  the  in-  ^'  ^^" 
 clination  which  led  Him  to  deem  him  to  whom  this  boon 
 was  due  worthy  of  His  love.  After  this  admirable  preface, 
 then,  and  after  having  said  that  he  was  beloved,  he  modest- 
 ly and  with  great  humility  says  that  he  testified  of  these 
 things ;  well  and  admirably  inviting  his  hearers,  as  a  neces- 
 sary consequence,  to  assent  to  the  things  which  he  had 
 written,  and  of  which  he  had  testified ;  for  the  preacher 
 of  truth  cannot  lie.  Therefore,  also,  he  says :  We  knoiv 
 that  His  ivltness  is  true.  Dangerous,  then,  and  awful  is 
 it  assuredly,  to  lie  at  all ;  for  man  knoweth  not  how  to 
 bridle  his  tongue,  and  the  Truth  cannot  love  him  that 
 sinneth  against  truth. 
 
 25  And  there  are  also  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did,  the 
 li'hich,  if  they  should  he  ivritten  every  one,  I  supi^ose  that 
 even  the  world  itself  loould  not  contain  the  books  that  shoidd, 
 he  written.     Amen. 
 
 Very  great,  then,  says  the  Apostle,  will  the  number 
 of  the  miracles  that  God  hath  wrought,  and  altogether 
 without  number  will  the  list  of  His  deeds  be  seen  to  be, 
 and  out  of  many  thousands  have  these  that  are  recorded 
 been  taken,  as  not  being  inadequate  to  profit  to  the 
 uttermost  those  who  read  them.  And  let  no  one  who  is 
 of  a  teachable  spirit  and  loveth  instruction,  S.  John 
 implies,  blame  him  that  wrote  this  book  because  he  has 
 not  recorded  the  rest.  For  if  the  things  that  He  did 
 had  been  ivo'itten  every  one,  without  any  omission,  then 
 would  the  immeasurable  number  of  the  books  have  filled 
 the  world.  We  maintain  that,  even  as  it  is,  the  power  of 
 the  Word  has  been  displayed  more  than  abundantly.  For 
 it  is  open  to  every  one  to  observe,  that  a  thousand  miracles 
 were  performed  by  the  power  of  our  Saviour.  The 
 preachers  of  the  Gospels,  however,  have  recorded  the 
 more  remarkable  of  them,  in  all  probability,  and  such  that 
 their  hearers  could  best  be  confirmed  by  them  in  incor- 
 
 z  z  2 
 
708  The  adequacy  of  ivhat  is  luritten. 
 
 Book  12.  ruptible  faith,  and  receive  instruction  in  morality  and 
 p.  XXI.  25.  (doctrine ;  so  that,  conspicuous  for  the  orthodoxy  of  their 
 faith,  and  glorified  by  manifold  works  that  make  for 
 righteousness,  they  might  meet  at  the  very  gates  of  the 
 city  above,  and  being  joined  unto  the  Church  of  the 
 firstborn  in  the  faith,  might  at  length  attain  unto  the 
 Kingdom  of  Heaven  in  Christ ;  through  Whom  and  with 
 Whom  be  glory  to  God  the  Father,  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 for  ever  and  ever.     Amen> 
 
 THE   END. 
 
 Elmxk^  ht  to  iiJijEJ^C. 
 
PASSAGES  FROM  S.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL 
 
 INCIDENTALLY  REFERKED  TO  IN 
 VOL.    I. 
 
 Chap.  T. 
 
 V.   l...pp.8,  49,70,226 
 
 „  2 8,  70 
 
 „  3 70,  99,  275 
 
 „  4 70 
 
 „  5 26,  78,  81 
 
 „  6,  7 126 
 
 ,,  8 65,  126 
 
 „  9 100,  563 
 
 „  12 625 
 
 „  14...  113,  114,  120, 
 121,  122,  205, 
 
 435,  456 
 
 ,  15 117,  118 
 
 ,  16 24,  118,  136, 
 
 191,  287 
 
 ,  18 146 
 
 ,  20...  126,  128,  282 
 
 ,  21,  23 128 
 
 ,  25 291,  553 
 
 ,  29 223,  507 
 
 ,  32 547 
 
 ,  36 149 
 
 ,  51 185,  584 
 
 Chap.  II. 
 
 „  3,  4 531 
 
 „  13 286 
 
 „  16 163 
 
 „  25 583 
 
 Chap.  III. 
 
 „  2 171,  283,  559 
 
 „  9,  10 415 
 
 „  16 124 
 
 „  17 569 
 
 „  18 325 
 
 „  19,  20 79 
 
 „  25 201 
 
 „  26 188,  201 
 
 „  28 ,...282 
 
 „  31 167 
 
 v.SS 196 
 
 „  34 25,  191,  195 
 
 „  35 124 
 
 „  36 411,  667 
 
 Chap.  TV. 
 
 „  2 236 
 
 „  6,  8 224 
 
 „  9 220,  662 
 
 „  12 375 
 
 „  13, 14. ..372,375,545 
 
 „  15 372 
 
 „  16 222 
 
 „  20 220 
 
 „  23 217 
 
 „  24...  436,  465,  659 
 
 „  25 220,  533 
 
 „  47 233 
 
 Chap.  V. 
 
 5 256,  312 
 
 17 52,  245,  254, 
 
 485,  605,  607 
 18...  256,  261,  263, 
 
 271,  274 
 
 19...  261,  276,  280, 
 
 477 
 
 20 270 
 
 21 261,274,  477 
 
 22 261,570 
 
 23 25,  184,  213, 
 
 389,  665 
 
 28 275,  278 
 
 29 411,  504 
 
 33 283 
 
 34...  286,  287,  390 
 
 35 74 
 
 36 318 
 
 39 14,  173 
 
 40 302 
 
 42 303 
 
 44 597,  647 
 
 V.  3.. 
 
 Chap. 
 
 VI. 
 
 334 
 
 „  4.. 
 
 313 
 
 „  7.. 
 
 323 
 
 „  15. 
 
 378 
 
 22 
 
 344 
 
 „  25. 
 „  26. 
 „  28. 
 „  33. 
 „  35. 
 „  36. 
 
 '61 
 
 ..343,  345 
 .359,  371 
 .358,  359 
 .  61,  372 
 321,  396 
 378 
 
 „  38. 
 
 561 
 
 »  42. 
 
 ,,  44. 
 
 .449,  561 
 400 
 
 „  46. 
 
 122 
 
 „   49, 
 „  51. 
 
 50. 
 
 421 
 
 451 
 
 „  52. 
 
 442 
 
 „  53. 
 
 434 
 
 „  63. 
 
 633 
 
 „  66. 
 
 454 
 
 ..  69. 
 
 457 
 
 Chap.  YII. 
 
 „  1,  3 314 
 
 „  8 315 
 
 „  11 475 
 
 „  13 513,  518 
 
 „  15 477 
 
 „  19 513,  515 
 
 „  20 514 
 
 „  22 487 
 
 „  23,  24 242,  279 
 
 „  25,  26 523,  536 
 
 „  27 521 
 
 „  30 532 
 
 „  31 560 
 
 „  33 541 
 
 „  34 316 
 
 „  37 552,  556,  562 
 
 „  38 552,  556 
 
710        PASSAGES    FKOM    S.  JOHN"s   GOSPEL   IN    VOL.   I. 
 
 r.  41,  42 560 
 
 „  49 561 
 
 Chap.  VIII. 
 
 „  1-2... 20,  79,82,  452, 
 565,  567,  571, 
 598,  603,  607 
 
 „  13 70,  281,  568, 
 
 598,  599,  600, 
 601,  603,  607 
 
 „  14 598 
 
 „  15 584,  596 
 
 „  16 570 
 
 „  19 600 
 
 „  21 316,  583 
 
 „  23 167,  188 
 
 „  24,  25 601 
 
 „  26 599,  600 
 
 „  28...  275,  572,  615, 
 617 
 
 „  29 620 
 
 „  33 627 
 
 „  34 629 
 
 „  37,  38 636,  637 
 
 „  39 680 
 
 „  40 645 
 
 „  41 659 
 
 „  42...  355,  647,  657, 
 658 
 
 „  44 520,  658,  682 
 
 „  46 662 
 
 „  47 661,  662,  666 
 
 „  48 318 
 
 „  52 676 
 
 „  53 672,  673 
 
 „  55 35,  36,  43 
 
 „  58 11 
 
 Chap.  IX. 
 „  2 96 
 
 V.  3 97 
 
 „  27,  28 304 
 
 „  29 305 
 
 „  39 103 
 
 Chap.  X. 
 
 „  9 453 
 
 „  18 524,  578 
 
 „  30 18,  192,  251 
 
 „  33 38,  274,449, 
 
 606,  658 
 
 „  35 191 
 
 „  36 191,  257 
 
 „  37,38. ..112,300,318 
 
 Chap.  XI. 
 
 ,,  25 426,  550 
 
 „  34 617 
 
 „  36 98 
 
 „  41,  42 328 
 
 Chap.  XII. 
 
 „  26 446 
 
 „  28,  30 46,  299 
 
 „  31 ...679 
 
 „  32 173,  318 
 
 „  35. ..78,  83,568,  603 
 
 „  36 82 
 
 „  41 587 
 
 „  46 67,  88,  368 
 
 „  47 118,  598 
 
 „  49 191,  192,308 
 
 Chap.  XIV. 
 
 „  2 399,  496,  582 
 
 „  3 582 
 
 „  6...12,  20,37,  60,74, 
 
 128,  145,  437, 
 
 453,  575,  600 
 
 „  8 321,  429 
 
 V.  9 17,  30,  41,  47, 
 
 SO,  192,  216, 
 
 251,  300,  321, 
 
 429,  521 
 
 „  10... 17,  32,  53,  123, 
 
 191,  192,  275, 
 
 355,  425,  428, 
 
 572 
 
 „  11 37,  256 
 
 „  15,  16,  17 145 
 
 „  23 107 
 
 „  24 35 
 
 „  30 328 
 
 Chap.  XV. 
 
 „  15 191,  308 
 
 „  19 464 
 
 „  22 358,  409,  432 
 
 Chap.  XVI. 
 
 „  12,  13,14 402 
 
 „  15 31,  42,259 
 
 „  16 .340 
 
 „  28. ..13,  19,  193,  355 
 
 „  33 340 
 
 Chap.  XVII. 
 
 „  1 674 
 
 „  5 197 
 
 „  6 402,  575 
 
 „  10 31 
 
 „  11 410 
 
 „  19 410,  524 
 
 „  23 262 
 
 Chap.  XX. 
 
 „  22 501,  550 
 
 „  28 268 
 
PASSAGES  FROM  S.  JOHN'S  GOSPEL 
 
 INCIDENTALLY  REFERRED  TO  IN 
 
 VOL.  IL 
 
 Chap.  I. 
 
 1 pp.  104,  497 
 
 2 497 
 
 3 481,  530 
 
 9 3 
 
 10 543 
 
 11 316,  50-2 
 
 12,  13 316 
 
 14...    198,  320,  337, 
 513,  549 
 
 16 380 
 
 29 506 
 
 32 542 
 
 48,  49 247 
 
 52 204 
 
 Chap.  III. 
 
 ,  13 544 
 
 ,  16 221,  391 
 
 ,  17 156,  671 
 
 ,  18 59,  126 
 
 ,  20 267 
 
 ,  35 312,  313 
 
 ,  36 59,  325 
 
 Chap.  IV. 
 
 ,.  6 399 
 
 „  21,23 58 
 
 „  24 58,  384 
 
 „  25 47 
 
 „   34 400,697 
 
 Chap.  V. 
 
 2,  5 38 
 
 14 13 
 
 17 366,  612 
 
 18 469,  504,  612 
 
 23 192 
 
 25 676 
 
 28 117 
 
 29 117,  676 
 
 46 424 
 
 Chap.  VI. 
 
 15 209 
 
 27 500 
 
 3.} 128 
 
 38 671 
 
 42 44,  454 
 
 44 485 
 
 45 393 
 
 46 198 
 
 51 523 
 
 53 371 
 
 54 100,371 
 
 56 370 
 
 63 523 
 
 Chap.  VII. 
 
 7 413 
 
 25,  26,27 42,  47 
 
 32 584 
 
 37 386 
 
 39 153,  386,  448 
 
 45  5g5 
 
 46 585,  586,  587 
 
 47 585,  586 
 
 48,  49 586 
 
 Chap.  VIII. 
 
 12 98 
 
 23 268 
 
 24 445 
 
 25 454 
 
 28 103,366,  437 
 
 52,  53 454 
 
 56 405 
 
 59 616 
 
 Chap.  IX. 
 
 „  1 12 
 
 „  2 53 
 
 „   4 113,  361 
 
 „   12 24 
 
 „   13 32 
 
 V.  16 469,504 
 
 22 435 
 
 24 62 
 
 28 49,  2.53,  504 
 
 29 50,  253,  504 
 
 36 56 
 
 39 60,  61 
 
 Chap.  X. 
 
 7 465 
 
 9 98 
 
 11 98,  571 
 
 12,  13 96 
 
 16 327 
 
 20 75,  245,  252 
 
 30. ..94,103,108,351, 
 375,  500,  501 
 
 32 366 
 
 33 169,  504 
 
 34,35,  36 612 
 
 37,  38 305 
 
 Chap.  XI. 
 
 3 117 
 
 5 110 
 
 8,  11,  16 228 
 
 18 142 
 
 22 121 
 
 25 98,  126,  676 
 
 38 194 
 
 Chap.  XII. 
 
 9 145 
 
 31 360 
 
 32 327,360 
 
 42 42,  435 
 
 49...45,  94,  300,  437 
 50 300 
 
 Chap.  XIII. 
 
 2 181 
 
 8 178 
 
 13 274 
 
 21 567 
 
712     PAssAaEs  FROM  s.  john's  gospel  in  vol.  ir. 
 
 Chap.  XIV. 
 
 ^'■3 405,  557 
 
 „  6.. .66,  98,  244,  297, 
 
 374,  465,  508, 
 
 632,  696 
 
 „   S 289,  350 
 
 „  9... 198,245,270,277, 
 
 290,  351,  501 
 
 ,,   10.. .45,103, 108,253, 
 
 270,  278,  300, 
 
 305,  351,  366 
 
 „    11 290,  291 
 
 „   12 397 
 
 „   16 534,  535 
 
 „   18 308,  340 
 
 „   19.. .314,324,328,357 
 
 „   21 325,  326 
 
 „  23 334,  375,608 
 
 „  24 45,  300 
 
 „  25 340 
 
 >,  26 357 
 
 „  27 257 
 
 „  28 94 
 
 „  30 607 
 
 Chap.  XV, 
 ,>  3 385 
 
 v.  10 608 
 
 >,  12 173 
 
 „   13 173,  221,  312 
 
 „  24 430 
 
 Chap.  XVI. 
 
 ..   6 448 
 
 „   7... 225, 535,659,674 
 
 „  12 534 
 
 „   13 533,  534 
 
 >.    14 431 
 
 »   15 676 
 
 „   16,  22 669,  681 
 
 Chap.  XVII. 
 
 »   1 484 
 
 »   4 391 
 
 »   5 480 
 
 „   10 458 
 
 „    11...    196,  516,  521, 
 560,  652 
 
 „   12 521,  652 
 
 »   17 538,  560 
 
 „   22,  23,24 561 
 
 Chap.  XVIII. 
 
 '.   6 573 
 
 >   10 701 
 
 .   21 586 
 
 t--23 425 
 
 „   30 599 
 
 ,.   31 604 
 
 „   36 600,611 
 
 „   37 614 
 
 „   38 360,  614 
 
 Chap.  XIX. 
 
 „   4 360 
 
 „  7 617,  618,  622 
 
 >-   W 577 
 
 »   15 78 
 
 „   30 348 
 
 Chap.  XX. 
 
 >.   17 685 
 
 „    19 669,  684 
 
 „   22 143,  303,  380 
 
 >,   24 678 
 
 „  25...    44.5,  685,  688, 
 
 691 
 
 >,  29 445 
 
 Chap.  XXI. 
 
 >  11 701 
 
 ,    15 402 
 
 ,    16 402,  704 
 
 ,    18,  19 226 
 
PASSAGES  OF  OTHER  SCRIPTURE 
 
 INCIDENTALLY  EEFERRED  TO  IN 
 VOL.  I. 
 
 Genesis. 
 
 i-  10 p.  317 
 
 i-  11 216 
 
 i-  26 18,  55 
 
 i-  27 104,  141 
 
 i-  31 525 
 
 ii.  7...  108,141,547,550 
 
 "•  8 141 
 
 "i-  16 155,  157 
 
 iii.  19...  108,  132,  141, 
 157,  420,  605 
 
 iii- 24 540 
 
 IV.  5 655 
 
 iv.  3-8 654 
 
 |v-  9 655 
 
 ix.  6 264 
 
 xii.  1 639 
 
 XV.  4 639 
 
 XV.  5 94 
 
 xvii.  4 679 
 
 xvii.  5 125 
 
 xvii.  9-12 '.'.'..498 
 
 xvii.  13,  14 499 
 
 xvii.  24,  25 502 
 
 xviii.  1 679 
 
 xviii.  27 673 
 
 xix.  24 20 
 
 xxii.  17 634 
 
 xlix.  17 35 
 
 Exodus. 
 
 iv.  6 125 
 
 iv.  10 299 
 
 IV.  22...  103,  193,  642, 
 655 
 
 IV.  24 503 
 
 iv.  25 503,  505 
 
 iv-  26 503 
 
 viii-  1 103 
 
 xii.  7 419,  624 
 
 xii.  43,  44 507 
 
 XV.  25 416 
 
 xvi.  1-3 363 
 
 xvi.  4 364,  366 
 
 xvi.  5-8 367 
 
 xvi.  13,  14 368 
 
 xvi.  15,  19,  20 369 
 
 xvi.  25,  26 494 
 
 xvi.  28,  29 495 
 
 xvi.  33 370 
 
 xix.  10,  11 500 
 
 xix.  17,  18 297 
 
 xix.  19 297,  299 
 
 XX.  2-4 490 
 
 XX.  5 97,  490 
 
 XX.  7 490 
 
 XX.  8-10 296,  490 
 
 XX.  11 490 
 
 XX.  12,  13 492 
 
 XX.  21 403 
 
 xxiii.  2 534 
 
 xxiii.  7... 279,  482,  523, 
 534,  556,  636 
 
 xxiii.  10,  11 496 
 
 XXV.  11 449 
 
 XXV.  21,  22 473 
 
 xxvi.  1 496 
 
 xxvii.  20 289 
 
 xxvii.  21 290 
 
 xxviii.  1  289 
 
 XXX.  12 .'.'.356 
 
 XXX.  13 216,  356 
 
 xxxiii.  1,  2 469 
 
 xxxiii.  12... 117,120,325 
 
 xxxiii.  15,  16 469 
 
 xxxiii.  17 141,  469 
 
 xxxiii.  20 122,  308 
 
 xl-  1,  2 447 
 
 xl-  3 449 
 
 xl-  4 451 
 
 xl.  5,  6 452 
 
 Leviticus. 
 
 i.3-9 4 
 
 i-  10 5,  459 
 
 i.  11. 
 i.  14. 
 ii.  1.. 
 iv.  5. 
 V.  2,  3. 
 
 459 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 624 
 
 205 
 
 viii.  10 474 
 
 xi.  44 500 
 
 xxiii.  24 1 
 
 xxiii.  34-36 543 
 
 xxiii.  39 543 
 
 xxiii.  40 543,  562 
 
 xxiv.  1-3,  5-7 412 
 
 XXV.  2-4 496 
 
 xxvi.  12 107 
 
 Numbers. 
 
 i-  2,  3 3-26 
 
 vi.  26 320 
 
 viii.  4 452 
 
 ix.  15-20 445 
 
 xi.  4 324,  441 
 
 xi.  5 324 
 
 xi.  6 433 
 
 xi.  17 194 
 
 xi.  21-23 324 
 
 xi.  34 365 
 
 xii.  6-8 117 
 
 xiv.  7,  8,  25 441 
 
 xiv.  44 450 
 
 XV.  17-21 411 
 
 XV.  36 494 
 
 xvi.  32,  33 530 
 
 XX.  10-12 325 
 
 xxi.  8,  9 173 
 
 Deuteronomy. 
 
 -  " 450 
 
 -  10,  11 94 
 
 -  17 279,  488 
 
 -  19 450 
 
 •39 506 
 
 1-  42,  45 450 
 
 iv.  20 626 
 
7U 
 
 PASSAGES   OF    OTHER   SCRIPTURE 
 
 iv.  40 309 
 
 T.  16 309 
 
 vi.  12 217 
 
 vi.  13 214,  250 
 
 vii.  5 3 
 
 xi.  9,  21 309 
 
 XV.  11 330 
 
 XV.  12 497 
 
 x\a.  21 3 
 
 xvii.  4 559 
 
 xviii.  15, 16...126,  307, 
 593 
 
 xviii.  17 307,  309 
 
 xviii.  18 307,  309, 
 
 552,  5t)l,  640 
 xviii.  19... 307, 309, 558 
 
 xix.  15 69,171,631 
 
 XX.  19,  20 2,  4 
 
 xxii.  7 309 
 
 xxvii.  12 211 
 
 xxvii.  26 559 
 
 xxviii.  44 535 
 
 xxxii.  5,  6 317 
 
 xxxii.  8 103 
 
 xxxii.  9 103,  563 
 
 xxxii.  21 684 
 
 xxxii.  31 29 
 
 Joshua. 
 
 iii.  &  iv.  8 374 
 
 v.  2 374,  505 
 
 V.  3 505 
 
 V.  9 506 
 
 V.  10,  11 507 
 
 vi 242,  450 
 
 xxiv.  29,  30 508 
 
 Judges. 
 xiii 84 
 
 1   SAilUEL. 
 
 i.  11 95 
 
 X.  6 546 
 
 xii.  5 566 
 
 xxi.  6  451 
 
 1  Kings. 
 
 x\ai.  14 326 
 
 xviii.  21... 166 
 
 2  Kings. 
 
 iii.  15 546 
 
 Job. 
 
 i 71 
 
 iii.  23 331 
 
 V.  13 555 
 
 XXV.  5 619 
 
 xxxiii.  6 633 
 
 xxxiv.  18 313 
 
 xxxviii.  2 166 
 
 xl.  4 1 
 
 Psalms. 
 
 ii.  3 502,  534 
 
 ii.  6 293,  309,  373 
 
 ii.  7. ..35,  38.  293,  309, 
 373,  548 
 
 ii.ll 377 
 
 iv.  6 80,  350 
 
 vi.  5 331 
 
 vii.  3,  4 566 
 
 vii.  9 154 
 
 vii.  11 570,  666 
 
 vii.  12,  13 666 
 
 X.  9,  10 392 
 
 xi.  6 20 
 
 xii.  3 79 
 
 xviii.  11 298 
 
 xviii.  28 77 
 
 xix.  1 122 
 
 xix.  4 299,  545 
 
 xix.  7,  8 178 
 
 xix.  12 423 
 
 xxi.  12 236 
 
 xxiii.  1,  2 327 
 
 xxiv 608 
 
 xxiv.  3,  4 335 
 
 xxiv.  10 249,  674 
 
 xxvii.  12 162 
 
 xxvii.  13 492 
 
 xxviii.  6,  7 466 
 
 XXX.  7 226,  614 
 
 xxxiii.  11 23 
 
 xxxiii.  15 165 
 
 xxxiv.  4 149 
 
 xxxiv.  5 77 
 
 xxxiv.  8 471 
 
 xxxiv.  12,  13 200 
 
 xxxiv.  15 335 
 
 XXXV.  11 162 
 
 XXXV.  12 204,  313 
 
 xxxvi.  7,  8 543 
 
 xxxvi.  9 59,  65,  79, 
 
 426 
 
 xxxvii.  4 366 
 
 xxxvii.  7 388 
 
 xl.  6-8...  409,  524,  593 
 
 xliii.  3... 20,  23,  65,  78, 
 
 88 
 
 xlv.  6 268 
 
 xlv.  7 135,  548 
 
 xlv.  10 182 
 
 xlv.  11 182,  467 
 
 xlix.  20 102 
 
 1.  11 358 
 
 1.  13 358,  624 
 
 Ixiii.  8 582 
 
 Ixv.  9 321 
 
 Ixvi.  7 460 
 
 Ixviii.  7,  8 450 
 
 Ixviii.  11...    1,  37,  305 
 
 Ixviii.  28 226 
 
 Ixviii.  34 259 
 
 Ixix.  15 317 
 
 Ixix.  23...162,  396,  574 
 
 Ixix.  27 483,661 
 
 Ixxiii.  24...23,  226,  614 
 
 Ixxiv.  13 9 
 
 Ixxiv.  14 349 
 
 Ixxv.  7 258,  275 
 
 Ixxvi.  1 563 
 
 Ixxvi.  7 90 
 
 Ixxviii.  2 373 
 
 Ixxviii.  14 564 
 
 Ixxviii.  24 365,  407 
 
 Ixxviii.  25...  365,  407, 
 
 494 
 
 Ixxxi.  9 11 
 
 Ixxxii.  6...  51,  86,  105, 
 
 110 
 
 Ixxxii.  8 258,  275 
 
 Ixxxiv.  7 336 
 
 Ixxxvi.  5 580 
 
 Ixxxvii.  2 125 
 
 Ixxxviii.  5 628 
 
 Ixxxix.  6 119,  362 
 
 Ixxxix.  15 81 
 
 xc.  12 64 
 
 xci.  11 667 
 
 xciii.  3 545 
 
 xciv.  8 477 
 
 xciv.  9 166,  477 
 
 xc'v.  6 217 
 
 xcv.  11 441 
 
 xcvii.  11 81 
 
 xeix.  5-7 566 
 
 cii.  18 468 
 
 cii.  26...   61,  186,  630, 
 
 674 
 
 cii.  27 12,  61,  137, 
 
 186,250,255, 
 630,  674 
 
 ciii.  2-6 87 
 
 ciii.  14 673 
 
 civ.  15...  327,  347,366 
 
 civ.  25 340 
 
 cv.  17 632 
 
 cvii.  42 132 
 
 ex.  3...  13,  36,  41,  105, 
 
 123 
 
 cxii.  4 81 
 
 cxviii.  24 679 
 
 cxviii.  26 112 
 
 cxix.  18 101 
 
 cxix.  37 37 
 
 cxix.  40 23 
 
 cxix.  67 90 
 
 cxix.  91 591,  630 
 
 cxix.  103 433,  446 
 
 cxix.  137 224 
 
 cxxviii.  2 494 
 
 cxxxii.  11 397,  553 
 
 cxxxii.  17... 73,  74,  287, 
 
 288 
 
INCIDENTALLY   KEFERRED    TO    IN    VOL.  I. 
 
 715 
 
 cxxxix.  6 575 
 
 cxxxix.  7-10...  88,  574 
 
 cxli.  3,  4 140 
 
 cxliv.  5 582 
 
 cxlvi.  4 679 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 i.  17 177 
 
 ii.  13 37 
 
 iii.  9 216 
 
 iii.  35 388 
 
 iv.  15,26 429 
 
 V.  13 581 
 
 V.  22 35,  160,  175, 
 
 244,  378,  668 
 
 vii.  26 50 
 
 vii.  27 34 
 
 viii.  9 383,  414 
 
 viii.  30,  31 97,  493 
 
 ix.  1 42i,  445 
 
 ix.  8 484 
 
 ix.  9 91,  151,  498 
 
 ix.  18 34 
 
 X.  3 320 
 
 X.  8 661 
 
 X.  9 7 
 
 xii.  27...... 523 
 
 xvi.  12 15 
 
 xviii.  3 36 
 
 xviii.  17 280 
 
 XX.  9 618 
 
 xxiv.  27 345 
 
 XXV.  2 8,  56,  196 
 
 XXV.  7 147 
 
 xxvii.  2 280,566 
 
 xxvii.  23 171 
 
 ECCLESIASTES. 
 
 iii.  1 530 
 
 vii.  24 370 
 
 X.  9,10 2 
 
 Song  of  Solomon. 
 
 i.  7 182 
 
 ii.  1 452 
 
 ii.  11,  12 448 
 
 ii.l3 447 
 
 V.  1 327 
 
 Isaiah. 
 
 i.  2 106 
 
 i.  4 104 
 
 i.  8 629 
 
 i.  11 161 
 
 i.  12 161,  625,  655 
 
 i.  13 161,  625 
 
 i.  14 161 
 
 i.  16,  18 592 
 
 i.  19,  20 177 
 
 ii.  3 127 
 
 ii.5 82 
 
 ii.l2 679 
 
 V.  4 101 
 
 V.  20...  398,  433,  472, 
 599 
 
 vi.  1 121,  122,  587 
 
 vi.  2 121,  587 
 
 vi.  3 121,  137,  353 
 
 vi.  9 170,  377,  438 
 
 vi.  10...  377,  396,  438 
 
 vii.  9 417,  455 
 
 vii.  14...  397,  518,  641 
 
 vii.  16 476 
 
 viii.  9,  10 615 
 
 viii.  20 101 
 
 ix.  1 158,  460 
 
 x.  22 452 
 
 xi.  1 397 
 
 xii.  3 209 
 
 xiv.  14 590 
 
 xvi.  19,  20 652 
 
 XX.  2 474 
 
 xxi.  12 414 
 
 XXV.  8 132 
 
 xxvi.  19 93,  411 
 
 xxvi.  20 228 
 
 xxviii.  1 353 
 
 xxviii.  16 455 
 
 xxix.  13 675 
 
 XXX.  1 642 
 
 XXX.  10 283,  635 
 
 xxxii.  1 373 
 
 xxxii.  2 373,  462 
 
 xxxii.  6 372,  425 
 
 xxxiii.  20 496 
 
 XXXV.  3 313 
 
 xxxv.  5,  6 593 
 
 XXXV.  8,  9 127,  494 
 
 xxxv.  10 160,  491 
 
 xxxvii.  36 529 
 
 xxxviii.  5 95 
 
 xl.  3... 70,  73,113,126, 
 283,  288,  290,  413 
 
 xl.  6 673 
 
 xL9,  10... 223,  593,636 
 
 xL  11 593,  636 
 
 xl.  12 8 
 
 xl.  22 609 
 
 xii.  27 128 
 
 xlii.  6 82,  599,  607 
 
 xlii.  8 590 
 
 xlii.  16 128 
 
 xlii.  20 521 
 
 xliii.  16 286 
 
 xliii.  20,  21...  207,  545 
 
 xliii.  25 148,592 
 
 xliv.  4 207 
 
 xlv.  3 498 
 
 xlv.  5 187 
 
 xlv.  14 109 
 
 -xlv.  18., 97 
 
 xlv.  19 432 
 
 xlviii.  11 25,26 
 
 xlviii.  13 195 
 
 xlix.  6 599 
 
 Iii.  6 448,  622 
 
 Iii.  7 448 
 
 liii.  5.. 410 
 
 liii.  7 131 
 
 liii.  8 12,  517 
 
 liv.  1 369 
 
 liv.  13 150 
 
 Iv.  6,  7 439,  470 
 
 Iv.  8,9 416 
 
 Ivii.  3,  4 9 
 
 Iviii.  7 330 
 
 Iviii.  11 545 
 
 lix.  5 470 
 
 lix.  9 563 
 
 Ix.  1 82,  592,  599 
 
 Ixi.  1 538,603 
 
 Ixi.  2 638 
 
 Ixv.  1 406,  469 
 
 Ixv.  2 406 
 
 Ixv.  16 491- 
 
 Ixvi.  1 211 
 
 Ixvi.  5 15 
 
 Ixvi.  12 544 
 
 Ixvi.  24 580 
 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 i.  7 193 
 
 ii.  12,  13 140 
 
 ii.  27 50 
 
 iii.  20 467 
 
 iii.  22 592 
 
 iv.  4 379,  501 
 
 iv.  22 388,  565 
 
 V.  21... 139,239,371,573 
 
 vi.  16 128 
 
 vi.  20 655 
 
 vii.  21 624 
 
 vii.  22 358,  624 
 
 vii.  23 624 
 
 vii.  25 112 
 
 vii.  31 227 
 
 viii.  8...  244,  300,  470 
 
 viii.  9 300,  470 
 
 ix.  8 22 
 
 X.  12 609 
 
 X.  21 473,  514 
 
 xi.  15 625 
 
 xii. "6 462 
 
 xii.  7...    318,  334,  458 
 
 xii.  10,  11 159,  472 
 
 xiv.  14 520 
 
 XV.  6 441 
 
 XV.  16,  17 566 
 
 xvii.  7-10 398 
 
 xvii.  21 495 
 
 xvii.  22 239,495 
 
 XX.  12 151 
 
 xxii.  10 46 
 
716 
 
 PASSAGES  OF  OTHER  SCRIPTURE 
 
 xxii.  28-30 380 
 
 XAiii.l6...9,  36,  90,215, 
 633,  645 
 
 xxiii.  21 520,  645 
 
 xxiii.- 23 251 
 
 xxiii.  24 574 
 
 xxviii.  2 645 
 
 xxix.  24...215,633,645 
 
 xxix.  32 633 
 
 xxxi.  12 207 
 
 xxxii.  27 251 
 
 xxxix.  17,  18 95 
 
 xliii.  2 283 
 
 xlviii.  10 224 
 
 EZEKIEL. 
 
 i.  25-28 121,122 
 
 iii.  27 72 
 
 iv.  6 474 
 
 viii.  16 460 
 
 xii.  3 90 
 
 xiii.  3 645 
 
 xvi.  35 467 
 
 xvi.  44,  45 553 
 
 xvi.  52 204 
 
 xviii.  4 634 
 
 xviii.  20 40 
 
 xxii.  26 42 
 
 xxviii.  12 352,  651 
 
 xxxiv.  16 423,  581 
 
 Daniel. 
 
 ii.  20 609 
 
 ii.22 166 
 
 iii.  &  vi 95 
 
 vii.  9,10,13 197 
 
 vii.  14 26,197 
 
 viii.  15,16 84 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 i.  2 474 
 
 ii.  6 316 
 
 v.  6 538 
 
 vi.  1-3 : 157 
 
 vii.  13 472 
 
 viii.  7 4 
 
 ix.  5 466,  679 
 
 ix.  15 629 
 
 xi.  9 591 
 
 xiii.  14 132 
 
 xiv.  9...  316,  620,  647, 
 669 
 
 Joel. 
 
 i.  5 135 
 
 ii.  13 454 
 
 ii.  28 108,  547 
 
 Amos. 
 
 iv.  5 542 
 
 V.  21 358,  465 
 
 V.  22,  23 465 
 
 vii.  8 505 
 
 ix.  3 396 
 
 ix.  11 466 
 
 MiCAH. 
 
 iii.  9... 36, 124,  178,261 
 V.  2 152,  518,  554 
 
 Habakkuk. 
 
 ii.  6 558 
 
 iii.  8 451 
 
 Zephaniah. 
 ii.  11 211 
 
 Zechariah. 
 
 i.  3 149 
 
 i.  9 84 
 
 ii.  3,  4 84 
 
 iv.  3,  14 452 
 
 vi.  12 599 
 
 ix.  9 636 
 
 ix.  16 374 
 
 xiii.  6 537 
 
 xiv.  16 466 
 
 Malachi. 
 
 iii.  1 71,  593 
 
 iii.  2 593 
 
 iii.  6 187,  250 
 
 iii.  16 640 
 
 iv.  2 77,  448,  599 
 
 iv.  5,  6 127 
 
 Wisdom. 
 
 i.  4 7,36,142 
 
 i.  5 142 
 
 i.  7,10 476 
 
 i.  13&ii.  24...    98,654 
 
 iii.  15 286 
 
 xiii.  5 51,122,300, 
 
 318,  378 
 
 Ecclesiasticus. 
 
 i.  1 1 
 
 iii.  21,22 517 
 
 V.  12 342 
 
 XXV.  9 170,  464 
 
 Baruch. 
 
 iii.  3 631 
 
 iii.  35 588 
 
 iii.  37 9,  89 
 
 History  of  Susanna. 
 
 42...151, 166,  201,  251, 
 440,  457,  467 
 
 Matthew. 
 
 i 8 
 
 i.  18, 19 637 
 
 i.  21 374 
 
 iii.  3 126,  128 
 
 iii.  7 200 
 
 iii.  9 634 
 
 iii.  11 119,  413 
 
 iii.  12 380 
 
 iii.  14 551 
 
 iv.  10...   214,  217,  250 
 
 iv.  11 154 
 
 iv.  15 460 
 
 iv.  17 290 
 
 V.  8 683 
 
 V.  13 413 
 
 V.  14...  74,  85,  86,  412 
 
 V.  17 480 
 
 V.  27,28 309 
 
 vi.  9 160,  641 
 
 vi.  25,  31 346 
 
 vii.  3 489 
 
 vii.  6 7 
 
 vii.  18 676 
 
 vii.  21 167 
 
 vii.  22,23 345 
 
 viii.  11 160,  680 
 
 viii.  12. ..443,  541,581 
 
 viii.  29 652 
 
 ix.  6 312 
 
 ix.  13 439 
 
 X.  8 85,  222,  544 
 
 X.  20 7,  332 
 
 X.  24 170,357,  621 
 
 X.  25 357,  621 
 
 X.  29 530 
 
 X.  32,33 304 
 
 xi.  9 131 
 
 xi.lO 71 
 
 xi.  11...  117,  120,  143, 
 
 223,  550 
 
 xi.  27 196 
 
 xi.  29 146 
 
 xii.  5 509 
 
 xii.  8 313,485 
 
 xii.  25 669 
 
 xii.  26 651,  669 
 
 xii.  33 643,  676 
 
 xii.  38 604 
 
 xii.  39,  40...    162,  604 
 
 xiii.  10,  13 373 
 
 xiii.  33 422 
 
 xiii.  38 345 
 
 xiii.  44,  46 151 
 
 xiii.  47,  48 380 
 
 xiii.  52 367 
 
 xiii.  55 318,638 
 
 xiv.  10,  12 164 
 
 xiv.  19 328 
 
 xiv.  33 135 
 
 XV.  9 278,  480,  534 
 
 XV.  15 373 
 
 XV.  24...  103,  202,  439, 
 
 596,  684 
 
INCIDENTALLY    REFERRED    TO    IN    VOL.   L 
 
 717 
 
 XV.  26 202,  596 
 
 xvi.  16 189 
 
 xvi.  17 401 
 
 xvi.  18 151 
 
 xvi.  27 164,  340 
 
 xvii.  24-27 217 
 
 xix.  20 357 
 
 xix.  28 319 
 
 XX.  16 442,  466 
 
 xxi.  9 468 
 
 xxi.  13 159 
 
 xxi.  38 129,  302 
 
 xxi.  41 408 
 
 xxii.  12 466 
 
 xxii.  29...127,  218,  242 
 
 xxiii.  17 630 
 
 xxiii.  27 170,  483 
 
 xxiii.  37,  38... 172,  223 
 
 xxiv.  28 164 
 
 xxiv.  42 340 
 
 XXV.  18 148,222 
 
 XXV.  24,25 621 
 
 XXV.27 148 
 
 XXV.  33 628 
 
 XXV.  34,  41 629 
 
 xxvi.  24 392 
 
 xxvi.  26 417 
 
 xxvi.  27,  28 418 
 
 xxvi.  29 541 
 
 xxvi.  37 172 
 
 xxvi.  39 384 
 
 xxvi.  41 385 
 
 xxvi.  49 656 
 
 xxvi.  55 579 
 
 xxviii.  7 236 
 
 xxviii.  13 605 
 
 xxviii.  18 196 
 
 xxviii.  19 19 
 
 Mark. 
 
 i.  7 144 
 
 i.  24 652 
 
 ii.  27,  28 279 
 
 viii.  28 25 
 
 xii.  36 546 
 
 Luke. 
 
 i.  2 8 
 
 i.  13 72 
 
 i.  15 144 
 
 i.  17 127 
 
 i.  19 72,  587 
 
 i.  35 144,  425 
 
 ii.34 589 
 
 ii.  52 112 
 
 iii 8 
 
 iv.  10 667 
 
 iv.  16 152,  554 
 
 iv.  18 538,  603 
 
 iv.  19 538 
 
 iv.  22 153 
 
 V.  17-23 
 
 295 
 
 vi.  6-9 
 
 295 
 
 vi.  13 
 
 290 
 
 vi.  36 
 
 262, 
 
 267 
 
 vi.  37 
 
 489 
 
 vi.  38 
 
 330 
 
 vii.  12,14... 
 
 .419 
 
 vii.  29,  30... 
 
 .291 
 
 viii.  6 
 
 454 
 
 viii.  17 
 
 ..341 
 
 359 
 
 viii.  31 
 
 652 
 
 viii.  54 
 
 418 
 
 X.  18 
 
 590 
 453 
 
 X.  22 
 
 ..256, 
 
 xi.  18 
 
 .  98 
 
 458 
 
 xi.  23 
 
 xi.  52 
 
 516, 
 
 660 
 
 xii.  47,  48... 
 
 .558 
 
 xii.  49 
 
 .  221 
 
 289 
 
 xiii.  15 
 
 242 
 
 xvi.  22 
 
 124 
 
 xvi.  29 
 
 298 
 
 xvii.  21 
 
 .551 
 
 xviii.  20 
 
 357 
 
 xviii.  27..... 
 
 322 
 
 xxi.  15 
 
 63 
 
 xxi.  20 
 
 602 
 
 xxii.  28 
 
 .319 
 
 xxiii.  28,  30. 
 
 602 
 
 xxiii.  43 
 
 541 
 
 xxiv.  45 
 
 403 
 
 Acts. 
 
 ii.  20 
 
 .241 
 
 467 
 467 
 
 ii.23 
 
 ii.  24 
 
 ..410 
 
 ii.  32 
 
 467 
 558 
 
 iii.  23 
 
 vii.  19 
 
 349 
 
 vii.  22 
 
 476 
 
 vii.  34 
 
 193 
 
 vii.  49 
 
 .  211, 
 
 574 
 
 vii.  51 
 
 267 
 
 viii.  18 
 
 194 
 
 viii.  33 
 
 517 
 
 viii.  34 
 
 85 
 
 ix.  15 
 
 451 
 
 X.  3 
 
 ..  84 
 
 xiii.  46 
 
 440 
 
 xvi.  7 
 
 143 
 
 xvii.  28 
 
 9,  57 
 
 198 
 
 xvii.  29 
 
 .633 
 
 xvii.  31 
 
 .272 
 
 ...  1 
 
 xxii.  3 
 
 566 
 
 xxiii.  3 
 
 170 
 
 EoMANS. 
 
 i.  4 
 
 110 
 
 544 
 560 
 
 i.  11 
 
 i.  16 
 
 i.  20 300 
 
 i.  22 128,  558 
 
 i.  25... 50,  69,  268,527, 
 
 684 
 
 ii.  1 489 
 
 ii.  4 602 
 
 ii.  5 241,  602 
 
 ii.28 499 
 
 ii.  29 119,379,499 
 
 iii.  5 440 
 
 iii.  8 124 
 
 iii.  10,  23 628 
 
 iv.  3 626 
 
 iv.  11 499 
 
 iv.  17 100 
 
 V.  12 98 
 
 V.  14 96 
 
 V.  19 142 
 
 vii.  24 90 
 
 viii.  3 173 
 
 viii.  8 437 
 
 viii.  9,10 145,  437 
 
 viii.  15. ..106, 111,119, 
 
 146 
 
 viii.  26 321 
 
 viii.  29,30 320 
 
 viii.  33,34 132 
 
 viii.  35 298,  319 
 
 ix.  6,7 634 
 
 X.  2 274,  660 
 
 X.  4 311,  369 
 
 X.  6 626 
 
 xi.  10 396 
 
 xi.  21 443 
 
 xi.  22 102,  443 
 
 xi.  24 104 
 
 xi.  25...  170,  236,  369, 
 
 438 
 
 xi.  26.. 236 
 
 xi.  28 451 
 
 xi.  29 496 
 
 xi.  30 684 
 
 xi.  31 504 
 
 xi.  33 370 
 
 xii.  1 96 
 
 xii.  21 664 
 
 xiii.  7 362 
 
 xiii.  11,  12 532 
 
 xiii.  13 446 
 
 xiii.  14 346 
 
 xiv.  8 408 
 
 1  Corinthians. 
 
 i.  9 56 
 
 i.  24 2i,  47 
 
 i.  30 684 
 
 ii.4 57 
 
 ii.  8 328 
 
 ii.  9 380,  431 
 
 ii.  10 47,  251,308 
 
 ii.  11 48,  166 
 
718 
 
 TASSAGES   01'^    OTHER   SCKIPTUUE 
 
 ii.  14...  167,  415,  647 
 
 iii.  2 171 
 
 iii.  16 107 
 
 iii.  17 107,  159 
 
 iii.  19 523,  555 
 
 iv.  4 566 
 
 iv.  7...  62,  67,  68,  116, 
 142,  180,  258  j 
 
 iv.  15 169,  641  ! 
 
 V.  6 422 
 
 vi.  17 436,  457 
 
 vii.  19 119 
 
 viii.  5 70 
 
 viii.  6...  70,  123,  435, 
 563 
 
 viii.  11,  12 124 
 
 ix.  9,10 3  , 
 
 ix.  24 581 
 
 X.  2 106 
 
 X.  9 396 
 
 xi.  2,12 404  ; 
 
 xi.  29 423 
 
 xi.  30-32 241 
 
 xii.  3 2,  9,  36,  662 
 
 xii.  8 545  I 
 
 xii.  27 422 
 
 xiii.  5 315  | 
 
 xiii.  9 196  j 
 
 xiii.  12... 196,  298,  455, 
 591 
 
 xiv.  27-29 444 
 
 xiv.  32 
 
 362 
 
 XV.  20 157 
 
 XV.  23. 
 
 505 
 
 XV.  45 110,  549 
 
 XV.  47 132 
 
 XV.  49 104 
 
 XV.  52 164,  199 
 
 XV.  55 132 
 
 2  Corinthians. 
 
 i.  1 56 
 
 ii.  15 413 
 
 iii.  6 158 
 
 iii.  9 119 
 
 iii.  15 369 
 
 iii.  17 436 
 
 iii.  18 368 
 
 iv.  4 78,  101,  139 
 
 V.  10 96,  199 
 
 V.  14 132,410 
 
 v.  15 132 
 
 V.  17 155,  447,549 
 
 V.  18 404,660 
 
 V.  19 579 
 
 vi.  2 539 
 
 vi.  14 582 
 
 vi.  16 107 
 
 viii.  9...  Ill,  140,  142 
 X.  4 451 
 
 X.  5...  3,  140,  247,  620 
 
 xiii.  1 631 
 
 xiii.  3 28,80 
 
 Galatians. 
 
 i.  1 72 
 
 i.  10 304 
 
 i.  12 72,  401 
 
 ii.  16 439 
 
 iii.  10 559 
 
 iii.  13 132 
 
 iii.  19 106,238 
 
 iii.  22 118 
 
 iv.  4 547 
 
 iv.  7 56 
 
 iv.  10,  11 525 
 
 iv.  19 169,550 
 
 iv.  26 629 
 
 V.  2 239 
 
 V.  4 239,  623 
 
 vi.  8 345 
 
 vi.  10 331,  539 
 
 vi.  14 501 
 
 Ephesians. 
 
 i.  1 56 
 
 i.  10 547 
 
 ii.  3 200 
 
 ii.  16,  18 Ill 
 
 iii.  10,11 143 
 
 iii.  14 199 
 
 iii.  15...  27,  147,  199, 
 
 265 
 
 iii.  16 26,145,  199 
 
 iii.  17...  26,  145,  199, 
 
 405 
 
 iv.  10 568 
 
 iv.  13 455 
 
 vi.  16,17 3 
 
 vi.  19 89 
 
 Philippians. 
 ii. 5... 138, 139, 212,  333 
 ii.  6... 18,  25,  138,139, 
 
 212,  333,  645 
 ii.  7.  ..110,138,139,212, 
 
 293,  333,  645 
 ii.  8.  ..138,139,198,212, 
 
 293,  333,  645 
 
 ii.  9 333 
 
 ii.  15 74,  336 
 
 ii.  16 74 
 
 iii.  1...  148,  408,  425, 
 591 
 
 iii.  2 262 
 
 iii.  8,9 370 
 
 iii.  19 372 
 
 iii.  20 597 
 
 iii.  21 379 
 
 iv.  18 96 
 
 COLOSSIANS. 
 
 i.  16 20 
 
 i.  18 117,198,  449 
 
 i.  19 191,  447 
 
 ii.  3 49 
 
 ii.  9. ..110,191,436, 447 
 
 ii.ll 374 
 
 iii.  2 229 
 
 iii.  3,  4... 199,  501,  541 
 
 iii.  10 346 
 
 iv.  6 342 
 
 1  Thessalonians. 
 
 iv.  16 272,  340 
 
 iv.  17...  164,  340,  541 
 v.  21 471 
 
 2  Thessalonians. 
 ii.  10-12 303 
 
 1  Timothy. 
 
 i. 7. ..23, 29,76, 140,594 
 
 ii.  4 564 
 
 iv.  4,5 328 
 
 iv.  14 101 
 
 v.  20 344 
 
 V.  21 371 
 
 vi.  3 5,  8 
 
 vi.  13 59 
 
 2  Timothy. 
 
 ii.  6,7 158 
 
 ii.  15 560 
 
 ii.  24,25 537 
 
 iii.  4 433,  476 
 
 iv.  4 36 
 
 iv.  5 101 
 
 Hebrews. 
 
 i.  1 312,  622 
 
 i.  2 36,  622 
 
 i.3.. .19, 41, 44,136,267, 
 309,  350,  429 
 
 i.  5,13 588 
 
 i.  14 71,  584 
 
 ii.  8 51 
 
 ii.  14 409 
 
 ii.  16...  110,  278,  397, 
 
 412,  548 
 ii.  17...  110,  278,  397, 
 
 409,  548 
 
 iii.  6 112 
 
 iii.  18,19 492 
 
 iv.  1 581 
 
 iv.  6-8 492 
 
 iv.  9,10 493 
 
 iv.  12...  16,  166,  506, 
 
 583 
 
 iv.  13...  166,  434,  620 
 
 V.  12 311 
 
INCIDENTALLY   REFERRED    TO   IN    YOL.  I, 
 
 719 
 
 V.  14 530 
 
 viii.  2 119 
 
 viii.  13 447 
 
 ix.  4 370 
 
 ix.  8 290 
 
 ix.  10 106 
 
 ix.  13 179,  410 
 
 ix.  24 119 
 
 X.I.. .106, 179,431,491 
 
 x.  4 625 
 
 X.  5-7 524 
 
 X.  28,  29 174 
 
 X.37 228 
 
 xi.  6 415,  517 
 
 xi.  29 416 
 
 xi.  39,  40 229 
 
 xii.  23 445 
 
 xiii.  4 157 
 
 xiii.  12 656 
 
 xiii.  15 4 
 
 James. 
 
 .  8 621 
 
 .  13-15 500 
 
 .  17 1,  185,  438 
 
 .  26 342 
 
 ii.  2-4 398 
 
 ii.l9 675 
 
 ii.  23 626 
 
 iii.  1 1 
 
 iii.  17 470 
 
 iv.  3 94 
 
 1  Peter. 
 
 ii.  9 80,  104 
 
 ii.  21 664 
 
 ii.  22...    468,  568,  619 
 
 ii.  23 598,  664 
 
 ii.24 410 
 
 iii.  9 664 
 
 2  Petek. 
 i.  4...75,  107,  168,377, 
 
 ii.  1.... 
 
 507, 
 
 551 
 
 ?-1 
 
 ii.  5.... 
 
 P8 
 
 ii.  21.. 
 
 475 
 
 1  John. 
 
 i.  1,2 
 
 ii.  9,  10 
 
 ii.  27 
 
 426 
 .  83 
 40^ 
 
 iii.  9  .. 
 
 551 
 
 iv.l3.. 
 V.  6.... 
 V.  18.. 
 
 ....107,146 
 145, 
 
 198 
 437 
 551 
 
 V  20.. 
 
 4-?fi 
 
 ver.  6. 
 
 JlIDE. 
 619, 
 
 653 
 
PASSAGES  OF  OTHER  SCRIPTURE 
 
 INCIDENTALLY  REFERRED  TO  IN 
 VOL.  11. 
 
 Genesis. 
 
 i.  26 p.  500 
 
 ii.  7 318,  535,  675 
 
 iii.  9 123 
 
 iii.  16 656,  661 
 
 iii.  19 203,540,  656 
 
 xi.  5,  6,  7 106 
 
 xii.  1  &  XV.  6 405 
 
 XV.  16 9 
 
 xviii.  27 588 
 
 Exodus. 
 
 V.  9 
 
 viii.  19 
 
 xii.  46 
 
 xii.  48 
 
 xiii.  2 107, 
 
 xvi.  16,  18 
 
 xix.  17  
 
 xix.  18 
 
 XX.  3 
 
 XX.  12  &  xxi.  16 
 
 xxii.  28 60, 
 
 xxiii.  7 
 
 xxiv.  6,  7 
 
 xxxii.  1  &  xxxiii.  3 
 
 xxxiii.  12 
 
 xxxiii.  13 
 
 xxxiii.  20 
 
 xxxiv.  5 
 
 xxxiv.  6,  7 
 
 208 
 52 
 631 
 659 
 537 
 206 
 252 
 259 
 501 
 634 
 612 
 592 
 
 ...3 
 83 
 ...4 
 250 
 .  4 
 4,  8 
 
 Leviticus. 
 
 viii.  6,  23 673 
 
 xix.  2 243 
 
 xxiii.  24 131 
 
 xxiv.  15 611 
 
 xxiv.  16 611,  634 
 
 Numbers. 
 
 xi.l7 678 
 
 xi.  27-29 679 
 
 xiv.  4,  17 5 
 
 xiv.  18 5,  6,7 
 
 xiv.  19 5 
 
 XXXV.  22-25 603 
 
 Deuteronomy. 
 
 i.  16 30 
 
 iv.  24 260 
 
 vi.  4 250 
 
 vi.  5 217 
 
 vi.  13 489,.501 
 
 xiii.  6,  8,  9 24 
 
 xviii.  15 47 
 
 xviii.  18...  45,  93,  167 
 
 xviii.  19 45,  167 
 
 xix.  15...  32,  326,  471, 
 646,  650 
 
 xxxii.  18 620 
 
 xxxii.  32 266 
 
 xxxii.  43 58 
 
 Joshua. 
 vi.  15 28 
 
 1  Samuel. 
 
 ii.  30 51,  211,  492 
 
 viii.  7 437 
 
 X.  6 443 
 
 1  Kings. 
 
 X.  6 672 
 
 xix.  10 271 
 
 xxi.  19,  21-24,  27... 10 
 xxi.  29  &  xxii.  52...  11 
 
 2  Kings. 
 
 i.  18 11 
 
 viii.  27  &  X.  30....    11 
 xvii.  11 670 
 
 Job. 
 xii.  22 536 
 
 xxi.  15 51 
 
 xxxiv.  18 583,  680 
 
 xxxviii.  2 63,  461 
 
 xiii.  2 128 
 
 Psalms. 
 
 ii.  4 609 
 
 ii.  6 485 
 
 ii.  7 504 
 
 ii.  8 128,  598 
 
 v.  12 475 
 
 V.  13 307 
 
 X.  17 20 
 
 xiv.  1 696 
 
 xiv.  3 627,  696 
 
 xix.  12 179 
 
 XX.  9-12 36 
 
 xxii.  18 630 
 
 xxiv.  7 236,  346 
 
 xxiv.  8,  10 346 
 
 xxiv.  19 429 
 
 xxvii.  1 233 
 
 xxvii.  11 239 
 
 xxviii.  4 594 
 
 xxxiv.  15 298 
 
 XXXV.  12 588 
 
 xxxix.  1,  2 615 
 
 xli.  9 186,196 
 
 xliii.  3 H)7,  163 
 
 xliv.  5 280 
 
 xliv.  17 406 
 
 xiv.  7 542 
 
 xlvii.  1 87 
 
 xlvii.  2 348 
 
 xlvii.  5 148,  348 
 
 xlvii.  7,  8 88 
 
 xlvii.  9 562 
 
 xlix.l,  2 88 
 
 xlix.  3 88,  263 
 
 xlix.  14 76 
 
 1.  13,  14 58 
 
 Ii.  4 79 
 
 Ii.  6 642 
 
PASSAGES  OF   OTHER  SCRIPTURE. 
 
 721 
 
 li„  10-12.. 
 Iv.  13,  14. 
 
 Ix.  12 
 
 Ixiii.  8 
 
 Ixvi.  4 
 
 Ixviii.  7... 
 
 ...  558 
 ....197 
 ,.  280 
 ...  385 
 
 58 
 
 425 
 
 Ixviii.  28 392,  494 
 
 Ixix.  21 636 
 
 Ixxii.  1 392 
 
 Ixxiii.  22 212 
 
 Ixxv.  3 670 
 
 Ixxv.  5 164 
 
 Ixxvi.  1 87 
 
 Lxxvi.  7 570 
 
 Ixxx.  1,  2 106 
 
 Ixxxiv.  9 326 
 
 Ixxxix.  6 278 
 
 xc.  4 310 
 
 xci.  1,  13 447 
 
 xciii.  1.... 348 
 
 xciv.  9 54 
 
 xciv.  12,  13 378 
 
 xcv.  6 58 
 
 xcvi.  5 488 
 
 xcvii.  1 348 
 
 cii.  24 527 
 
 ciii.  8 205 
 
 ciii.  15 588 
 
 ciii.28-30 321 
 
 civ.  15 68 
 
 civ.24 19 
 
 cvii.  42 203,  628 
 
 cix.l 346 
 
 ex.  1 237 
 
 ex.  4 157 
 
 cxi.  4  71 
 
 cxviii.  25,  26 141 
 
 cxviii.  *0 214 
 
 cxix.  11 390 
 
 cxix.  60 438 
 
 exix.  67 201 
 
 exix.  91 183 
 
 cxix.  103 43 
 
 exix.  137 501 
 
 cxix.  140 390 
 
 cxix.  165 397 
 
 cxxvii.  1 520 
 
 cxxviii.  2 700 
 
 exxxix.  2,  3 519 
 
 cxxxix.  6 249 
 
 exxxix.  7-10 269 
 
 cxxxix.  21 656 
 
 exxxix.  22 400,  656 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 iii.  34 174 
 
 vii.  23 207 
 
 viii.  9 396 
 
 viii.  15,  16 503 
 
 viii.  30 90,  237 
 
 viii.  31 90 
 
 VOL.  H, 
 
 4.. 
 ix.  9.. 
 X.  19.. 
 xi.  19. 
 
 695 
 
 472 
 478 
 .588 
 
 xii.  27 31 
 
 xix.  3 520 
 
 XX.  25 537 
 
 xxii.  1 498 
 
 XXV.  2 105 
 
 xxvii.  2 579 
 
 ECCLESIASTES. 
 
 iii.  1,  11 441 
 
 V.  4 231 
 
 vii.  17 527 
 
 X.  4 200 
 
 Song  of  Solomon. 
 V.  2 655 
 
 Isaiah. 
 
 i.  13,  14 151 
 
 i.  15 470 
 
 iii.  10 578 
 
 iii.  11 594,  637 
 
 iv.4 378 
 
 V.  20 74 
 
 vi.  1 513 
 
 vi.  9 160 
 
 vii.  9 488,  601 
 
 vii.  14 47 
 
 viii.  18 83 
 
 ix.  6... 171,336,503,543 
 
 xiii.  3 107 
 
 xiii.  11 94 
 
 xxvi.  10 558 
 
 xxvi.  12 342 
 
 xxvi.  16 378 
 
 xxvi.  19 73,  117 
 
 xxvii.  5.  6 508,  670 
 
 xxvii.  11 662 
 
 xxviii.ll 678 
 
 XXX.  1 36,  64 
 
 xxxv.  5 38,  47,  49 
 
 XXXV.  6 38 
 
 XXXV.8 239 
 
 xxxvi.  6 311 
 
 xxxvii.  36 78 
 
 xl.  5 327 
 
 xl.  9 402 
 
 xl.  12 105 
 
 xl.  31 672 
 
 xiii.  2 130 
 
 xliii.  10 505 
 
 xlv.  19 583 
 
 1.6 585 
 
 1.  11 36 
 
 Iii.  5 492 
 
 Hi. 7 662 
 
 liii.  1 606,  697 
 
 liii.  4 539,  606 
 
 3a 
 
 liii.  5 606,  628 
 
 liii.  6 606 
 
 liii.  7 615 
 
 liii.  8 47,  615 
 
 liii.  12 539 
 
 liv.  4 493 
 
 liv.  13 479 
 
 Iv.  4 87 
 
 lvi.3-5 499 
 
 Ivii.  3,  4 618 
 
 Iviii.  9 298 
 
 lix.  9 59,  568 
 
 Ix.  1 163 
 
 Ix.  19 310 
 
 Ixi.  1  &  Ixii.  18 59 
 
 Ixiii.  1...236,  686,  687 
 
 Ixiii.  2 686 
 
 Ixiii.  9 362 
 
 Ixv.  2 583 
 
 Ixv.  24 298 
 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 i-  7 68 
 
 ii.  10-13 621 
 
 ii.  27 , 487 
 
 iii.  3 620 
 
 iv.  14 594 
 
 vi.  11 <) 
 
 vi.  16 239 
 
 vi.  19 168 
 
 vi.20 696 
 
 viii.  8 613 
 
 ix.  1 271 
 
 X.  21 78,  609 
 
 X.  24 378 
 
 xii.  7,  8 605 
 
 xiv.  14 68 
 
 XV.  10 417,  697 
 
 XV.  16 43 
 
 xxii.  29 168 
 
 xxiii.  16 72 
 
 xxiii.  21 68 
 
 xxiii.  24 106 
 
 xxiii.  28 68 
 
 xxvii.  18 68 
 
 xxix.  23 119 
 
 EZEKIEL. 
 
 ii.  3 68 
 
 V.  7 595 
 
 xiii.  3 258 
 
 xv.2-4 376 
 
 xvi.  52 595 
 
 xviii.  1 9 
 
 xviii.  2 2,  9 
 
 xviii.  3,  4,  20,  24  ...  9 
 
 xviii.  32  181 
 
 x.xsiii.  11 181 
 
 xxxiv.  2-6 79 
 
 xxxiv.  10,  23-27...     80 
 
722 
 
 PASSAGES   OF   OTHER   SCRIPTUEE 
 
 Daniel. 
 vii.  14 628 
 
 HosEA. 
 
 V.  1,  2 621 
 
 vii.  13 75,596 
 
 vii.  16 75 
 
 viii.  4 64 
 
 xii.  10 68,169 
 
 Joel. 
 
 ii.  13 65 
 
 ii.  28 308,534,674 
 
 Amos. 
 
 iii.  8 605 
 
 V.  1,  2 570 
 
 V.8 315 
 
 v.  21 97 
 
 Obadiah. 
 15 594,  637 
 
 Micah. 
 iii.  9 290 
 
 Habakkuk. 
 i.  16 529 
 
 Zechariah. 
 
 ii.  10,  11 327 
 
 vii.  9 592,605 
 
 vii.  10 588 
 
 ix.  9 622 
 
 xiii.  6 687 
 
 Malachi. 
 
 ii.  7 41,610 
 
 iv.  2 132 
 
 1  ESDRAS. 
 iv.  36 249 
 
 Wisdom. 
 
 i.  4 333 
 
 i.  7 53,  106 
 
 i.  10 53 
 
 i.  12 113 
 
 i.  14 113,  318 
 
 i.  15 113 
 
 xiii.  5 27 
 
 ECCLESIASTICUS. 
 
 i.  1 183 
 
 iii.  21 14,  106 
 
 iii.  22 14 
 
 iv.  28 34 
 
 xiii.  15,  16...   46,  333, 
 
 414,  475 
 
 XXV.  9 41 
 
 Baruch. 
 iii. 3 274 
 
 History  of  Susanna. 
 ver.  42    83 
 
 Matthew. 
 
 i.  23 613 
 
 iii.  10 379 
 
 iii.  17. ..313,  402,  437, 
 677 
 
 iv.  10 489,  501 
 
 iv.  19 695 
 
 iv.  23 397 
 
 V.  8 197,  558 
 
 V.9 100 
 
 V.  11,  12 414 
 
 V.  16 479,  492 
 
 V.  17,  18 336,  393 
 
 V.  20 216,  392 
 
 V.  27,  28 528 
 
 V.  29 625 
 
 V.  39 576 
 
 vi.  9-11 479 
 
 vii.  6 208,616 
 
 vii.  18 426 
 
 vii.  21 299,  389 
 
 vii.  22,  23 82 
 
 vii.  29 528 
 
 viii.  12 74 
 
 viii.  19,  20 334 
 
 ix.  13 658,  671 
 
 ix.l5 139 
 
 ix.  17 449 
 
 ix.  33 38 
 
 X.  5 07,145 
 
 X.  8 41 
 
 X.  24 434,  625 
 
 X.  32,  33 505 
 
 X.  37 406 
 
 X.  38 624 
 
 xi.  27 82 
 
 xi.  29 574 
 
 xii.  5 29 
 
 xii.  8 23 
 
 xii.  11 27 
 
 xii.  24 127,  129 
 
 xii.  33 251,  426 
 
 xii.  40 619 
 
 xiii.  8 700 
 
 xiii.  39 125 
 
 xiii.  43 676 
 
 xiii.  52 216,  392 
 
 xiii.  55 44 
 
 xiv.  33 209,  248 
 
 XV.  9 575,697 
 
 XV.  11 450 
 
 xvi.  13. ..248,  564,  701 
 xvi.  14 248,  701 
 
 xvi.  15 701 
 
 xvi.  16 248,701 
 
 xvi.  17 531,  564 
 
 xvi.  22... 449,  576,  625, 
 633 
 
 xvi.  23 576,  625 
 
 xvi.  27 146,  309 
 
 xvii.  1 668 
 
 xvii.  2 668,  676 
 
 xvii.  22 205 
 
 xvii.  23 205,  576, 
 
 597,  625 
 
 xvii.  24 77,  275 
 
 xvii.  25,  26 275 
 
 xviii.7 416 
 
 xviii.  12 700 
 
 xviii.  20 213 
 
 xix.  12 498 
 
 xix.  28 238 
 
 XX.  18 205,  576, 
 
 597,  625 
 
 xx.'19 205 
 
 xxi.  9 209,  622 
 
 xxiii.  17 431 
 
 xxiii.  24 27,593, 
 
 630,  644 
 
 xxiii.  27 593 
 
 xxiv.33 172 
 
 xxiv.35 411 
 
 XXV.  26,  27 420 
 
 XXV.  34,  41 309 
 
 xxvi.28 684 
 
 xxvi.  45 576,  597, 
 
 625,  633 
 
 xxvi. 52 577 
 
 xxvi, 53 574 
 
 xxvi.  55 KO,  574 
 
 xxvi.  56 701 
 
 xxvi.  59,  60 360 
 
 xxvi.  64,  65 643 
 
 xxvii.  4 195 
 
 xxvii.  24 360 
 
 xxvii.  40 346,  462 
 
 xxvii. -42 346,  462 
 
 xxvii.  48 636 
 
 xxvii.  51 143 
 
 xxviii.l9 247,501, 
 
 690,  698 
 
 xxviii.  20 212,439, 
 
 460 
 
 Mark. 
 
 iv.  39 
 
 ...249 
 
 xii.  30. 
 
 .  220 
 
 XV.  36. 
 
 Luke. 
 
 .   636 
 
 i  2 
 
 ...692 
 
 i   35  . 
 
 ..  542 
 
 ii.21.. 
 
 ...693 
 
INCIDENTALLY   REFERRED   TO   IN   VOL,  II.  723 
 
 ii.  28-30,  34,35...  633 
 
 iv.  54 574 
 
 V.  31 658,  671 
 
 V.  36,  38 449 
 
 vi.  13 67,  702 
 
 vii.  14 613 
 
 vii.  37 658 
 
 vii.  47 703 
 
 viii.  14 '..    20 
 
 viii.  43,44 658 
 
 viii.  48 659 
 
 viii.  54 613 
 
 ix.  21 205 
 
 ix.  28 676 
 
 X.  19 345 
 
 X.  21 399 
 
 X.  27 217 
 
 xi.  15 99,  252,  471 
 
 xi.  52., 35 
 
 xii.32 77 
 
 xii.  47 62,  185 
 
 xii.  48 185 
 
 xiii.  7 375 
 
 xiii.  15 27 
 
 xiii.  29 700 
 
 xxi.  20 594 
 
 xxii.  19 684 
 
 xxii.  31,  32 530 
 
 xxii.  40 227 
 
 xxiii.  30 594 
 
 xxiii.  36 636 
 
 xxiii.  46 638 
 
 xxiv.  36-40 688 
 
 xxiv.  41 688,  689 
 
 xxiv.  42,  43 688 
 
 xxiv.  49.. .225,232,464, 
 473,  560,  591,  672 
 
 Acts. 
 
 i.  4 534,  652 
 
 i.5 652 
 
 i.  7 14,  461 
 
 i.  8 14 
 
 i.  11 471 
 
 ii.  2 673,  677 
 
 ii.  3 652,  673 
 
 ii.  4 673,  677 
 
 ii.  24 649 
 
 ii.  38 410 
 
 iii.  12 261 
 
 iii.  14 604 
 
 iii.  17 410 
 
 iv.20 473 
 
 iv.29 402 
 
 iv.32 514 
 
 V.29 473 
 
 V.  35,  36 69 
 
 V.  37 69,  72 
 
 V.  41 422 
 
 vii.  41 3 
 
 vii.  50 388 
 
 X.  10-15 450 
 
 xiv.  12,  14 643 
 
 xvii.  8 319 
 
 xvii.  28 83,  128, 
 
 278,  649 
 
 xvii.  29 83,  363 
 
 xxiii.  3 425 
 
 xxiii.  21 436 
 
 Romans. 
 
 i.  3 81 
 
 i.  7 465,  670 
 
 i.  22 277 
 
 i.  25 487 
 
 ii.  28 377 
 
 ii.  29 377,  659 
 
 iii.  33 447 
 
 iv.  11,  18 407 
 
 iv.25 538 
 
 V.  10 380 
 
 V.  14 648 
 
 V.18 608 
 
 vi.  4 647 
 
 vi.7 16 
 
 vi.  9 210,  464 
 
 vi.lO 210 
 
 vii.  12 640 
 
 vii.  23 441 
 
 viii.  3,  4 316 
 
 viii.  9,  10 306 
 
 viii.  11 321,  330 
 
 viii.  15 508,  663 
 
 viii.  29 536 
 
 viii.  35 401,421 
 
 ix.  4 584 
 
 ix.33 568 
 
 X.  2 103,  336,  436 
 
 X.  8 234,  641,  648 
 
 X.  9...  234,641,648,682 
 
 X.  10 234,  641,  648 
 
 X.15 662 
 
 xi.l2 598 
 
 xi.22 388 
 
 xii.l 406 
 
 xii.  5 370 
 
 xii.  19 425 
 
 xiii.  9,  10 220 
 
 xiv.9 571 
 
 1  Corinthians. 
 
 i.  4 280,  642 
 
 i.5 642 
 
 i.  13 631 
 
 i.27 65 
 
 i.  30 280 
 
 ii.  8 210,  395,  480 
 
 ii.  9 557 
 
 ii.lO 326 
 
 ii.  11 338,  451 
 
 ii.  16 306,  326, 
 
 338,  450 
 
 3  A  2 
 
 iii.  16...  303,  306,  332 
 
 iv.  6 16,  362 
 
 iv.  7 318,485 
 
 iv.  10,  11 421 
 
 iv.  12 417 
 
 iv.  13 417,  421 
 
 V.  5 680 
 
 vi.  15 370,  489 
 
 vi.l7 363 
 
 vii.40  306 
 
 viii.  4 329 
 
 viii.  5 354,  690 
 
 viii.  6...  234,  296,  303 
 viii.  12  &  ix.22...  703 
 
 x.ll 230 
 
 X.  12 385,  529 
 
 X.  17...    370,  514,  550 
 
 X.24 344 
 
 xi.  1 384,  526 
 
 xi.  30-32 13 
 
 xii.  3 36,  286,  672 
 
 xii.  8,  9 126 
 
 xii.  27 550 
 
 xiii.  1,3  223 
 
 xiii.  4 220,  344 
 
 xiii.  5...  220,  344,  577 
 
 xiii.  8 467 
 
 xiii.  9...  451,  465,  467 
 
 xiii.  10 325,467 
 
 xiii.  11 467 
 
 xiii.  12... 243,  465,  467 
 
 xiv.  21 678 
 
 XV.  3,  4 649 
 
 XV.  10 672 
 
 XV.  15-17 '667 
 
 XV.  20...  236,  572,  638 
 
 XV.  31 219 
 
 XV.  33 414 
 
 XV.  42 689 
 
 XV.  43 686 
 
 XV.  45 151 
 
 XV.  47 477,  544 
 
 XV.  49 317,  477, 
 
 545,  648 
 
 XV.  50 371 
 
 XV.  51,  52 73 
 
 XV.  53 667 
 
 2  Corinthians. 
 
 507 
 
 413 
 
 680 
 
 43 
 
 i.  2 
 
 ii.  2 
 
 ii.  7 
 
 iii.  15 
 
 iii.  17,  18 443 
 
 iv.  4 562 
 
 iv.  5 427 
 
 V.  14,  15 401 
 
 V.  16 352 
 
 V.  17 216 
 
 V.  19 164,  508,  537 
 
721 
 
 PASSAGES   OF    OTHER    SCRIPTURE 
 
 V.  20 410,  526,  670 
 
 vii.  10 413 
 
 viii.  9 218 
 
 X.  4 573 
 
 xi.29 219 
 
 xii.  20 222    i 
 
 xiii.l 326 
 
 xiii.  3...  222,  237,  271, 
 306,  326,  504,  557 
 
 Galatians. 
 
 i.  1 352   [ 
 
 i.  10 413,  415   , 
 
 ii.  2,  6 223 
 
 ii.  17 190 
 
 ii.  19 626   I 
 
 ii.  20 558,626   ' 
 
 iii.  1 640   i 
 
 iii.  10,  13 623 
 
 iii.  24 335   i 
 
 iv.  6 304,  321,  330, 
 
 443,  538   : 
 
 iv.  9 380   i 
 
 iv.l4 105   I 
 
 iv.  19 421,  675   ' 
 
 iv.26 239   i 
 
 V.  2 380,  640 
 
 v.  4 240,  380,  640   I 
 
 V.  7 640   I 
 
 V.14 403 
 
 V.  24 406,562,626 
 
 vi.  14 526,  562 
 
 Ephesians. 
 
 i.  10 315 
 
 i.  15-21 339 
 
 ii.  3 627 
 
 ii.  6 237,  442 
 
 ii.lO 560 
 
 ii.  11 85 
 
 ii.  12 85,  284,  402   \ 
 
 ii.  13 85  { 
 
 ii.  14 222,537,548   i 
 
 ii.  15 134,222,  548  \ 
 
 ii.l6 548   ' 
 
 ii.  18 465 
 
 ii.  22 363   i 
 
 iii.  5 550 
 
 iii.  6 370,  489,  550 
 
 iii.  10,  11 346 
 
 iii.  14-19 339 
 
 iv.  2,  3 551 
 
 iv.  4 514,  551 
 
 iv.  5,  6 551 
 
 iv.  14-16 550 
 
 Philippians. 
 
 i.2 296 
 
 i.  21 401 
 
 i.  23 214,  343,344, 
 
 527,  557,  639 
 
 i.  24 527 
 
 ii.  3 175 
 
 ii.  5 175,  496 
 
 ii.  6 56,  171,  172, 
 
 218,  313,  315,  345, 
 
 480,  496,  539 
 
 ii.  7. ..56,  81,125,128, 
 
 171,  218,  313,  315, 
 
 345,  347,  395,  496, 
 
 521,  539,  553 
 
 ii.  8 81,  171,  210, 
 
 218,  237,  395,  496 
 
 ii.  9 210,  395,  397, 
 
 496,  514,  522 
 
 ii.  10,  11 496,  628 
 
 ii.l2 519 
 
 ii.  15 562,  652 
 
 ii.l6 562 
 
 iii.  1 421 
 
 iii.  8,9 640 
 
 iii.  21...  352,  397,  558 
 
 iv.  1 703 
 
 iv.  7 232,  341,  669 
 
 COLOSSIANS. 
 
 i.  18 79,  483.  536, 
 
 544,  638 
 
 ii.  9 433,  542 
 
 ii.  11 377 
 
 ii.  14 76,  539,  627 
 
 ii.l5 627 
 
 ii.20 626 
 
 iii.  3,  4 310,314 
 
 iii.  5 441,  499 
 
 iii.  10 318 
 
 1  Thessalonians. 
 
 iv.l5 238 
 
 iv.  16,17. ..238,310,557 
 
 1  Timothy. 
 
 i.  15 260 
 
 i.  19,  20 531 
 
 ii.  4 400,  691 
 
 ii.  5 320,  506 
 
 iii.  15 671 
 
 vi.  12 54 
 
 vi.l6 106 
 
 2  Timothy. 
 
 ii.  6 536 
 
 ii.l2 558 
 
 iii.  13 575 
 
 iv.4 41 
 
 Hebrews. 
 
 i.l 393 
 
 i.  3 320,  337 
 
 i.6 613 
 
 ii.  9 512 
 
 ii.  14 226,316,318 
 
 ii.  15 226,316 
 
 ii.  16 86,  172,  226 
 
 ii.  17 86 
 
 iii.  1 533 
 
 iv.  7 314 
 
 iv.  12 36,  381 
 
 iv.  13;.. 30,  63,82,455, 
 
 461,  597 
 
 iv.l5 483 
 
 V.  4 66,  670 
 
 vi.  5 406,557 
 
 vi.20 647 
 
 vii.  19 216,  392 
 
 viii.  2 157 
 
 ix  2-4 639 
 
 ix.  6-8 639 
 
 ix.  10 335,412,696 
 
 ix.  24...  236,  307,  442 
 
 ix.26 669 
 
 X.  19 236 
 
 X.  23 266 
 
 xi.lO 405 
 
 xii.  2 315,  402, 
 
 588,  664 
 
 xii.  7 378 
 
 xii.  15 12,357 
 
 xii.  23 242 
 
 xiii.  7 384 
 
 xiii.  8 469,  510 
 
 xiii.  14 405 
 
 James. 
 
 i.  7 21,  298 
 
 i.  8 21,  119,298 
 
 ii.  1 480 
 
 ii.'l9 299,390,488 
 
 ii.  20 299,375 
 
 ii.  23 405 
 
 ii.  26 186,  299, 
 
 375,  488 
 
 iii.  2 623 
 
 iii.  8 179 
 
 iv.  3 298 
 
 iv.l5 230 
 
 1  Peter. 
 
 i.  20 559 
 
 ii.  5 303 
 
 ii.  21 525 
 
 ii.  22 359 
 
 ii.  23 288,425 
 
 iii.  18 133 
 
 iii.  19 461 
 
 iii.  21 20 
 
 iv.  1 128 
 
 iv.  15,  16 422 
 
 V.  4 703 
 
INCIDENTALLY   REFERRED   TO   IN    VOL.   II. 
 
 725 
 
 2  Peter. 
 
 i.  4. ..84,  239,  304,320 
 
 ii.  1 277,  352,  693 
 
 ii.  4 189 
 
 1  John. 
 
 i.3 287 
 
 ii.  1 302,  468,  483 
 
 ii.  2. ..302,468,483,507 
 
 ii.  5,  6 288,  364 
 
 ii.  22 284 
 
 ii.  23.... 284,  372 
 
 ii.24 288 
 
 iii.  2 468 
 
 iii.  11 288 
 
 iii.  24 364 
 
 iv.  8 91 
 
 iv.  13 537 
 
 iv.  16. ,^ 221 
 
 iv.  21 217 
 
 V.  7 533,  543 
 
 V.  20 355,374 
 
 JUDE. 
 
 ver.  6 188,  189 
 
 17-19 286 
 
GEEEK  WOEDS  GIVEN  IN  THE  MAEGIN 
 
 IN   VOL.  I. 
 
 dParov  618. 
 afiov\r}Tws  155. 
 a.'yaifqs  255. 
 ayytKov  71. 
 ayvov  544. 
 ayxivoias  546. 
 dStaKpiTojs  388. 
 dStaaraTov 7 2, 355,  551. 
 dSpavearaTov  268. 
 dSvT-wj'  215,  572. 
 d(r]Tr]Tws  478. 
 aetei  180,  602. 
 ddvpoyXcuTTiav  348. 
 at'yuaTt  638. 
 
 aiviy^iaTwSr]  239,  538. 
 ai'ari'a  667. 
 dKaK0T]6ais  321. 
 dKaTaKaXvTTTws  247. 
 duriSias  364,  366. 
 d«ti'Si5»'ov  278,  640. 
 d«A.oi'j;Tos  658. 
 aKoXovOiais  641. 
 aKoixipajs  343,  569. 
 dKparos  102,  221,  579, 
 
 617. 
 d/c/sdrois  293,  320,  606. 
 dKpi0€tav  679. 
 dKpi^iffTaroi  266. 
 aKpiTws  655. 
 OLKpov  322. 
 dKporaTqv  619. 
 dKporrjra  657. 
 
 aKpOTOflOV  505. 
 
 dXaCoi/eias  128,  594. 
 d\yT)p.aTa  581. 
 dA.jj^ti'oj'  248. 
 dWorpioTrira  390. 
 dXoyiav  143,  397. 
 d^aSajj'oi'Tas  297. 
 dyua^j'ais  234. 
 dp.iTa.7rTWT0V  549. 
 
 d/i^v  682. 
 djxvrjaiKaKiav  439. 
 dfivT](Tiica.Kws  579. 
 dva^aivti  304. 
 dva0i^d(oyTfs  264. 
 dva^icoaiv  603,  605. 
 dvaPpaaOivra  646. 
 dvayKaiojv  565. 
 dvaYwYoiy  600. 
 dvafxaadpLevoi  270. 
 dva/xaTTo/xevos  641, 653. 
 di'aj'5/)rai'  345. 
 dj'dwai/(T(s  543. 
 dvaTTj^S^crai  530,  625. 
 avapxov  644. 
 dcaroA^  599. 
 dvarpex^'  276,  334. 
 dva(l)vs  572. 
 
 dj'6A.tTT€tJ'  658. 
 
 dve^-iKaieiav  592. 
 dj/e^fwd/cajs  129. 
 dz/eTrAdreTO  122. 
 dvofioiov  610. 
 dvTnrapaOiaei  235. 
 dvTippifTov  679. 
 d;'ii7r($(TTaT0s  614. 
 di'fjToo'ToA.cys  559. 
 dftav  281. 
 
 d^LipaOTOTaTov  165. 
 dftoAoYwrepa  283. 
 d^to/idxos  660. 
 d^ioTTtffToi' 268,28 1,282. 
 dotSi/xoj  626. 
 dTra^ai'aTi^eii'  676. 
 drraiSei^a/qj'  558. 
 dnatSiVTorepov  239. 
 dirapaiTriTov  334. 
 dnapdWaKTOv  26,  265, 
 
 292,  572. 
 ditapaTrovqTws  575,  618, 
 ^  657. 
 
 dirapaTTjpTjTcos  344. 
 dnapTKJ/xoy  145. 
 
 d7ra;;7a(r/xa  350,  355. 
 d7r€i0€(av  684. 
 dneiOSiv  667. 
 drreiKovtcrixa  349. 
 dnfKTTjvwOr]  574. 
 direiTTvafjievov  519. 
 direpupyddTOV  455. 
 direpifpyoTepav  539. 
 dnecTKXrjKOTa  454. 
 dirfiiKTOJv  602. 
 dirrjKpiPojpieyov  269,655. 
 aTtr]\v  253. 
 dTroSr]p,iav  364. 
 dTTOKeKXrjffeTai  103. 
 dnoK\r)p(jjaovTaL  366. 
 
 dTTO/COTT^I/  123,  147. 
 dTroXaved/  680. 
 d;ro\€rrTi;i'oi'T€S  606. 
 dTToAuTois  387,  463. 
 dirovapKTjaavTes  133. 
 diroi'evpor  647. 
 diroirXrj^ias  675. 
 dnoiT\r]pucnv  466. 
 dnoTavpovaOai  361. 
 dnoTfOrjvaL  452. 
 dTTOTiJ'ax^e''  530. 
 dTTOTO/itay  102. 
 dnpanTov  580,  604. 
 dTTvA.aJTOi'  395. 
 dircuAetas  472. 
 dpapoTojs  549. 
 dpyrjaai  510. 
 dpyca  510. 
 dpYot'  282. 
 dper^s  617. 
 
 dpt(rTOTtx''oi'  287,  343. 
 dpTi7ej'^s  680. 
 dpx^  14.  128. 
 darjuos  661. 
 aoKrjaiv  73. 
 dcTTetoTaTa  539. 
 arevKTOi  561. 
 avAai  496. 
 
728 
 
 GEEEK  AYORDS  GIVEN  IN  THE  MARGIN  IN  VOL,  I. 
 
 dvXoTfpav  364. 
 aiiTonpoawTTov  403. 
 avTOTTpoawnais  368. 
 avTOvpybs  469. 
 dipavKTfj.oi'  472. 
 atpOovov  492. 
 atpiXapyvpHv  322. 
 d<pi\o5o^ias  333. 
 
 d<plK0VilK6Tip0V  554. 
 
 d<pi\oxp'riiJ^<nov2i1 1,322 . 
 dipoptafia  412. 
 d<j)v\dKTojs  124,  254. 
 d<pwpia fiivais  562. 
 dxaA.iJ'Oi  223. 
 d'x^iipa'ywfrjTos  554. 
 
 /3a0i!  512. 
 /SouAay  223. 
 PovX-fiffiv  38,  46,  47. 
 /3^/xa  328. 
 
 7670''«'  299,  421,  682. 
 yeviKcoTepwv  362. 
 76'i'os  545. 
 761/01;?  599. 
 76/)as  198,  394,  395. 
 "yecopylav  346. 
 yXajcrcrapjias  610. 
 7i'^<7£os  112,  504,  632. 
 'yvrjaiajs  123. 
 yvwurj  165. 
 yvaxTiv  588. 
 yvaxTTUi  171. 
 yopyfiv  272. 
 yopydrepov    109,    136, 
 
 174,  153,  188,  240, 
 
 307,  519,  623. 
 yvfiv^v  559. 
 
 8. 
 
 SaSowx'av  290,  550. 
 5aicrv\o5(i^iais  224. 
 SeiKTiKov  269,  588. 
 Seira  581. 
 Sia0f0\r]fj.ivov  542. 
 SiayeXa  275. 
 Siaycoyrjv  647. 
 SiaKfKOfjifxeuQJS  356. 
 SiaKparovixevos  618. 
 S<d\ef*i'  252. 
 Stavojas  416. 
 5ia7rai^6/i6)/ot  581. 
 SiaffvpeaOoj  143. 
 Siacpdpais  246. 
 SmxptJfra)  610. 
 SiatpfvcreTai  265. 
 SiSaKTTjv  545. 
 
 StSa/crws  609. 
 Si(vicpiy6fi(voi  596. 
 SifJKov  124. 
 StTjprjixeycus  617. 
 Siopiff/xuv  172. 
 SoicrjaitToipuv  128,  626. 
 SoKrjcnao(piav  357. 
 SoKLfia^u/jitvos  105. 
 
 SoKtlXQJTaTTJV  395. 
 
 SoKow  282. 
 So^apiots  596. 
 SovXeia?  217. 
 Spafiarovpyrjfia  605. 
 SpiixvTepais  252. 
 Spopiaiov  156. 
 5wa/u£s  254,  336. 
 hvaytviiav    626,     644, 
 
 656. 
 Svtrjua6l<'as355,371,372. 
 dvcrrpomas  640. 
 SiKTwSfCTTdraij/  365. 
 hvaoDTteiaQai  325,  555. 
 SfcrcujTov/^ei/oj  559,  658. 
 Sojpocpopiav  655. 
 
 eyyiverai  575. 
 fyKKrjiiaTa  569. 
 lyKoXirovp-ivoL  286. 
 eyicvnTovTfs  633. 
 eSyffWTrej  637. 
 (iKaiOTToviav  470. 
 tlKaioraTr^v    242,    250, 
 
 302. 
 ei/rdo-at  122. 
 dicovos  266. 
 e'lKora  549. 
 ftprifievov  386. 
 elaoiKi^erai  198. 
 l/f  123,  137,  350,  355, 
 
 430,  635,  663. 
 
 I««H'0S  471. 
 
 kKKiKptjiaap-tvov  376. 
 eKKr]pvxOrja(Tai  380. 
 (KTTopeveTai  225. 
 
 kKTlKT]V  617. 
 
 l«To?rovs  223. 
 €K(pavTtKr)v  355. 
 fK<pavTiKw?    123,    254; 
 
 478. 
 fK<pv\os  390,  615. 
 (Kacppias  588. 
 IWoyifiov  545. 
 e\v<Tfv  153. 
 f/xaXaici^eTO  372. 
 hp.tr((pvK6Ta  147. 
 efiTTopi^wy  552. 
 ifKpaaiv  240. 
 Ii/  123. 
 €;/(iX\ecr^at  229. 
 
 evafOpdnrrjaiv  386. 
 fvapyws  360. 
 kvSexofJ.evrjv  289. 
 kvipyitav  252,  518. 
 IvfpyrjTiKTjv  254. 
 
 kviOTldv  2l57 . 
 
 eVT]xr]<Tei  400. 
 ivOkov  545. 
 kv9XiPovTos  169, 
 Ivyotats  253. 
 Ivovcrtoy  614. 
 kvTovuTfpoi'  557. 
 kvTpvfdv  475,  544. 
 kwirooTaTo;  43,  300. 
 k^airXwv  630. 
 k^kXapxpLv  584. 
 k^imaraaOai  560. 
 k^rjffKTjfievov  341. 
 tfii/ 210,  225,  228,  235. 
 k^opxovfiivov  246. 
 k^ov9evr]p.kva  87. 
 (Tra/sd Tofi)  eftu  317,563. 
 «f(w6>€i/  215. 
 k^ojOovfxivos  524. 
 f^cvKianai  573. 
 l^cJx67"o  530. 
 lopT^j  680. 
 kitayaiviiTai  389. 
 kiraKTov  276. 
 knapL^OTepi^eiv  621. 
 kiraTTopuv  651. 
 knaTToprjaiv  476. 
 knapvarpiSis  452. 
 kwfiytcrOai  509. 
 kiTftcrcpopds  385. 
 kirevrixiTo  620. 
 fne^epyd^erai  134. 
 kTreaKiaa/xkvQj  373. 
 kmypdcpioeai  319,  335, 
 
 490,  680. 
 €7r<5af(A.6i5€cr6la(231,232, 
 kiriSrjiJLia  684. 
 knuLKuas  273. 
 kmeifckcTTtpov  269. 
 kituiKiaL  567,  580,  678. 
 kiTiyorjcrofxiv  238. 
 kniTTovtus  327. 
 kiriaKiipu  371. 
 kniffKOTTT)  237. 
 kviaTrjpovaiv  221. 
 ewtT7;5evT^7/  250. 
 kmTTjpTjais  616. 
 kpavi^ofievos  152. 
 kprj/ytiav  659. 
 «P7a;i'  249,  254. 
 kpx^l^ivos  363. 
 karj/xeiwdT]  350. 
 kcrx^tJ^ariffOu  264. 
 lT6/ja»'  393. 
 
 (T€p6TTjT0S  355. 
 
GREEK  WORDS  GIVEN  IN  THE  MARGIN  IN  VOL,  I. 
 
 729 
 
 (vyevZs  34-9,  357,  644, 
 
 659. 
 evyvoj/xoaiiv-qv  232. 
 eiSiaaToXais  588. 
 evi^iav  226. 
 6v9v(j.iTv  565. 
 
 eVKptViaTCLTTJV  363. 
 
 ev\a0(iav221,  279. 
 (vKoyiav  376,  379,  396, 
 
 423. 
 (vixa0f<rT(poi9  594. 
 (iioKiaOov  272. 
 fimdpvcpov  246. 
 euTreieetaij  230,506,541, 
 
 639. 
 fvTTpocrciJiroTfpov  611. 
 evpeaiXoYtas  281,    355, 
 
 ^535. 
 fvprjfiarwv  475. 
 ivavvapiraaTcws  557. 
 etrcriJi/oTrToi/  372. 
 evTpoxoJTaTois  386, 
 ev(ppaiuovai  231. 
 ii<pviav  184,  390. 
 ti;<|)t;ws  379,  544,  677. 
 fvipvx^as  535. 
 (6)  1^'  eKaaTw  (\6yos) 
 
 509. 
 I0o5jdfe£v  346,  364. 
 laiA.o<s  610. 
 
 c 
 
 ^ijT-qral  266. 
 ^QjypafpovvTiS  268. 
 
 rjypiojpLivaiv  221. 
 ^&et283,537,  641,  663. 
 riBiKWi  162. 
 j]KOVTa  418. 
 ■^Xiicias  455. 
 Tin\cL>jj,ivov  463. 
 ripipui  233. 
 ijppa^oJvi^e^To  663. 
 r]VTpeiTiay.iuoi  553. 
 
 0€'aj  403. 
 flemy  266. 
 
 6>€\7;^a  48,  386,  642. 
 OeXrjaiv  48. 
 OfoeiKfXov  619, 
 6eo\oyias  102. 
 etoTTjTos  264,  402. 
 GepaiTiiav  133. 
 GippoTipois  39,  547. 
 6ea'p?;^aTa)i'39,114,169, 
 
 274,  3S5. 
 Qiwp'iav  539,  573,  5S8, 
 
 612,  624,  630. 
 
 9-qpS.aai  555. 
 6r]Teiav  364. 
 Ooivrjs  363. 
 e/iaffoy  269. 
 OpvXovpLivov  389. 
 
 tSe'ais  633. 
 
 i'Sta  263. 
 
 (Sta  254,  255,  355,  387, 
 
 618. 
 i5(a{'oi'Ta;y  259. 
 (Siafoi/craj'  123. 
 idiK-qv  254. 
 i5i«ws  350,  476,  660, 
 iSioyvdi/J-aiv  607. 
 i'5co^l24, 184,  354,547, 
 
 563,  674,  675. 
 iSioTT/Ttt  107,  355. 
 tSjoTTyros  103,  123,  147, 
 
 192,  613,  615,  657. 
 tSiotrucTTdTcus  355,  356, 
 
 612. 
 i5(Va   112,    137,   263, 
 
 277. 
 iS/ws  266,  562. 
 i'5/3is  547. 
 hpoirpfTTTis  473. 
 ioi'Sai'^'etf  557. 
 iTrn-qXaTov     567,      641, 
 
 665. 
 icrofioiprjcrei  366. 
 laropia  228. 
 
 KaOapws  108, 
 KaOrji-ifvos  631, 
 KaOiiTTTeveis  386. 
 KaOopl^ovTfs  606. 
 KaLvoTopLTJaai  254. 
 Kn,;ovoias  281,  283, 
 KaKOTjBuas  387. 
 KaKovpyfifxara  532. 
 /caAcDj  396,  620. 
 Kavov'i^et  168. 
 KaTa^piOvjxivos  629. 
 KaraOfKySfifvoL  643. 
 KaTaKippiaTi^ojv  310. 
 /caraAaCoj'cvoi'raf  680. 
 KaTaXvaopLiv  107. 
 KaTavapicTjcreiv  320. 
 KaTaveavieiiffoyrai   298, 
 
 320. 
 KaTavepirepeveTai  255. 
 KaTairrjoSjvTiS  364. 
 KaraTTviyiaOaL  338. 
 KaraaoijiiC^ov  349, 
 KaTaffij'evSovwvTes  606. 
 Kararrji^eLU  652. 
 KaTaTo^evet  513. 
 
 KaTiOKi'ipaixrjV  635. 
 KaTTjpyqOrjTe  623. 
 KarrjpriaaTO  226. 
 Karrjvvaa piivov  475. 
 KaTT]<peiaav  155. 
 KeKOfxipevcrfievos  475. 
 Ke<pa.\aiov  235,  252. 
 
 K^XOpl-ClpiVOV  281. 
 
 KixupoTovrjaOai  293. 
 Ki0Sr]\ws  565. 
 
 KlKpSjVTiS  661. 
 
 «(i/j;/na  7,  215,  253. ' 
 KKrjTfjv  544. 
 Ko\aKeiais  344. 
 KoXaKeviLV  344. 
 KoKoPovv  616. 
 koKttmv  572, 
 Koff/xios  280. 
 Kpiafois  269. 
 /cTVTTiw  170,  237. 
 Kvptias  636. 
 Kvpiajs  73. 
 
 Xapvyyi^ovTis  545, 
 
 \aTpeias  217. 
 
 Xiji-qpi^a  406. 
 
 \f\T]96Tt  373. 
 
 XeKvfiivrjs  370. 
 
 Kf^idrjpuifiev  204. 
 
 XeTTT^  369. 
 
 KeTTTolioTjs  299. 
 
 XivropvGuiv  310. 
 
 AeTrroi/  369,  633, 
 
 Xoyi^eaOat  573. 
 
 KoyiKWTfpov  160. 
 
 Xd7ojll,103,204,  252, 
 264,  355,  387,  390, 
 402,  475,  509,  555, 
 678. 
 
 Kv/cTiKTjy  272, 
 
 /xaOTjfia  614. 
 jx^yaXavxov ixivo^  556. 
 fiiyaXoippovetv  375. 
 
 fJLiXiTaTCxlUaV  632, 
 
 pteXerr]  661, 
 ptiXdTqaaaav  337. 
 pifXiTwai  223. 
 pieXXovTa  667. 
 HefifptapLevctis  350. 
 /x€/3fi  626. 
 pLeTapLoffxevOrjcreTai  104, 
 
 230. 
 /ixeraTraiSevea^ai  233. 
 /xeTaiTfiOeiv  558. 
 jXirappvO  /i^ovTis  117  ■ 
 
 pLiTpOVpiiVOV   266. 
 
 piiicpov  530. 
 
730        GREEK  WORDS  GIVEN  IN  THE  MARGIN  IN  VOL.  I. 
 
 lxiKpo\pv)(iav  255. 
 ixiaoiruvrjpov  548. 
 fivTj/xrjs  530. 
 Hova8tKwsl59, 244, 456. 
 
 flOVOT pOTtOS  623. 
 
 ixupcpcoaiv  653, 
 fivpias  681. 
 
 V. 
 
 viavmws  319,  326,  352, 
 
 668. 
 v(vo6(Vfievr]s  642. 
 v^ipeus  158,   193,  202, 
 
 208,  341,  532. 
 voijTov  563. 
 vofjcrai  621. 
 I'oiToCi'Tes  128,  659. 
 vovv  84. 
 vw  270. 
 
 oBveiots  632. 
 oiaKOffTocpttv  286. 
 oiKeiots  641,  660. 
 olKiioTrjTa     106,     500, 
 508. 
 
 olKflOTTjTOS      103,       219, 
 
 355,  643,   644,  664, 
 
 680. 
 oiKfiojffis  103,  157,  505. 
 oi'wo^ei'  258,  259. 
 oiKovoixiiTai  337,  631. 
 
 oiKOVOfXlKSlS  481. 
 
 bicv6<pi\ov  222. 
 oA7?i/  107,  394,  563. 
 oKiyoarfi  423. 
 oXiycoptas  621. 
 oXoKXrjpo)  623. 
 oAws  362. 
 oixiffTios  465. 
 ofioyvwixoves  641. 
 ofiofiSias  135. 
 opLorjOiias  635. 
 
 OjJLOOVaiOTTJTl  355. 
 
 ovofia  455. 
 opeffj  207. 
 
 OpiXWfliVOV  303. 
 
 opoi/  145,  653,  678. 
 ovaias  187. 
 
 itay'ioji  511. 
 TraiSayar/tKOV  129. 
 TraiSfv'Tjpiov  474. 
 TravSatamj/  320. 
 ■jTavr]jvpia.pxr]S  182,331, 
 
 466. 
 7rai/777u/Ms226,236,540, 
 
 580. 
 iravovpyiKuv  572. 
 
 Tra/)^  356. 
 irapa^vaTO)  538. 
 irapaiTiov  549. 
 ■napaKXtTTTcov  607. 
 ■napaXiXvfiivov  328. 
 vapakoyais  283. 
 irapanXrjpuiv  233. 
 ■napiiaayovffi  249. 
 irapeXavei  393. 
 ■napfpyov  149. 
 ■naprj^uivTOs  539. 
 irapiaovv  347,  536. 
 irapoSw  684. 
 irapprjaiau     166,      461, 
 
 552,  553,  560. 
 Ttarpbs  184,  255. 
 veipa^wv  321. 
 veTTOiufievov  376. 
 ■ntpiavrXriaas  601,  638. 
 ■nfpiavTXovfXivovs  557. 
 irepiPXevovTai  573. 
 irepiypaTTTov  266. 
 ■neptfXKoov  386. 
 Trepivoia  575. 
 
 TTfplVOffTOVVTfS  633. 
 
 7tfpnr{TT\a(TfifVov  269. 
 ■ufpicTTpofpas  681. 
 ■jrepiTTuv  251. 
 wipicpavfia  332. 
 iKpixfofxfvoi  632. 
 ireauaOai  227. 
 nerpa  151. 
 TTiTpivas  505. 
 
 TTTjXoV  507. 
 
 TTiOavov  559. 
 
 m/fpos  121,177,240,288, 
 
 294,  297,  343,  542, 
 
 556,  563,  610. 
 irXayioJs  642. 
 TrXaruYfXao'as  134. 
 TrAarvs  679. 
 TrXofcridSiDpoj  158. 
 7r\ovr<r  597. 
 TTfivfia  169. 
 TTVfvfiaTOKXrjTopas  194. 
 TToSiy^oj/  644. 
 TToSos  255. 
 ■noOovjxivov  557. 
 iroirjfia  270. 
 TToioTrjTa  169. 
 ■noXiTiiav  268,  597. 
 TToAv^eoi/  679. 
 TroXvfj.fpws  312. 
 TToXvrrXoKov  555,  653. 
 TTopiafiom  129. 
 vpdyfia  228,  455. 
 TTpep-vois  207. 
 irpoayytXov  290. 
 vpoaipiaews  353. 
 iTpoaiperiK^v  617. 
 
 irpoPXrjptaTOs  394. 
 TTpoyvfivafffia  491. 
 ■npoiXOwv  147,  225,  266, 
 
 354,  674,  675,  676. 
 irpoBfcnv  451. 
 Trpo«aTapKTitfos249,254. 
 
 TTpOICfX^^PI-'^f^^^OV  621. 
 
 TTpottiyTrTf  (1/123,140,225, 
 
 350,  478. 
 vponeXerdv  173. 
 vpo^evov  475. 
 wpooSo;  123,  355. 
 ■npoTTiTda  650. 
 irpofffidainov  460. 
 npoafx^^  656. 
 ■npoarjaO-q  655. 
 ■npoaOijKrjs  626. 
 irpocTKaOf^iaOai  444. 
 irpoaicXiaiv  371. 
 ■trpoffoitceiojOevTa  630. 
 irpoaovTa  675. 
 irpocToxfis  353. 
 7rpoa'ire(pvKws  308. 
 ■npo(rTeTpifj.fiev7]V  625. 
 irp6(j<paros  680. 
 TrpocrojiTOV  38, 
 ■npo<pr]rov  126. 
 7rpo(/)opi/cos  614,  646. 
 Trp^Xf/""' 193, 363,  383, 
 
 538,  620. 
 TrpoxelpaJS  621. 
 TrpoxfOfJ.(vr]s  430. 
 
 TTpCDTOTrXaaTOlS  653. 
 
 iTTuifia  164. 
 TTvpajcTiv  352. 
 
 pevffiv  147. 
 p-q/iaai  565. 
 p-qpiaTiov  30. 
 
 pitpOKtvSvVOJS  672. 
 
 poTT^s  663. 
 
 s. 
 aayrjvcveL  165,  246. 
 aapica  225. 
 aipvo!  632. 
 aeffaytjvevfiivov  558. 
 ffrj/J-aaia  575. 
 aKivwprjOiv  392. 
 aKiaypaipiirai  267. 
 
 (T/fOTTOl;  613. 
 
 <rixiKpoKj]pv^  299. 
 (TfUKpoirpfirfias  399,596, 
 
 619. 
 ff/juKpoipvx'ias  398. 
 aTroiiSaffpia  182. 
 OTapivov  370. 
 (TV77fj'€s  650. 
 avyKefcoa/.irjpfvyjv  367. 
 
GREEK  WORDS  GIVEN  IN  THE  MARGIN  IN  VOL.  I.       731 
 
 crv^rjaas  681. 
 avKO(pavTi.a^  605. 
 avWejajv  588. 
 crvWoyKTixov  388. 
 Gv/x/ieTpidaas  619. 
 Cvfj.<p(pea6ai  386. 
 
 (JV)Xl//T](ptOVfl(UOV  572. 
 
 <n/i'd7€(T0ai  631. 
 awayopfvoLiv  577. 
 trvi'atVeo'fj  281,  284. 
 avvarroXfTTTiivfadai  432. 
 avvacppaivovras  562. 
 cwSpofiov  571. 
 avvfSpov  588. 
 avviOeXrjrtiv  276,  571. 
 crvj/etSoy  559. 
 avv(^v<pTivas  520. 
 avi/eirdyeTfi  674. 
 (Tweaei  301. 
 avviaraXr]  374. 
 crvvivSoKKTjT^v  571. 
 avvT]ixfiivcos  72. 
 awGrjfia  242. 
 avvyr]ma(ei  274. 
 avvra^iv  264. 
 avfTeOpap.jj.ivrjv  128. 
 avvTptxovaav  566. 
 avvTpocpos  661. 
 ff<^oSpa  360,  565,  676. 
 c;(ppLyvwvra  601. 
 o-xfo-'"  355,  428. 
 axfiiJLo-  512,  544. 
 axQjJ-iTi  266. 
 axniJ-o.TL^iTai  146,  354, 
 
 616,  657. 
 aojTTjpiov  465. 
 aaxppovi^ovTas  654. 
 
 Ttiffi  126,  680. 
 TavTofiovXlav  613. 
 
 TauToAo7tai'  613. 
 TavTortiTi  249. 
 reOprjfxepov  616. 
 TeAfior  226. 
 
 TfXflOJTTjS  292. 
 
 TeTpifji.p.ivas  520. 
 rix"^^  274. 
 Tpaire^ris  451. 
 TpaxrjKtwvra  653. 
 r/w;8^  617. 
 
 rpoTTcoj/  235,  549,  656. 
 Tpo<prjv  225. 
 rpv<pais  205,  224,  225, 
 
 346,  348,  491,  651, 
 rpv(p(pdiT€pov  168. 
 (rofs)     Tvxovffiu     205, 
 
 665. 
 
 V. 
 
 vioTrdrajp  282. 
 vwap^iv  355,  517. 
 vntpPoXTj  73,  533,  555, 
 619. 
 
 VTTi<TTaKpLlvCCS  323. 
 
 viro^depa  353. 
 vno^efirjKOTQJs  616. 
 viroOeatv  387. 
 vTToOeTiKws  284. 
 
 VnOKp'lViTaL  38. 
 
 iiruaraaiv  123,  350. 
 vffTepL^fi  365. 
 v(TTepo0ovXiais  538. 
 iKpeardvai  266. 
 vcpearujar}^  187. 
 
 (pavipw  461. 
 (pavXoTTjTi  473,  474. 
 (pi\d\\ri\ov     {rpoTTOv) 
 
 222. 
 (piXaydpumav  221. 
 
 (ptXavepunov  345,  582. 
 <pi\dpeTos      365,     618, 
 
 648. 
 <pi\fv\al3ris  231. 
 <pi\o6fdfiov€s  319. 
 <pt\69fos  231,  531,  537, 
 
 540. 
 (piXodrjpeiv  567. 
 (piXoKtvSvvo?  567. 
 (ptKoKo finals  341. 
 (piKoftaeeis    153,     181, 
 
 321,  615. 
 (pi\ondrwp  276,  673. 
 (piKoripLiav  229. 
 ipoprjixa  349. 
 (ppuvijcnv  517. 
 ippovovvTii  633. 
 
 (ppOV^Tj  601. 
 
 (pvaiv  657. 
 (pvaiKT/v  106,  107. 
 (pvfftfcuis  124. 
 </)a)f  69,  563. 
 
 X- 
 
 XafiaiCv^o^  474. 
 Xapa.'i:T^p266,  350,  351, 
 
 610,  643,  652. 
 Xei/J-dppov  543. 
 Xp']ffTopa0fjs  310,  512. 
 Xpvaow  370. 
 
 ^• 
 ^^(/)oj  190,  473. 
 ^i^X^  346. 
 ipvxiicbs  647,  648. 
 ipvxpov  342. 
 
 wSti/ffi/  509. 
 wpiapiivojs  388. 
 
GEEEK  WOEDS  GITEN  IN  THE  MAE6IN 
 
 IN  VOL.  II. 
 
 ajvajUTos  47. 
 aKpi^ais  95. 
 d\rj9ii'ds  135. 
 d\\6(pv\ot  5. 
 a/xapria  317. 
 ctvayKaios  160. 
 dveSi^e  66. 
 dVoSos  214. 
 dn\ovs  172. 
 diro  291. 
 OLTaKTOi  87. 
 
 yivvqua  82. 
 
 'yt'OKTiJ  82. 
 
 yv/j.vws  162. 
 5. 
 
 So^juaTO  271. 
 SovXeia  169. 
 
 5i*  eauToc  162. 
 eyKoafjLios  144. 
 e'iSijais  82. 
 flicuv  174. 
 ««  56. 
 
 eK<pv\os  284. 
 eV  (ti)  370. 
 evOv/xfjads  151. 
 
 IfVTrotrTaToy  170. 
 tvayyeXia  288. 
 fvXoyia  198,  200,  206, 
 
 207. 
 ^5i(7Tov  147. 
 
 ^. 
 (emxiS)  Oavdrw  155. 
 
 napotfiia  65, 
 irttpdrai  150, 
 iTfpienei  17. 
 TTfplTTOV  73. 
 irvfvfia  303. 
 Trpo0-fi<j(Tat  318. 
 
 TTpOKOafUOS  497- 
 TTpO^tVOS  20. 
 
 BfKrjff'is  255. 
 Ofo^Spos  276. 
 eep/^ios  29. 
 
 (. 
 
 tStor  3. 
 
 Ttporeixifffia  10. 
 
 s. 
 
 crdpKa  317. 
 affivoTrjs  289. 
 aweTapa^ev  322. 
 
 tStofft/aTdra'y  302. 
 
 avaaaifxa  370. 
 (TwnaTiKoJs  264. 
 awTrjpia  29,  76,  113 
 
 Kivuais  105. 
 
 awTTjpios  113. 
 
 X. 
 
 T. 
 
 Xeriroi'  448. 
 \d7ta  94. 
 A.070J'  154. 
 
 A"- 
 
 TavToTijs  163. 
 TiXeiuais  119. 
 Totf-5«  319. 
 rpnr60j]TOS  156. 
 
 Hapfiapvyri  309. 
 fxeOupLOV  84. 
 fj-vqu-q  132. 
 
 TT. 
 
 v. 
 vY'oy  157. 
 
 (ppovTiarai  46. 
 
 Tra^cy;'  319. 
 
 X- 
 
 irapaTrXoiiv  6. 
 
 Xpiorotpopos  314. 
 
JJsH  r<::t».vf.EfJ--     . 
 
 DATE  DUE 
 
 R 
 
 •>   '♦nn 
 
 499e- 
 
 PRINTED  INU.S. A. 
 
DATE  DUE 
 
 SEP  2  4  2009 
 
i' 
 
 m